Episodes

  • Episode #49: The Hidden Practices Behind Trustworthy Leadership and Great Teams

    Episode #49: The Hidden Practices Behind Trustworthy Leadership and Great Teams
    May 22 2025
    What if the key to high performance isn’t more structure—but deeper connection? In this episode of Missing Conversations, hosts Lynette Winter and Dan Winter sit down with Jancy Castro, a veteran tech exec who’s led through everything from startup chaos to enterprise-wide transformation. Jancy knows how to build trust across time zones, cultures, and org charts. With over 25 years of leadership experience and a rare blend of strategic clarity and human insight, Jancy shares how she creates alignment, builds belonging, and keeps her teams thriving through stress, change, and the constant churn of modern business. If you're rethinking how to lead in complexity, this conversation is your roadmap. Key Moments You’ll Want to Hear: 04:35: The underestimated leadership practice that builds belonging, especially when you rarely meet face-to-face. 06:44: Simple, high-impact ways to connect with your remote team (no fancy tools required). 09:43: Why skipping the relationship-building is a leadership risk you can’t afford. 11:56: Leading across cultures? Here’s what the most successful leaders pay attention to. 15:35: Want stronger teams? Focus less on difference and more on shared humanity. 17:08: What to do when trust breaks: a leader’s roadmap for repair. 18:55: A personal leadership story: how Jancy learned to let go—and what it takes to assume positive intent. 21:39: How to align when teams pull in different directions (and why finance and sales don’t have to clash). 24:17: The small working-style conversations that prevent big misunderstandings later. 26:38: Why every leader and team needs 360° feedback—and what to do with what you hear. 29:25: Quarterly alignment isn’t optional. Here’s how to actually make it work. 33:25: Think you don’t have time for building relationships at work? Jancy makes the ROI case that leaders need to hear. 38:21: One shift that creates capacity on your team, not burnout. 39:04: How to help your people stay steady through change, stress, and uncertainty—and emerge stronger. It's in the small details, but they do make a difference. 🎧 Listen now to learn how small leadership practices build powerful team results. About Jancy Castro Jancy Castro is a seasoned technology leader with 25+ years of experience driving financial success and achieving strategic business outcomes in organizations of all sizes, from new operations to enterprises. She excels in both direct management and site leadership roles, motivating teams to high performance even without formal reporting structures. Passionate about coaching, talent development, and navigating complex business transformations, Jancy aligns organizations for optimal performance. As a Certified Executive Coach specializing in stress management, she brings a holistic approach to leadership. You can find her on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jancy-castro-6344545/ 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 #TeamBuilding #RemoteWork #CulturalDifferences #StressManagement #Trust #Communication #Relationships
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    45 mins
  • Episode #48: What Happens When Leaders Dare to Dream Out Loud?

    Episode #48: What Happens When Leaders Dare to Dream Out Loud?
    May 15 2025
    What if leadership wasn’t about control, but about creating the conditions for freedom and dreaming out loud—for yourself, your team, and the next generation? In this powerful and refreshingly human episode, Sonya Arriola, Chief of Staff at Bellarmine College Prep, joins Dan Winter and Lynette Winter to explore what it really takes to lead with intention, integrity, and imagination. From her roots as a first-gen, low-income daughter of Mexican immigrants to her 20-year journey in Jesuit education, Sonya brings a rare blend of grit, grace, and systems thinking. She shares how her mother’s denied dream of an education became the fire behind her own leadership—and how freedom, relationships, and long-term vision fuel everything from hiring to hard conversations. Whether you're navigating urgency, building culture, or trying to scale impact without losing the best of who you are, Sonya’s story and insights will stick with you. Key Moments You’ll Want to Hear: 01:43 – The 3 questions that shaped a 20-year leadership journey rooted in resilience and service. 03:31 – What actually attracts top talent that every leader should know. 06:09 – “It’s not about me”: A leadership mindset that transforms teams and culture. 08:42 – How to design a team culture built on curiosity, different perspectives, and dreaming out loud together. 11:56 – The one thing you must establish before a hard conversation. (Hint: It’s not rules or expectations—it’s deeper.) 15:03 – How to cut through urgency and get to the heart of what matters. 20:03 – The unexpected power move? Believing in the inherent goodness of others. Here’s what happens when you lead that way. 21:45 – Want to unlock your team’s creativity? Start with this one question to invite possibility in an instant. 25:10 – Leading through learning: Sonya shares her practices for staying teachable, listening deeply, and aligning intent with impact. 28:38 – Why rethinking your timeline may be the key to better outcomes. 33:55 – Don’t wait for the meeting: Why relationship-building before going to the room changes everything in the room. 36:21 – “Everything has a solution.” The leadership lesson Sonya learned from her mother—and now lives by with her team. 38:58 – Urgency looks different to everyone—great leaders know how to meet it. 42:09 – Why supporting the whole person drives better performance. 45:25 – Want to deepen relationships on your team? Sonya offers a fresh lens—and the questions that help people feel truly heard. My mother always said, “Everything has a solution…let's find it together.” Ready to shift from pressure to purpose? Tap into Sonya Arriola’s powerful leadership story—and discover how to build trust, navigate urgency, and design a team culture rooted in freedom, integrity, and impact. 🎧 Listen now. About Sonya Arriola Sonya Arriola is currently serving as the Chief of Staff at Bellarmine College Preparatory in San Jose, CA. A transformational leader who is deeply committed to education, she enjoys building relationships as well as facilitating institutional change that allows organizations to live out their missions more fully. You can find her on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonya-cotero-arriola-19ab46a0/ 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 #TeamBuilding #BellarmineCollegePrep #WorkplaceCulture #ComplementaryLeadership #Trust #Communication #Relationships
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    49 mins
  • Episode #47: Leading Through Uncertainty: Strategies to Stay Grounded When Everything’s in Flux

    Episode #47: Leading Through Uncertainty: Strategies to Stay Grounded When Everything’s in Flux
    Apr 24 2025
    When everything feels uncertain, your team looks to you for steadiness—but what if you’re the one holding unspoken fears, bracing for change, and unsure how to talk about the hard stuff? In this real-talk conversation between Altus executive coaches Amy Vodarek, Steven Jones, Lynette Winter, and Dan Winter, you’ll find what today’s leaders are craving: thoughtful insight, practical strategies, and permission to pause and find joy amid the chaos. With decades of experience coaching senior executives and teams through high-stakes change, the Altus team discusses how to lead yourself and your team with focus, care, and presence—even when the path ahead is anything but clear. Key Moments You’ll Want to Hear: 03:15 – How understanding individual responses to change can unlock deeper collaboration. 05:50 – The danger of two-dimensional thinking: How seeing others as “just their role” erodes trust and connection. 06:55 – How naming problems creates freedom and moves leaders away from chaos. 11:00 – Fast or slow? Why today’s leadership moments demand a different kind of movement—and presence. 12:21 – The quickest reset during tough times? Start with gratitude. Here’s how. 13:58 – Leading through complexity means holding space for multiple realities. Are you up for it? 17:34 – Your strongest leadership move? Letting the team carry you—when you need it most. 19:11 – The real power of asking for support—and believing it’s there. 19:37 – Finding your anchor: How grounding in the body can shift your leadership presence. 22:50 – Why treating yourself to joy (yes, even flowers) fuels resilience. 25:53 – Grounding is more than a buzzword. It’s your key to presence, clarity, and real connection. 29:34 – Energy audit: How intentional leaders choose where to focus and where to let go. 31:32 – Stop trying to control the uncontrollable. Focus here instead. 33:01 – How flexible leaders find joy despite the challenge. 34:40 – Every greeting is an opportunity. How you show up in small moments shapes culture. 35:54 – What’s the care underneath? Ask this one question to shift into purposeful action. 36:34 – How appreciating the joy of others creates the space for finding your own path to joy. 37:27 – Want to make an impact? Start by sparking joy—right where you are. 38:10 – Don’t ask “how are you?” Say this instead—and see the connection deepen. 40:11 – Want your people to feel seen and safe? Practice this powerful welcoming move. We hold a lot for our clients, and there's a real gift in being of service to people in that way. Pull up a chair, take a breath, and join us for this timely conversation on leading through uncertainty with steadiness, care, and presence. Listen now. 🎧 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/...
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    42 mins
  • Episode #46: The Case for Workplace Civility: How Psychological Safety and Clear Standards of Behavior Drive Team Success: A Conversation with Ellen Burton

    Episode #46: The Case for Workplace Civility: How Psychological Safety and Clear Standards of Behavior Drive Team Success: A Conversation with Ellen Burton
    Apr 17 2025
    Want a more generous, high-performing team? Create a culture and environment where your people feel safe. In this sharp and energizing episode, Ellen Burton joins Amy Vodarek and Lynette Winter for a conversation every leader needs to hear. Ellen is an executive leadership coach, keynote speaker, and author of The Civility Project, which raises awareness of old patterns of unhealthy and harmful behaviors in the workplace and opens pathways to a more reverent and civilized culture. Her gift for changing minds and hearts is evident as she shares her insights on the staggering cost of toxic culture to the quiet power of clearly communicated standards of behavior. Whether you're hiring, setting expectations, or navigating conflict, her wisdom will help you build a culture where humans—and results—truly thrive. Key Moments You’ll Want to Hear: 03:01 – Why psychological safety leads to generosity, and how leaders can foster it. 05:16 – The real secret to motivating your team. 07:09 – The hidden costs of toxic culture—lost talent, broken trust, damaged partnerships—and why unaddressed conflict drains your bottom line. 12:35 – Why your interview process should already be modeling the standards of behavior you expect inside your organization. 16:52 – What today’s high performers want from leadership—and what they won’t tolerate. 19:20 – The difference between “call-in” and “call-out” culture and how each impacts team trust and growth. 23:24 – Practical ways to set standards of behavior that help everyone succeed—starting now. 27:27 – The #1 teambusting behavior—and how to spot it before it spreads. 28:20 – Hiring smarter starts with better questions. What to ask before you make a costly mis-hire. 31:33 – How to navigate conflict based on the type of trust that’s (actually) present. 36:34 – Your team’s biggest opportunity? Slowing down. 42:13 – What leaders in high-stakes environments can teach the rest of us about working better together. 45:03 – Conversations that count. What presence looks like—and why it matters. 48:19 – Practices to show up as your best self—even on hard days. Leadership is not about telling, it's about teaching. It's about coaching. Sit back, slow down, and enjoy this wonderful conversation with our newest team member, Ellen Burton. Listen now. 🎧 About Ellen Burton An inspirational leader and catalyst for change, Ellen is an Executive Coach, business lecturer, and motivational speaker. Formerly an Executive Sales Consultant with pharmaceutical corporations, she founded her Executive Coaching firm in 2004. Ellen authored The Civility Project and contributed to Professional Leadership. She enjoys golf, tennis, and community service. You can find her on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellen-j-burton-she-her-0702289/ 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 #PsychologicalSafety #CivilityProject #WorkplaceCulture #ConflictResolution #Trust #Communication #Generosity #EmotionalSafety
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    54 mins
  • Episode #45: Leading at the Edges: Noticing Power, Listening for Care, and Making Space for New Perspectives: A Conversation with Lynette Winter

    Episode #45: Leading at the Edges: Noticing Power, Listening for Care, and Making Space for New Perspectives: A Conversation with Lynette Winter
    Apr 10 2025
    What if the challenges your team is facing right now are actually the doorway to more light, more connection, and more goodness in the world? In this eye-opening episode of Missing Conversations, Altus executive coach, Lynette Winter, joins Amy Vodarek and Steven Jones to disrupt conventional leadership talk and offer something rarely heard—an inside-out perspective on power, presence, and navigating conflict. With her rare ability to see what others miss, Lynette reveals how awareness of power, clear team agreements, and understanding what trust requires can cultivate deeper connection and drive greater performance. Lynette offers both insight and practice, encouraging leaders to listen for care. Not complaints. Not competence. Care. This episode isn’t about fixing people. It’s about seeing again—through new eyes, new voices, and even moments of tension—as a way to create more of what the world needs now. Key Moments You’ll Want to Hear 03:27 – Charting a new path: Lynette shares what led her to this work—and how it connects to what matters most in leadership and team development. 06:14 – The move that changes everything: How leaders can help their teams see more, be more, and do more of what matters. 09:25 – Leading with power, on purpose: Why understanding your influence is essential—and how to use it to grow, develop, and empower your team. 13:12 – Clear requests. Clear promises. Lynette breaks down the leadership practices that unlock alignment and effectiveness. 14:27 – Team agreements that stick: What they are, how to create them, and why they’re essential for empowered collaboration. 21:47 – Welcoming new voices: Lynette’s experience joining Altus reveals what real inclusion and respect look like in practice. 26:26 – The one mantra Lynette shares with every team she works with—and how it transforms how people show up together. 27:37 – Reimagining a team from the inside out: How Altus reshaped its team with honesty, care, and shared purpose. 33:18 – Rethinking conflict: How to move from tension and division to shared understanding and generative possibility. 37:34 – Leading through challenge: What if the hardest moments could create more connection, clarity, and light? 39:30 – Deeper listening, stronger leadership: Lynette shares her multi-level listening framework—and how it reveals what your team truly cares about. 43:26 – Trust isn’t one-sided: Lynette explores the balance of being trustworthy and willing to trust—and how to uncover what’s missing in your trust relationships. When we can listen for the underlying care or need, we start making connections, and the path forward is much, much easier. If you’re in the C-suite or leading a team, pause here. This conversation is your chance to reimagine what your leadership could generate. Listen now. 🎧 About Lynette Winter Lynette partners with executives and their teams to build high-performing organizations. She provides a supportive space for leaders to be heard and offers practical strategies to navigate challenges, emphasizing respect, accountability, and trust as the foundation for achieving strategic goals. You can find her on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynette-winter/ 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 #TeamDynamics #TeamAgreements #ConflictResolution #Trust #Power #LeadershipChallenges #TeamDevelopment #LeadershipDevelopment #EffectiveLeadership
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    48 mins
  • Episode #44: When the Pie Crumbles: What One Entrepreneur Learned About Leading Teams and Starting Over

    Episode #44: When the Pie Crumbles: What One Entrepreneur Learned About Leading Teams and Starting Over
    Apr 3 2025
    What do pies, poetry, and global equity have in common? In this candid and compelling episode of Missing Conversations, hosts Amy Vodarek and Steven Jones welcome Paul O’Donnell, a former investment banker turned entrepreneur, and Sylvana Caloni, a leadership coach and former equity analyst, to explore the real story behind their book Humble Crumbles. Paul shares his rollercoaster journey of building—and ultimately shutting down—a gourmet pie business, while Sylvana offers sharp, reflective insights into the leadership habits that quietly make or break companies. Key Moments You’ll Want to Hear: 02:01 – Entrepreneurship and poetry? Paul and Sylvana connect the dots—why both require bold, nonlinear thinking. 04:04 – Sylvana uncovers the leadership gaps behind company failures. 09:22 – When the money runs low: Paul on facing financial challenges and reinventing the plan. 13:00 – Paul on discovering the power of listening to build a stronger team. 15:27 – Meet your new favorite advisors: Sylvana introduces the “positive naysayers” every leader needs. 20:30 – Numbers don’t lie, but they don’t tell the whole story. Sylvana on self-analysis as a business strategy. 23:42 – The importance of balancing a mood of possibility and collaborative engagement. 25:34 – Business failed, but I didn’t: Paul’s honest take on identity, loss, and starting over. 28:35 – Creating the conditions for clarity: Sylvana on how self-awareness and boundaries lead to optimal decisions. 34:56 – Want better teams? Have a conversation about motivations, expectations, and boundaries. Sylvana breaks down “Designing an Alliance.” 40:05 – Test. Learn. Tweak. Sylvana’s method for minimizing risks and building resilience. 43:55 – Your business is not your identity, and the value of renegotiating commitments when necessary. Leadership isn’t a solo game. It’s a team sport. ~ Sylvana Caloni About Paul O’Donnell Paul is an investment banker turned business consultant with decades of experience in Australia, the UK, and the USA in strategic leadership and business development for multinational financial institutions. He is also a serial entrepreneur, and mentors owners of small to medium-sized enterprises and students of entrepreneurship, He is a published author and a poet. Connect with Paul on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulmodonnell/ or Instagram: @pod.the.poet About Sylvana Caloni Sylvana Caloni is a leadership coach who works with clients internationally. In her early career in global financial markets, she was a bond dealer, equity analyst, and fund manager. She blends insights from the fast-paced financial services world and the latest training on learning and development to enable entrepreneurs, executives, and self-starting individuals to become more self-aware, more effective and more successful. Connect with Sylvana: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sylvanacaloni/ https://sylvanacaloni.com/ https://sylvanacaloni.com/humble-crumbles/ 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: #Entrepreneurship #Leadership #Creativity #TeamBuilding #DecisionMaking #Resilience #SelfAwareness #BusinessChallenges #Mindset #OptimalDecisionMaking #GrowthMindset
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    47 mins
  • Episode #43: Developing and Elevating Teams to Think Bigger and Achieve Meaningful Impact with Jeff Rittener

    Episode #43: Developing and Elevating Teams to Think Bigger and Achieve Meaningful Impact with Jeff Rittener
    Mar 27 2025
    The best leaders do more than drive results—they transform how their teams think, evolve, and collaborate to create meaningful impact. Over his 34-year career at Intel, Jeff Rittener, former Chief Trade Officer, redefined what it means to lead. Instead of controlling outcomes, he empowered his global team to focus on value. Instead of treating compliance as a box to check, he inspired strategic thinking. And instead of seeing leadership as a top-down function, he made it about listening, trust, and shared vision. In this episode, hosts Dan Winter and Kobe Bogaert dive into Jeff’s innovative leadership practices—how he turned complexity into clarity, resistance into alignment, and challenges into opportunities for growth. Discover the bold steps he took to ensure his teams weren’t just doing the work—but growing because of it. Key Moments You’ll Want to Hear: 01:41 – The three values that made 34 years at Intel Jeff’s dream job. 06:00 – Change is constant, change is hard—how to keep teams aligned in complexity. 06:24 – The leadership challenge: Uniting a diverse, global team around a shared vision. 08:43 – The key questions that helped Jeff’s team define a powerful vision. 09:55 – How a vision evolves—and why it must. 12:02 – From compliance to leadership: Shifting mindsets on a global scale. 17:36 – Managing resistance to change and thinking more strategically. 19:39 – How polarity thinking helped Jeff’s team see the future differently. 26:28 – Holding high standards under pressure—without sacrificing integrity. 34:04 – How to build, maintain, and strengthen trust in your team. 36:52 – Virtual around-the-world tours? How Jeff fostered a sense of belonging. 44:44 – Helping his team embrace their own growth and development journey. 46:47 – The underrated leadership tool: One-on-ones that drive real impact. 50:34 – The one conversation leaders aren’t having—but should be. "I realized it was more important to not be so concerned about doing work but to be more concerned about the people themselves—and how do I help them?" Ready to move your team from execution to impact? Listen now. 🚀🎧 About Jeff Rittener Integrity – Visionary – Team builder – Optimistic – Proactive – Coach – Adaptable – Trusted JEFF RITTENER is the former Chief Trade Officer at Intel. Over his 34-year career, he led numerous global teams, shaping the trade environment to advance business strategy and ensure compliance. He is a recognized change agent and industry thought leader. You can find him on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffrittener. 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 #GlobalTeams #Intel #VisionStatement #Teamwork #Communication #TrustBuilding #TeamDevelopment #ChangeManagement
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    54 mins
  • Episode #42: Lessons in Leadership: Isaura Gaeta on Trust, Vision & Resilience

    Episode #42: Lessons in Leadership: Isaura Gaeta on Trust, Vision & Resilience
    Mar 13 2025

    From breaking barriers to leading her team through crisis—Isaura Gaeta’s leadership journey is a masterclass in vision, trust, and resilience. A former Intel executive and Latina pioneer in tech, Isaura knows what it takes to navigate uncertainty, inspire teams, and drive results—without losing sight of the people who make it all possible.

    In this episode, hosts Dan Winter and Lynette Winter sit down with Isaura to explore the defining moments of her career—from engineering to executive leadership. She shares hard-won lessons on building trust, leading through change, and creating a culture where people thrive—even in the most challenging circumstances.


    Key Moments You’ll Want to Hear:

    02:23 – Isaura on turning leadership challenges into a blueprint for success.
    06:08 – Shutting down a massive plant—without losing trust or morale.
    12:47 – Why diverse approaches to problem-solving fuel better solutions.
    21:41 – Accountability starts at the top—how leaders set the tone.
    24:20 – The power of being the first to extend trust.
    27:13 – Why encouraging rest is a leadership strategy.
    35:02 – Strategies for developing your team.
    40:53 – Creating space for every voice.
    44:11 – Isaura’s transition to board leadership and what she learned.
    51:09 – Her leadership mantra: Commit. Persist. Unite.

    👉 Commit, persist, and unite (CPU). Commit to being your best self every day. Persist despite setbacks, because there will be many setbacks, and the ability to be resilient and bounce back is really important, and unite, because you can't do this alone.

    This episode is packed with insights that C-suite leaders and their teams can use right now. Hit play and take notes.

    About Isaura Gaeta

    Isaura Gaeta is a former Intel technology executive, where she served for four decades in various capacities from Plant Manager of a highly automated semiconductor manufacturing facility to General Manager of Security Research, improving the security of Intel’s products. A Latina pioneer in semiconductors, Isaura currently serves on corporate and nonprofit boards.

    You can find her on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isaura-s-gaeta/.

    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 #TeamLeadership #WomenInLeadership #WomenInEngineering #SharedVision #OvercomingChallenge #BoardRoles #LeadershipDevelopment #TeamDevelopment #CapacityBuilding
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    56 mins