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  • Episode #64: Inside Reytek: How CEO Ed Kuyper Grows People, Strengthens Community, and Redefines Success

    Episode #64: Inside Reytek: How CEO Ed Kuyper Grows People, Strengthens Community, and Redefines Success
    2025/10/16
    Some leaders step into new roles; others step into new ways of leading. In this episode of Missing Conversations, Altus Growth Partners executive coaches Dan Winter and Lynette Winter talk with Ed Kuyper, CEO of Reytek Equipment, a New Mexico–based manufacturer serving the semiconductor, aerospace, and biotech industries. Ed shares the inner work and practical choices behind his transition from corporate executive to small-business CEO, and what it really means to lead with trust, humility, and care. His story reflects a leader’s deepest responsibility: to grow people, strengthen communities, and create the conditions where everyone can contribute their best. From creative approaches to hiring and developing talent to rethinking time, self-care, and leadership presence, this conversation invites leaders to consider how they show up for their people, their organizations, and the communities they serve. Key Moments You’ll Want to Hear 02:12: Ed shares the fear, opportunities, and inner work that opened the next chapter of his leadership journey. 09:36: Redefining trust: why it’s not just about character, but context, attitude, and the courage to rebuild when it breaks. 15:09: How Ed uses Reytek to develop people while building products that last. 19:20: “Job-in-a-Box”: the creative way Ed built a pipeline of local talent by meeting people where they are. 21:14: The CEO’s most difficult question: how do you decide what deserves your time when everyone wants a piece of it? 24:46: Building ownership at home base, and how Ed empowers his team to make decisions when he’s not in the room. 30:51: Staying true to your values when the company needs to change, and helping others do the same. 31:53: The story of a TaskRabbit turned accountant, and why character shown in small moments defines who you hire. 37:13: How listening to customers builds a “fan team” that carries your business forward. 41:02: Why taking care of your own well-being makes you better for your people, your customers, and your community. 48:18: The power of peer connection: why every leader needs a trusted circle to think, vent, and grow with. 52:57: The real meaning of practice. It’s not about mastery or medals, but the doing that shapes who you become. 55:00: When breakdowns happen, how transparency, steadiness, and purpose turn repair into renewal. 59:10: A closing reminder for every leader: remember why you’re there, and the difference only you can make. Your people at work need you to be the best version of you. 🎧 Explore what happens when a CEO leads not from position, but from presence, and what it unlocks for teams and communities. Listen now. About Ed Kuyper Ed Kuyper is the CEO of Reytek Equipment, a manufacturer of stainless steel cleanroom furniture and equipment based in Albuquerque, NM, serving the semiconductor, EV battery, aerospace, biotech, and pharmaceutical industries. With more than 30 years of experience in engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, and product marketing—including two decades at Intel—Ed combines technical depth with strategic vision. At Reytek, he is leading the company’s modernization, integrating digital marketing, launching BIM/Revit product libraries, and strengthening customer partnerships with end customers, distribution partners, and cleanroom builders. He is also a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and holds advanced degrees in physics, mechanical engineering, and business. He and his wife, Jennifer, also own Rainforest Baskets, representing master weavers in Panama, Colombia, and Ghana to retailers and collectors around the world. You can connect with Ed here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edkuyper/ or https://www.linkedin.com/company/reytek-equipment/posts/?feedView=all Catch Ed’s TedTalk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZW-uw2fm5o About Altus Growth Partners At Altus, we partner with CEOs and leadership teams who are serious about growth and willing to engage in new kinds of conversations to produce better results. We care deeply about helping leaders and teams collaborate more effectively, navigate complexity with confidence, and foster a culture where people thrive. It’s in these environments that challenges are met with curiosity, people bring out the best in one another, and progress is anchored in shared purpose. Because when leaders and teams are truly working together, they expand what’s possible and the meaningful impact they can make in their lives, their organizations, and the world around them. You can find Altus Growth Partners on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/altus-growth-partners/ About the Book Growing Groups Into Teams: How do you turn a group of individuals into a highly effective, productive team? Growing Groups Into Teams is an unusually useful book written by a team of generative consultants and coaches who have helped thousands of groups become effective teams. Through real-life stories combined with ...
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    1 時間 2 分
  • Episode #63: Anticipating Tomorrow: Leadership Aligned, Financial Impact Clear, and the AI Edge Defined

    Episode #63: Anticipating Tomorrow: Leadership Aligned, Financial Impact Clear, and the AI Edge Defined
    2025/10/09
    David Coulombe began his career as a mechanical engineer, but it was his restless curiosity that reshaped his path. He wanted to know why organizations miss what matters most, and how they could do better. That drive led him into internal auditing and risk management, where he challenged the old model of combing through past mistakes. Instead, he redefined audit as a forward-looking partner: one that tests readiness, strengthens trust, and raises capability across the enterprise. Now, David is pioneering how artificial intelligence can transform his field, and the organizations it serves. In conversation with Altus Growth Partners coaches Dan Winter and Jan Irene Miller, he shares a vision for leaders, boards, and teams: align on what truly matters, ask questions that expose real impact, and harness technology to anticipate challenges instead of react to them. This dialogue offers leaders a clear takeaway: if you want to future-proof your organization, you can’t wait for AI to “happen” to you. You must decide how to drive it. Key Moments You’ll Want to Hear 01:35: From engineer to auditor: David shares how curiosity and the desire to help others shaped his path. 03:35: Why the real value of audit isn’t accuracy of the past, but readiness for tomorrow. 06:14: What happens when leaders agree on what’s really critical and have a conversation about what they really want to achieve. 10:44: The rhythm of audit: helping leaders set objectives and anticipate risk on a 1–3 year horizon. 14:25: Why numbers are only the beginning—interpretation, impact, and readiness complete the story. 18:21: Looking beyond audit’s core mandate to ask the overlooked questions that matter most. 20:45: How optimism at the top can blind teams to risks they most need to face. 21:53: Defining trust: clear expectations, honest feedback, and timely course-correction. 24:45: Why exploring a full field of possibilities helps leaders reduce risk. 25:30: Navigating data points to uncover the reality. 30:22: How AI equips auditors to look forward and anticipate challenges. 37:27: The advantage for those who adopt AI early, and the steep cost of complacency. 45:02: Why leaders need healthy skepticism in the AI era. You can wait for this to be done to you, or you can drive it yourself. 🎧 Hear how David is redefining audit, not as a backward glance, but as a forward-looking partner helping leaders align, understand impact, and realize the AI edge. About David Coulombe David is a recognized Internal Audit and risk management leader, pioneering the integration of AI into the profession and advising organizations on building future-ready audit strategies. He is currently part of an innovation-focused startup helping Internal Audit leaders harness AI to elevate risk management and audit effectiveness. Previously, David served as Vice President of Internal Audit at Lyft, where he established and scaled the company’s first Internal Audit function. Throughout his career, he has specialized in technology companies, leading global audit teams at Salesforce, Juniper Networks, and Intel. He is a Certified Internal Auditor and currently serves on the boards of the San Francisco and San Jose chapters of the Institute of Internal Auditors. You can connect with David here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-coulombe-63397/ About Altus Growth Partners At Altus, we partner with CEOs and leadership teams who are serious about growth and willing to engage in new kinds of conversations to produce better results. We care deeply about helping leaders and teams collaborate more effectively, navigate complexity with confidence, and foster a culture where people thrive. It’s in these environments that challenges are met with curiosity, people bring out the best in one another, and progress is anchored in shared purpose. Because when leaders and teams are truly working together, they expand what’s possible and the meaningful impact they can make in their lives, their organizations, and the world around them. You can find Altus Growth Partners on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/altus-growth-partners/ About the Book Growing Groups Into Teams: How do you turn a group of individuals into a highly effective, productive team? Growing Groups Into Teams is an unusually useful book written by a team of generative consultants and coaches who have helped thousands of groups become effective teams. Through real-life stories combined with pragmatic advice, this book strengthens your ability to see what’s needed and take effective action: What two promises turn a group into a team. How to engage people to make those promises. How to invite responsibility and accountability. How to include and inspire people across differences. How to build and rebuild trust, and more! Regardless of how productive your teams are today, the insights in this book will help you grow to the next level to drive your business or organization forward....
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    48 分
  • Episode #62: Redesigning Your Calendar, Expectations, and Leadership to Build Workplaces Where You and Your Team Thrive

    Episode #62: Redesigning Your Calendar, Expectations, and Leadership to Build Workplaces Where You and Your Team Thrive
    2025/10/02
    Do you want to be part of a workplace that drains you—or one that gives you energy, clarity, and joy? In this episode of Missing Conversations, hosts Steven Jones and Ellen Burton talk with Shani Harmon, Founder and CEO of Stop Meeting Like This, who, for over 20 years, has consulted with Fortune 500 companies and is known for unraveling the complex problems that keep leaders and teams from doing meaningful work. Shani’s care began in her hometown in West Virginia, watching her father come home from long days of physical labor, and deepened when she entered the corporate world and saw how often people accepted miserable norms: endless meetings, low standards, defensive habits. Here, she shares how we can lead differently: design meetings that create value, reclaim focus time, raise standards with compassionate feedback and shared accountability, shift from having the answers to facilitating the right conversations, and close the gap between the culture you say you have as a leader and the one your team actually lives. Key Moments You’ll Want to Hear 02:48: The care that led Shani into her work, and her belief that work can be both joyful and productive. 06:19: How leaders and teams reclaim time, attention, and space for what matters most. 09:19: Choosing abundance over scarcity, and why it transforms outcomes for you, your team, and your culture. 11:52: Shani’s turning point: discovering the environment that unlocked her unique genius. 14:26: Building a culture of shared accountability so everyone contributes at their best. 16:47: Becoming aware of the gap between the culture you wish for as a leader and the one your team is actually living, and how to close it. 18:15: Why leaders don’t need all the answers, and your real role is guiding the conversations that move teams forward. 21:13: Why the discomfort of change strengthens the brain and builds better leaders. 23:27: The single question Shani asked that expanded her compassion and deepened care for her team. 27:36: How to turn down the noise to center yourself and lead with clarity. 31:21: Creating focus time as a leader, and why it’s non-negotiable. 37:58: Why presence is the greatest gift leaders can give, and what it looks like in action. 41:21: How curiosity keeps leaders open, human, and effective. 43:49: The conversations teams aren’t having right now, and what’s lost when they stay unspoken. 46:42: Final takeaway: people who enjoy their work contribute more of their best. We all have our unique genius. 🎧 Listen now to learn how to design meetings that matter, reclaim focus time, close culture gaps, and lead teams that contribute more of their best. About Shani Harmon Shani Harmon is the Founder and CEO of Stop Meeting Like This. As CEO, Shani’s job is to inspire corporate leaders to reimagine how work gets done and then partner with them to realize that aspiration. For over 20 years, Shani has consulted with Fortune 500 companies across the globe, helping them design and implement effective operating models, decision-making processes, and collaboration practices. She’s an expert at unraveling the complex problems that hold leaders and their teams back from achieving joyful productivity. Shani has an MBA and Master’s of Education from Stanford University and a BA in English from Harvard University. She hails from the hills of West Virginia but now calls Chicago home. You can connect with Shani here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaniharmon/ About Altus Growth Partners At Altus, we partner with CEOs and leadership teams who are serious about growth and willing to engage in new kinds of conversations to produce better results. We care deeply about helping leaders and teams collaborate more effectively, navigate complexity with confidence, and foster a culture where people thrive. It’s in these environments that challenges are met with curiosity, people bring out the best in one another, and progress is anchored in shared purpose. Because when leaders and teams are truly working together, they expand what’s possible and the meaningful impact they can make in their lives, their organizations, and the world around them. You can find Altus Growth Partners on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/altus-growth-partners/ About the Book Growing Groups Into Teams: How do you turn a group of individuals into a highly effective, productive team? Growing Groups Into Teams is an unusually useful book written by a team of generative consultants and coaches who have helped thousands of groups become effective teams. Through real-life stories combined with pragmatic advice, this book strengthens your ability to see what’s needed and take effective action: What two promises turn a group into a team. How to engage people to make those promises. How to invite responsibility and accountability. How to include and inspire people across differences. How to build and rebuild trust, and more! Regardless of how ...
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    48 分
  • Episode #61: From Mountains to Boardrooms: How adventure and experiential learning help leaders build trust, embrace conflict, and elevate teams

    Episode #61: From Mountains to Boardrooms: How adventure and experiential learning help leaders build trust, embrace conflict, and elevate teams
    2025/09/25
    “It’s not about the intensity of what you do, it’s about the intention.” That guiding belief runs through Ryan Soares’ life, from backcountry skiing to hang-gliding launches to building global practice fields where leaders experiment, stumble safely, and discover what elevates their people. In this episode of Missing Conversations, hosts Heather Neely and Amy Vodarek sit down with Ryan, founder of Soares Consulting, to explore how an adventurous spirit, deep empathy, and hands-on learning help leaders design psychological safety, embrace conflict as fuel, and turn missing conversations into trust and momentum. Listen in for practices you can use to align vision, grow your team’s capacity, and move with intention in every leadership moment. Key Moments You’ll Want to Hear 01:37: From athlete to banker to leader, Ryan finds his true passion: developing people to reach their best. 10:15: Experiential learning defined: act, reflect, apply, turning insight into real results. 14:51: The overlooked question that uncovers what truly drives your team. 17:24: How curiosity about others’ emotions unlocks stronger conversations and sharper leadership presence. 23:48: Designing learning that reaches every learner, not just a few. 25:11: The core of experiential learning: building psychological safety so leaders see what they couldn’t before. 26:49: Why embodiment is central to effective leadership. 28:27: Conflict as a growth engine: how leaders can harness it productively. 31:54: Practicing and mastering the skill leaders most avoid: having missing conversations. 36:58: The one word that inspires experimentation, learning, and growth across teams. 38:42: Levels of skill, conversation, and empathy every leader must navigate. 39:53: Inside Soares Consulting: global practice fields where leaders elevate one another. 41:48: Small tune-ups, big returns: how leaders grow even when it feels unnatural. 45:24: Leading with adventure: how Ryan’s spirit (and his dad’s influence) shaped his leadership path. 50:29 Final takeaway: leadership isn’t about intensity; it’s about intention, and moving in the world for others’ good. Leadership cannot be downloaded. It must be lived. 🎧 Listen now to learn how to turn everyday moments into practice fields that build stronger teams and better results. About Ryan Soares Ryan brings 20+ years of global leadership development and coaching experience, designing transformative, experiential programs that challenge leaders to think differently and lead with purpose. Known for his dynamic facilitation, he fosters trust, dialogue, and growth. Outside of work, Ryan pursues a life of adventure with his family in California. You can connect with Ryan here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-soares-acc-70a88975/ About Altus Growth Partners At Altus, we partner with CEOs and leadership teams who are serious about growth and willing to engage in new kinds of conversations to produce better results. We care deeply about helping leaders and teams collaborate more effectively, navigate complexity with confidence, and foster a culture where people thrive. It’s in these environments that challenges are met with curiosity, people bring out the best in one another, and progress is anchored in shared purpose. Because when leaders and teams are truly working together, they expand what’s possible and the meaningful impact they can make in their lives, their organizations, and the world around them. You can find Altus Growth Partners on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/altus-growth-partners/ About the Book Growing Groups Into Teams: How do you turn a group of individuals into a highly effective, productive team? Growing Groups Into Teams is an unusually useful book written by a team of generative consultants and coaches who have helped thousands of groups become effective teams. Through real-life stories combined with pragmatic advice, this book strengthens your ability to see what’s needed and take effective action: What two promises turn a group into a team. How to engage people to make those promises. How to invite responsibility and accountability. How to include and inspire people across differences. How to build and rebuild trust, and more! Regardless of how productive your teams are today, the insights in this book will help you grow to the next level to drive your business or organization forward. Order your copy today! Order from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Growing-Groups-into-Teams-Real-life-ebook/dp/B0CJLC23VS Order directly: https://shop.ingramspark.com/b/084?l8SxF4Aexn9gq08iz7jFBbwutleujrftoZ2wAOFzCVH If you're looking to expand your leadership influence, shift your results, and develop a highly engaged, accountable team, we’d love to talk to you. Schedule a conversation with an Altus Team Member here: https://calendly.com/prollin-altusgrowth/zoom-video-30-min. Follow us on social media: https://www.linkedin.com/...
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    53 分
  • Episode #60: Six Practices for How to Lead From What You Care About Most

    Episode #60: Six Practices for How to Lead From What You Care About Most
    2025/09/18
    To lead others well, we must first return to what we care about most. In this Missing Conversations episode, hosts Amy Vodarek and Ellen Burton talk with their Altus colleague Lara Guille, who blends her background as a clinical psychologist, executive coach, and generative leadership practitioner to help leaders do just that. Lara shares six practices for how to lead from your cares, elevating you as a leader and your team: “Zoom out” to see what’s really driving the moment Name competing cares so you can choose with intention Use self-awareness to stay grounded amid complexity Understand trust to build trust Lead with empathy to create psychological safety Create belonging through everyday micro-moments of presence Lara is clear: when leaders get curious about what they care about and take care of those cares, it changes everything. It grounds the leader, returning them to their values, purpose, and energy so they can show up consistently and authentically. It shifts their presence, creating psychological safety because people feel seen, not managed. It builds trust because when leaders model care, others feel safer to speak honestly. It elevates team performance because alignment, belonging, and trust remove the friction that keeps teams stuck. It ripples outward because as leaders grow, their teams grow, and results follow naturally. Key Moments You’ll Want to Hear 02:40: Lara reveals how anchoring in what she cared about most set the course for her leadership journey. 07:54: Why learning to be part of a team requires developing a whole new muscle. 08:48: How empathy becomes the starting point for trust when pressure runs high. 13:04: Practices for staying grounded while navigating relentless complexity. 16:15: What it means to “zoom out”, and how it helps leaders reconnect to their cares and see what’s really driving a situation. 19:39: How to recognize competing cares and intentionally decide which one your leadership will serve in the moment. 22:19: How moods and emotions shape the workplace culture and psychological safety. 25:31: Why belonging grows through micro-moments of presence, not grand gestures. 29:06: Side conversations: how they quietly erode trust, and how to bring the conversation back into the room. 30:47: How a simple three-legged stool from Richard Fagerlin’s book, Trustology, helps leaders diagnose trust breakdowns and guide repair. 32:13: Examples for having conversations about trust without blame and opening the door to repair. 38:42: Lara’s parting invitation: give yourself permission to feel what you feel and get curious. That’s where real growth begins. “Most of the challenges leaders are facing aren’t operational. They’re developmental and they’re human. And that’s where the opportunity for growth comes.” 🎧 Listen now to discover six practices you can use today to realign with your cares, and unlock the trust, safety, and performance of your team. About Lara Guille, PsyD With 20 years of experience, Lara has a demonstrated history of helping clients uncover and resolve the deeper personal and relational issues blocking their path to successful, sustainable results. Coaching at the intersection of psychology and business, Lara’s approach combines a deep understanding of human behavior with practical wisdom to help clients reach their goals. Drawing on a wide range of research-based methodologies and frameworks, Lara helps leaders find alignment and success at the individual, team, and organizational levels. She is known for being insightful, pragmatic, intuitive, and compassionate. Her coaching brings her clients into contact with the meaning in their work, helps grow the skills required to be effective, and leaves them with the self-awareness to navigate the growing complexities of work and life. You can connect with Lara here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lara-guille-psyd-221a3a22/ About Altus Growth Partners At Altus, we partner with CEOs and leadership teams who are serious about growth and willing to engage in new kinds of conversations to produce better results. We care deeply about helping leaders and teams collaborate more effectively, navigate complexity with confidence, and foster a culture where people thrive. It’s in these environments that challenges are met with curiosity, people bring out the best in one another, and progress is anchored in shared purpose. Because when leaders and teams are truly working together, they expand what’s possible and the meaningful impact they can make in their lives, their organizations, and the world around them. You can find Altus Growth Partners on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/altus-growth-partners/ About the Book Growing Groups Into Teams: How do you turn a group of individuals into a highly effective, productive team? Growing Groups Into Teams is an unusually useful book written by a team of generative consultants and coaches who have ...
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    41 分
  • Episode #59: Finding Clarity in the Chaos Through Courageous Conversations and Taking a Pause

    Episode #59: Finding Clarity in the Chaos Through Courageous Conversations and Taking a Pause
    2025/08/21
    Defining moments in leadership often emerge in a request made with care, a question that steadies a team, or the space a leader creates to reflect before reacting. In this episode of Missing Conversations, hosts and Altus executive coaches, Dan Winter, Elayna Alexandra, and Ellen Burton, explore how leaders can anchor purpose, ask better questions, and create the conditions for their teams to rise. Drawing on decades of experience guiding leaders through disruption, they share how to make requests that build trust, lean on your team when the answers aren’t obvious, and use reflection to open up possibilities, create better ideas, and figure out the next best action to take. Key Moments You’ll Want to Hear 01:49: What a complete request really looks like, and how it sets you and your team up for success. 05:27: Why alignment without a timeline falls short—and how to close the loop. 06:52: Remembering the network of performers every request relies on. 07:15: The pause before “go”: questions to ask so people are set up for success. 08:46: Leading through sudden change by asking, “For the sake of what?” 11:21: How to talk with the C-suite in ways that invite listening and partnership. 12:34: Seeing change not as disruption, but as the heartbeat of a living organization. 15:37: Supporting moods and wellbeing so your people can keep doing good work. 19:20: Shaping the conversation with your board, and drawing out wisdom you might otherwise miss. 21:43: Practicing self-reflection in change: knowing your patterns and naming them. 23:19: Leaning into the strengths of your team when the answers aren’t obvious. 26:17: Navigating uncertainty step by step, instead of freezing in endless replanning. 27:21: Creating focus time that helps leaders move from reaction to clarity. 29:26: Why possibilities often appear when you finally sit still. 31:47: Building reflection into the rhythm of leadership so decisions come with care. 34:45: Being part of the team, not apart from it. Testing intuition and learning together. It's through that pause that we can gain clarity from the chaos. ~ Elayna Alexandra 🎧 If you’re leading through change and want to strengthen trust, foster resilience, and unlock your team’s potential, press play and step into this conversation. About Altus Growth Partners At Altus, we partner with CEOs and leadership teams who are serious about growth and willing to engage in new kinds of conversations to produce better results. We care deeply about helping leaders and teams collaborate more effectively, navigate complexity with confidence, and foster a culture where people thrive. It’s in these environments that challenges are met with curiosity, people bring out the best in one another, and progress is anchored in shared purpose. Because when leaders and teams are truly working together, they expand what’s possible and the meaningful impact they can make in their lives, their organizations, and the world around them. You can find Altus Growth Partners on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/altus-growth-partners/ About the Book Growing Groups Into Teams: How do you turn a group of individuals into a highly effective, productive team? Growing Groups Into Teams is an unusually useful book written by a team of generative consultants and coaches who have helped thousands of groups become effective teams. Through real-life stories combined with pragmatic advice, this book strengthens your ability to see what’s needed and take effective action: What two promises turn a group into a team. How to engage people to make those promises. How to invite responsibility and accountability. How to include and inspire people across differences. How to build and rebuild trust, and more! Regardless of how productive your teams are today, the insights in this book will help you grow to the next level to drive your business or organization forward. Order your copy today! Order from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Growing-Groups-into-Teams-Real-life-ebook/dp/B0CJLC23VS Order directly: https://shop.ingramspark.com/b/084?l8SxF4Aexn9gq08iz7jFBbwutleujrftoZ2wAOFzCVH If you're looking to expand your leadership influence, shift your results, and develop a highly engaged, accountable team, we’d love to talk to you. Schedule a conversation with an Altus Team Member here: https://calendly.com/prollin-altusgrowth/zoom-video-30-min. Follow us on social media: https://www.linkedin.com/company/altus-growth-partners https://www.facebook.com/AltusGrowth https://www.instagram.com/altusgrowthpartners/ Keywords: #Leadership #TeamDevelopment #LeadershipDevelopment #ChangeManagement #Communication #TrustBuilding #StrategicThinking #EffectiveDecisionMaking #Wellbeing #OrganizationalSuccess
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    38 分
  • Episode #58: From Piano Keys to Engineering Teams: Composing Leadership That Lasts Through Change

    Episode #58: From Piano Keys to Engineering Teams: Composing Leadership That Lasts Through Change
    2025/08/14
    When change is constant, the leaders who excel are the ones who see beyond the work to the people doing it. In this episode of Missing Conversations, hosts Steven Jones and Lynette Winter talk with Yvonne Yang—a senior hardware engineering leader whose journey from concert piano to high-tech leadership is rooted in collaboration, curiosity, and genuine care for others’ success. With more than two decades in computing hardware and a lifelong practice of making music with others, Yvonne shares how she earns trust in complex, fast-moving environments, helps technical experts step into leadership feeling supported, and keeps teams connected when the path ahead keeps shifting. Her insights offer leaders practical ways to connect vision with action, foster resilience, and lead with both strength and humanity. Key Moments You’ll Want to Hear: 01:54: How choosing collaboration over competition expanded Yvonne’s world, and her leadership. 05:02: Why understanding the human side of the work often matters more than the data. 07:27: The first steps Yvonne takes to earn trust, and why she starts there. 10:58: How tailoring conversations to each person builds connection and results. 14:16: The challenge of promoting great engineers into management, and what gets lost without support. 18:04: Why time invested in leadership growth pays off for the business and the people. 21:20: How a life in music opened the door to engineering and to leading with harmony. 28:05: The parallels between music, engineering, and how teams truly work together. 31:07: Why asking “Why?” and “How?” fuels better decisions and stronger teams. 31:55: How Yvonne instills accountability, responsibility, and discipline across large, complex projects. 34:37: The way she brings her team into shared standards—especially when the ground keeps shifting. 37:35: Practices that keep teams aligned and engaged when change is constant. 40:11: How leaders can use learning to help teams adapt and stay resilient. 41:14: The quiet signals that tell Yvonne she has her team’s trust. 43:24: Why technical leaders need more than skill. They need coaching, support, and space to grow. If I can help people become better and work with others, it’s a good investment for the business. 🎧 Listen now to uncover the everyday practices that help leaders inspire trust, sustain alignment, and elevate their teams—no matter the challenge. About Yvonne Yang Yvonne has 20+ years of industry experience in the development and validation of computing hardware. She is passionate about enabling others to reach their full potential in their life and career. Outside of work, Yvonne maintains a music hobby performing piano in collaboration with other musicians around the world. You can connect with Yvonne here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yvonneyang/ About Altus Growth Partners At Altus, we partner with CEOs and leadership teams who are serious about growth and willing to engage in new kinds of conversations to produce better results. We care deeply about helping leaders and teams collaborate more effectively, navigate complexity with confidence, and foster a culture where people thrive. It’s in these environments that challenges are met with curiosity, people bring out the best in one another, and progress is anchored in shared purpose. Because when leaders and teams are truly working together, they expand what’s possible and the meaningful impact they can make in their lives, their organizations, and the world around them. You can find Altus Growth Partners on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/altus-growth-partners/ About the Book Growing Groups Into Teams: How do you turn a group of individuals into a highly effective, productive team? Growing Groups Into Teams is an unusually useful book written by a team of generative consultants and coaches who have helped thousands of groups become effective teams. Through real-life stories combined with pragmatic advice, this book strengthens your ability to see what’s needed and take effective action: What two promises turn a group into a team. How to engage people to make those promises. How to invite responsibility and accountability. How to include and inspire people across differences. How to build and rebuild trust, and more! Regardless of how productive your teams are today, the insights in this book will help you grow to the next level to drive your business or organization forward. Order your copy today! Order from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Growing-Groups-into-Teams-Real-life-ebook/dp/B0CJLC23VS Order directly: https://shop.ingramspark.com/b/084?l8SxF4Aexn9gq08iz7jFBbwutleujrftoZ2wAOFzCVH If you're looking to expand your leadership influence, shift your results, and develop a highly engaged, accountable team, we’d love to talk to you. Schedule a conversation with an Altus Team Member here: https://calendly.com/prollin-altusgrowth/zoom-video-30-min. Follow us ...
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    47 分
  • Episode #57: Leading as Human: How Small Shifts Spark Real Transformation

    Episode #57: Leading as Human: How Small Shifts Spark Real Transformation
    2025/08/07
    When leaders show up human—curious, present, and willing to listen—teams grow, trust deepens, and the real work of transformation begins. Sharon Richmond, executive coach and Altus principal, shares how a lifelong care for community, agency, and voice has shaped her leadership—and what led her to join a team that actively practices what it teaches. In conversation with Altus partners, Amy Vodarek and Dan Winter, Sharon explores how leaders become stronger by staying curious, open to learning, and grounded in their own humanness. Through real-life stories—from truth-telling in preschool to transformative client breakthroughs—she reveals the power of subtle shifts: how we listen, how we navigate conflict, how we make requests and keep promises. Sharon shows how small, intentional moves can reshape how teams relate, learn, and co-create together. Key Moments You’ll Want to Hear: 01:55: What if your people left work energized for life beyond the job? 07:20: The untapped power of recognizing the stories you and your team are living in. 09:09: How a Nike exec made one small change, improving the relationship with her team. 12:21: Where senior leaders get stuck, and what opens the way forward. 14:43: Calm. Capable. Curious. A mantra to embody your executive presence. 16:31: Listen to fix… or listen to learn? Why leaders need both. 18:00: Redefine your role again and again. That’s leadership at scale. 19:45: Leading as human means caring for your own humanness, too. 22:34: A simple meeting shift that transformed a team’s performance and future. 26:32: Why Sharon said yes to Altus, and what makes the team stand out. 32:49: How addressing missing conversations unlocks alignment, innovation, and momentum. 34:50: A real-time disagreement became a lesson in navigating conflict well. 38:18: How leadership practices like making effective offers, promises, and clear commitments are transforming Sharon’s family life and how they can reshape yours, too. 42:16: Sharon’s big “Aha!”: Letting go of the script to meet clients where they are. 48:28: Want to change your culture? Think like a gardener. To lead as human means we have to be humans and take care of our humanness. 🎧 Listen in if you’re ready to lead with more presence, co-create with your team, and build a culture where people grow, stay curious, and still have something left at the end of the day. About Sharon Richmond Sharon Richmond, executive coach and a principal at Altus Growth Partners, helps executives envision and build successful, healthy companies fueled by cultures of accountability and mutual respect. She brings simple, practical frameworks to help clients surface what they, their teams, and their organizations must do to win: to have better conversations, make better decisions, and get better results. You can connect with Sharon here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharon-richmond/ About Altus Growth Partners At Altus, we partner with CEOs and leadership teams who are serious about growth and willing to engage in new kinds of conversations to produce better results. We care deeply about helping leaders and teams collaborate more effectively, navigate complexity with confidence, and foster a culture where people thrive. It’s in these environments that challenges are met with curiosity, people bring out the best in one another, and progress is anchored in shared purpose. Because when leaders and teams are truly working together, they expand what’s possible and the meaningful impact they can make in their lives, their organizations, and the world around them. You can find Altus Growth Partners on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/altus-growth-partners/ About the Book Growing Groups Into Teams: How do you turn a group of individuals into a highly effective, productive team? Growing Groups Into Teams is an unusually useful book written by a team of generative consultants and coaches who have helped thousands of groups become effective teams. Through real-life stories combined with pragmatic advice, this book strengthens your ability to see what’s needed and take effective action: What two promises turn a group into a team. How to engage people to make those promises. How to invite responsibility and accountability. How to include and inspire people across differences. How to build and rebuild trust, and more! Regardless of how productive your teams are today, the insights in this book will help you grow to the next level to drive your business or organization forward. Order your copy today! Order from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Growing-Groups-into-Teams-Real-life-ebook/dp/B0CJLC23VS Order directly: https://shop.ingramspark.com/b/084?l8SxF4Aexn9gq08iz7jFBbwutleujrftoZ2wAOFzCVH If you're looking to expand your leadership influence, shift your results, and develop a highly engaged, accountable team, we’d love to talk to you. Schedule a conversation with an Altus Team Member here...
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