Not Every Meaningful Conversation Happens in a Boardroom

Some of the best leadership conversations happen around a BBQ

With National BBQ Day coming up, I was thinking about how often people open up when there’s no formal agenda, no pressure, and no meeting invite attached to the conversation.

Standing around a BBQ has a way of leveling things out. People relax. Stories come out. You learn what’s actually going on in someone’s world.

Over the years, I’ve learned some of the most valuable leadership moments happen in the in-between spaces:

Before meetings start.Walking to the parking lot. At a team lunch.Around a fire pit.Or standing beside a grill while someone debates whether the burgers are done yet.

That’s where trust often gets built.

In high-pressure industries like mining, engineering, and operations, leaders sometimes underestimate how important informal connections can be. People work harder for leaders they feel connected to. Teams communicate better when relationships exist before problems happen.

Good leaders understand culture isn’t built once a year during a retreat. It’s built slowly, through small moments of consistency, presence, humor, and genuine conversation.

And honestly, sometimes leadership looks less like delivering a speech and more like asking:“How’s your family doing?”

Happy National BBQ Day.

And yes… somebody is probably still going to overcook the burgers.

#Leadership #TeamCulture #PeopleLeadership #WorkplaceCulture #ExecutiveCoaching