Step Back to Lead Forward: Tané Minnick
“WHEN YOU STEP BACK, IT ALLOWS OTHERS TO LEAN IN.”
Episode Description
In this episode of Leadership Matters, Tané Minnick, business guide and executive coach, joins host Kaylee Thomsen for a rich conversation on self-awareness, leadership growth, and building high-performing teams. Tané shares her unconventional path from growing up in Switzerland to leading retail divisions at Macy’s and Patagonia, and the hard lessons she learned along the way. She unpacks why ego is the biggest barrier to self-awareness, what it really means to “play in the outfield,” and why the leader’s job is to step back so others can lean in. Tané also shares her framework for team alignment and why self-reflection is the foundation of every great leader.
Chapters
- 00:00 Intro: Meet Tané Minick
- 00:54 Growing Up in Switzerland and Reading Maps
- 02:46 Getting Into Macy's Executive Training Program
- 04:33 Rapid Promotions and Growing Confidence
- 05:23 The "Daryl Strawberry" Feedback Moment
- 06:38 Learning to Play in the Outfield
- 07:39 A Decade of Growth and Acquisitions at Macy's
- 09:39 Joining Patagonia and Turning Around Retail
- 10:46 The Meeting Nobody Showed Up To
- 12:53 Learning to Listen to Culture First
- 13:16 Getting an MBA in Sustainable Management
- 14:16 Stepping Back From Corporate to Be Present for Family
- 15:23 Becoming a Business Guide and Executive Coach
- 16:16 The Bus, the Map, and the Driver Model
- 18:10 Why Stepping Back Helps Others Lean In
- 19:10 How Ego Blinds Self-Awareness
- 20:38 Self-Reflection: "What's My Role in This?"
- 22:38 A Cautionary Story About Misusing Assessments
- 25:02 The Beach Ball Perspective Exercise
- 26:17 The Coxswain Analogy for Team Alignment
- 28:47 One Small Shift Toward Better Leadership
More In The Series
See all on Youtube
