Season's Savings | ₹5/mo for 3 months

₹199/month after first 3 months. Renews automatically. Terms apply.
Missing Conversations cover art

Missing Conversations

Missing Conversations

Written by: Altus Growth Partners
Listen for free

How do you create extraordinary and meaningful outcomes that take care of people, your organization and the future you care about? We at Altus believe all results, those that you want and those that you don't, are generated by conversations. When conversations are missing, people and results suffer—learning to see the missing conversations is where to begin. Helping you and your teams have the right conversations with the right people to get the results you desire is what Altus is all about. Through in-depth interviews with incredible guests, we explore the power and practices of conversations. In each interview, you'll learn how to see the missing conversations to enhance your leadership influence and impact and ignite a world of difference, one conversation at a time. If you're aiming for bold change and growing your leadership, teams and organization to create extraordinary results, we want to talk to you! Schedule your confidential conversation. altusgrowth.com/contact.2023 Economics
Episodes
  • Episode #86: Visibility at Work: How Leaders Create Space for Every Person's Unique Contribution

    Episode #86: Visibility at Work: How Leaders Create Space for Every Person's Unique Contribution
    Oct 22 2026
    Your people decide every day how much of themselves to bring to work. What helps them choose to show up fully, and be seen fully as members of your team? In this episode of Missing Conversations, Altus Growth Partners executive coaches Dan Winter, Steven Jones, and Lara Guille guide leaders through that question with insight drawn from their own lives and work, from the career advice Dan once received to "go become invisible," to Steven's early career leading a minority affairs office, to Lara's deep interest in how people become visible to themselves and to others. Together, they explore why capable people hold back, how psychological safety and visibility connect, and how dissent can become a unique contribution. Listen now for practices that equip your team to show up fully and grow stronger together. Key Moments You'll Want to Hear 03:53: Invisibility at work: what it looks like and what it costs. 05:50: Why capable people may choose to stay unseen. 09:19: Leaders as explorers: the curiosity that transforms organizations, systems and society. 11:43: A CFO's standout answer, and what it teaches every executive team. 13:06: The best question you can ask a colleague: How do you like to work? 17:19: How leading with excitement and honoring your unique contribution expands what's possible for the team. 22:22: Dissent as contribution: why a different view, offered with care, makes teams stronger. 25:38: The biggest team breakdowns: the missing conversation and the pressure to have every answer right away. 30:08: Making room for opportunity: staying open to possibilities in whatever form they arrive. 31:23: Connecting psychological safety and visibility by asking, "How am I contributing to this system?" 33:46: The somatics of visibility and how recognizing contraction invites voices to come forward. 36:53: The story you tell yourself shapes the actions you take, including whether you choose to be visible. 39:20: Practices to try this week to help your team become more visible. By the end of this conversation, you'll hear answers to: Why do capable people choose to stay invisible at work? Altus executive coach Lara Guille sees two patterns. Some people haven't yet realized they're holding back. Others, especially people with minority or outgroup status, deliberately mask parts of themselves because being visible doesn't feel safe. Lara also points to results-driven leaders whose organizations have stated values around inclusivity, yet who move so quickly to decisions that concerns end up in the back channel. When these leaders slow down and welcome disagreement, the team gets to benefit from every perspective. Timestamp: 06:05-06:57 How are visibility and psychological safety connected? Lara Guille describes them as closely related, because visibility always brings difference into the room, and how a team handles difference either builds trust or wears it down. She notes that psychological safety is built in what happens after an issue surfaces, sometimes even more than in what gets said. One of the biggest moves a leader can make is to put their own impact on the culture up for discussion by asking, "How am I contributing to this system?" Steven Jones adds that people learn the most from what leaders model, like pausing in the moment or bringing an overlooked colleague into the conversation. Timestamp: 29:34-31:23 What can leaders say in meetings to encourage people to speak up? Dan Winter recommends making "Tell me more" a habit, especially when your first reaction to an idea is doubt. He also suggests turning a quick evaluation into a shared problem, such as "If we only had $5,000, how would we make that work?" instead of saying, "I don't think that will work." For conversations that feel overwhelming, Lara Guille offers a back-pocket response: "I really appreciate having this conversation. I'm going to take some time and think about this. Let's come back to it at a later date." What people need most is connection and care, and following through on that promise to come back shows it. Timestamp: 41:44-43:21 If we're willing to be explorers and get to know people, things transform as an opportunity for organizations, family systems, and society. ~ Steven Jones 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://...
    Show More Show Less
    49 mins
  • Episode #85: Leading Without a Script: How to Build Trust in Your Team and in Yourself

    Episode #85: Leading Without a Script: How to Build Trust in Your Team and in Yourself
    Oct 8 2026
    The moments that shape a leader tend to arrive unscripted. Founder of Koppett, Kat Koppett started her career as a classically trained actor, then "serendipitously" discovered improv. Kat found that improv gave her a way to focus, access what she was feeling in her body, and be more present. For nearly 30 years, Kat has brought improvisation into organizations as a leadership practice. In this episode of Missing Conversations, Altus Growth Partners executive coaches Steven Jones and Ellen Burton sit down with Kat to explore how leaders build trust in their teams and in themselves, practice listening and co-creating, and start each day with intention, even when the morning goes sideways. Listen to the full conversation and discover what becomes possible when you lead without a script. Key Moments You'll Want to Hear 03:05: The two capacities that expand a leader's options at any given moment. 06:26: More power, more responsibility: How leaders create space for mutual accountability. 14:26: The moment teams decide whether speaking up is safe. 15:03: Building listening and co-creation muscles before the stakes are high. 18:11: How leaders earn trust by thinking out loud with their team. 27:16: Notice. Accept. Build. How to lead through uncertainty. 32:50: How leaders can build a healthier relationship with failure. 35:03: Morning practices to prepare for the leader you want to be. 40:53: Why we have to intentionally create spaces for human interaction. By the end of this conversation, you'll hear answers to: What responsibility do leaders with more power have for accountability? Kat shares mutual accountability grows when the leaders who hold the most power take on the most responsibility for making it safe to speak up. Power comes from many sources, including title, ownership, relationships, and expertise. A leader who shapes someone's pay, role, and future carries more of the work of creating a space where people can be open, honest, and willing to take risks. That work starts with talking about power dynamics out loud. Timestamp: 06:26 How can leaders build trust when they don't have all the answers? Leaders build trust by being honest about how sure they actually are. Kat practices opening up the voices in her head with her team. She'll name a real tension, like the pull between growing revenue and protecting the work her people care most about, and then ask the team what they make of it. Kat found her team trusted her more once she trusted herself enough to lead this way, because it gives everyone a clear place to step in and shape the answer together. Timestamp: 18:11 How should leaders lead when change keeps accelerating? Leading from knowledge or certainty serves leaders less and less as the pace of change keeps accelerating. What works is being present, taking in what's happening, and responding as it unfolds. Kat also sees human interaction becoming optional in ways it never was before. So leaders need to create space for real conversation on purpose, the same way people learned to make time for exercise once daily life stopped keeping them moving. Timestamp: 40:53 "Notice more of what's there, and then accept what exists and build with it." ~ Kat Koppett About Kat Koppett Kat Koppett is the Founder of Koppett, a consultancy specializing in the use of improv and storytelling techniques to enhance individual and group performance, and the co-director of the Mopco Improv Theatre. She is the author of Training to Imagine: Improvisational Techniques for Leaders and Educators to Enhance Creativity, Teamwork and Learning, and the co-author of The Facilitation Advantage with Therese Miclot. Her diverse client list includes Apple, Prezi, PwC, NASA, Global Giving, and the U.N. You can find Kat on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/koppett/ 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 ...
    Show More Show Less
    45 mins
  • Episode #84: Inside the OR: A Surgeon's Guide to Building Trust and High-Performing Teams

    Episode #84: Inside the OR: A Surgeon's Guide to Building Trust and High-Performing Teams
    Oct 1 2026
    What does it take for a team to earn someone's complete trust? For more than 30 years, orthopedic surgeon Dr. Mark Kelley has answered that question every time a patient places their life in his team's hands. He has led surgical teams in hospitals ranging from 1,000 beds in North Carolina to the smaller setting of Aspirus Keweenaw Hospital in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. On this episode of Missing Conversations, Altus executive coaches Ellen Burton and Amy Vodarek sit down with Mark for a candid conversation about what the operating room teaches every leadership team: how humility builds trust, why every voice in the room matters, when to hold a red line, and how a simple "I don't know" keeps people safe. Mark also shares how he's approaching AI with care, what a heart condition taught him about rest, and the one question his team asks before closing every case. Listen now and bring Mark's lessons from the operating room into your next conversation with your team. Key Moments You'll Want to Hear 03:08: What it takes to join a team as a learner and lead one as a teacher 07:12: Why bringing business leaders into the operating room builds shared understanding of the work 10:27: How leaders earn the trust to push back when quality and safety are on the line 12:06: Why checking your ego at the door earns your team's respect 13:12: What a team owes the people who place complete trust in them 16:31: How a team finds its flow when everyone anticipates what's needed next 18:46: Why no case is routine, and how blame-free reviews make every team better 20:20: How acting quickly on a concern makes it safe for anyone to speak up 22:35: "I want to be the flame." Holding the line between humility and humiliation 24:30: Why "I don't know" belongs in every leader's vocabulary 27:55: How a seasoned leader approaches AI: learn it, check it, and stay honest about what you don't know 31:01: "What kind of robot do you have?" What one question reveals about competing for top talent 33:25: Words of wisdom for rising leaders: remember why you chose this work and learn from those ahead of you 37:22: Why honesty and accountability protect trust across an entire organization 41:26: How a health wake-up call taught a surgeon that rest is part of the job 43:53: Why a rested team makes better decisions, and how to wait without guilt 45:44: The one question that closes every case: "Have we done everything we can?" By the end of this conversation, you'll hear answers to: How do leaders make it safe for everyone on a team to speak up? Leaders make it safe to speak up by building real connection and giving every voice equal weight. Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Mark Kelley builds that connection in simple ways: the surgical tech of the day picks the operating room music, and the team shares lunch and has even gone golfing together. Because every case is different, his team talks openly throughout the day and looks together for ways to do the work better next time. Everyone is free to raise a concern, publicly or privately, whatever their role. When a team member needed support with an uncomfortable situation involving an outside vendor, Kelley stepped in quickly, showing his people that voicing their concerns leads to action. Timestamp: 18:46 How should senior leaders approach AI adoption? Senior leaders can approach AI by learning it well enough to use it responsibly before guiding others with it. Dr. Mark Kelley admits AI feels intimidating, and he studies it anyway. He uses it to pull current research on complex surgical cases, which saves him significant time, and then checks every study to confirm it's reputable. He's careful to avoid acting as if he knows more than he does, because a leader who pretends can lead people down the wrong path. His approach is a useful model for any executive team: stay curious, verify what the technology produces, and be honest about what you're still learning. Timestamp: 27:55 How can leaders sustain their energy and show up at their best? Leaders show up at their best when they treat rest as part of the job. Dr. Mark Kelley learned this through a health wake-up call earlier in his career, and today he leads with a steadiness his whole team can count on. He protects his sleep, and his emergency room colleagues know he'll see non-urgent patients first thing in the morning while he stays reachable for true emergencies. He recharges through exercise and phone-free time in nature, especially along the shores of Lake Superior. Mark explains why a rested surgical team produces better outcomes, and how leaders can choose the right timing with confidence. Timestamps: 41:26, 43:53 "There's a lot more freedom to be able to say, 'Hey, you know that didn't go well. What can you do now?'" ~ Dr. Mark Kelley About Dr. Mark Kelley Dr. Mark Kelley has spent more than 30 years leading surgical teams in hospitals as small as 20 beds and as large as 1,000. An orthopedic surgeon with Aspirus Medical Group, he cares for ...
    Show More Show Less
    49 mins
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1
No reviews yet