Nice Wants to Be Liked. Kind Wants to Be Trusted. | Debra Mitchell

Connected Conversations · Oct 28, 2026 · 50m

Being nice feels safe. It can also cost you, your team, and the change you're trying to lead.

In this episode of Connected Conversations, Elena Petrova sits down with Debra Mitchell, founder of Debra Mitchell and Company and a change management leader with more than 20 years inside large organizations. Debra draws a clear line: nice is wanting people to like you, and kind is being clear, honest, and accountable.

They talk about why change decided at the top lands on middle managers who never had a say, what a break room with no agenda revealed, why an arbitrary deadline can cost more than the…