#264: Radical Candor in Practice with Amy Sandler (Part 1)

Before diving into today’s conversation with my guest, Amy Sandler, I want you to pause for a moment and think about your own career journey, whatever that may be and reflect on all the places you’ve worked, the teams you’ve been a part of, and the experiences—both challenging and rewarding—that have shaped your professional life. 

Whether you’ve been in a leadership position or not, consider those everyday moments—the interactions, the wins, and the setbacks—that ultimately influenced how you felt in your workplace. When thinking about these things, what comes up for you and how did those environments shape your sense of belonging, growth, and self-expression?

How comfortable did you feel being honest and openly transparent about your emotions when dealing with both your triumphs and the struggles you had? And when it came to providing feedback to your peers or leaders, how safe did you feel doing so? Was your feedback heard and welcomed, or was it dismissed? 

These are all questions that tie into today’s conversation, where we’ll explore candor—not just the literal definition which has to do with the quality of being honest and straightforward in attitude and speech, but more so the deeper essence of creating spaces where openness and feedback can thrive.

I’m thrilled to introduce my guest, Amy Sandler, a leader whose work has helped shape how thousands of people think about communication in the workplace. 

Amy is the principal coach and podcast host of Radical Candor, where she has also served as Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Content Officer at the Radical Candor organization. Over the years, she’s worked with countless people, from CEOs and leadership teams to recent graduates just starting their careers.

Amy’s leadership philosophy is rooted in empowering individuals to develop greater self-awareness, resilience, and compassion—qualities she firmly believes are essential for building strong teams and achieving shared success. 

Alongside Kim Scott, the brilliant author of the book Radical Candor, and CEO Jason Rosoff and the rest of their team, Amy has been part of groundbreaking work that’s helping organizations create environments where all voices are valued and feedback is embraced.

Amy is also a Harvard graduate with an MBA and an MFA in Screenwriting from UCLA. She’s a certified breathwork and meditation teacher, and she’s woven many of the guiding principles from these practices into her leadership coaching. 

On a deeply personal note, Amy has openly shared how coming out as a member of the LGBTQ+ community in the mid-90s catalyzed her own journey of inner healing and self-inquiry.

It was truly an honor to sit down with Amy for this conversation. We found so much flow in our discussion,,,, that we decided to make this a two-part series, where we’ll dive even deeper into her work with Radical Candor in our next episode together which will come out later in December. 

I think you’ll appreciate Amy’s thoughtful, empathetic style of communication and gain valuable insights from today’s episode that I hope you’ll be able to apply in your own personal and professional life. Thanks for listening.

Connect with Amy Sandler:
LinkedIn
Radical Candor Podcast
Radical Candor Book