Long before he became CEO of Deloitte US, Jason Girzadas was on the pitcher’s mound playing for his high school baseball team. With family watching from the stands, Girzadas’s team was up by just one run against their biggest rival, and the bases were loaded.
Girzadas was understandably nervous. There was a lot on the line. It was a tight spot that could cause anyone to sweat. But that’s when his coach walked out to the mound.
He sent the catcher away so he could speak with Girzadas one-on-one.
“Look,” his coach told him. “You know how to do this. I don’t want you to be thinking about who is in the stands. I want you to think about being in the moment right now.”
The coach didn’t yell. He didn’t make a spectacle. He didn’t express worry or doubt. Instead, he was clear and direct. He connected with Girzadas. It was a reassuring moment that settled the young pitcher.
The lesson from that day has stayed with Girzadas throughout his career: Effective feedback should be delivered directly, timely and thoughtfully. As he shared with me on Corporate Competitor Podcast, “I’ve never seen feedback work when you humiliate someone in front of a group.”
He talked about this and much more in our conversation, including:
• Know yourself. Leaders, Girzadas said, are more effective when they stop performing their job and instead do the work of understanding themselves. He explained that, early on, he reached a point where trying to be someone else felt exhausting. But being himself felt liberating. “You have to know yourself, so you can be yourself,” he said.
• Team chemistry matters. Any coach will tell you—winning isn’t only about talent, it’s about a team fitting together. Girzadas understands this. When he builds teams, he’s not looking for the strongest individual person for each role. He’s looking for the right mix of energy, dependability and edge.
• Utilize storytelling. Girzadas sees storytelling as one of the most practical leadership tools there is, especially in a firm with as long a history as Deloitte. Stories help people realize that while difficult moments may feel intense, they’re not always unprecedented.
