In this episode of Alignment First, I sit down with Shawn Richards, founder of Blue Sky Business Consulting and host of The Team Engagement Podcast. We dive into how leaders can maximize their human capital, strengthen communication, develop emerging leaders, and evolve their identity as their vision grows. This is a powerful conversation on building teams that can actually win.

Key Takeaways

1. Why human capital is your greatest competitive advantage.

2. The #1 point of failure in leadership (and how to fix it).

3. How identity shifts allow leaders to scale without burning out.

4. The power of small-unit leadership and clear guardrails.

5. How psychological safety unlocks innovation and collaboration.

Quotes

• “Leadership isn’t about knowing everything—it’s about knowing how to find the answers.” – Shawn Richards

• “People aren’t expenses; they’re your greatest assets.” – Shawn Richards

• “Progress—not perfection—is the definition of success.” – Shawn Richards

Connect with Shawn Richards
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnjrichards/
Blue Sky Consulting: https://blueskybizconsulting.com
The First Fifty Project: https://thefirstfiftyproject.com

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