Episode #73: Why Teams Struggle with Trust, Feedback, and Alignment, and What Leaders Can Do Differently

Early in his leadership, Michael Saxe-Taller found himself avoiding a difficult team member. Then, he made a decision. He decided to see him differently. The choice didn’t just create a better relationship, it reshaped how Michael understood leadership itself.

In this episode of Missing Conversations, Altus executive coaches Eva Orbuch and Heather Neely sit down with Michael, a lifelong community builder who spent over a decade as Executive Director of Kehilla Synagogue. Drawing from his roots in community organizing and years of leading through tension, change, and growth, Michael shares what he learned along the way: how trust forms on a team (and why it starts with the leader), how tension spreads when it’s left unspoken, how to receive feedback without becoming defensive, and what it takes to lead with steadiness and care when the world around your organization feels anything but stable.

Key Moments You’ll Want to Hear

02:12: Connection and community: the key drivers of great leadership.
04:16: A story about how leaders build trust with difficult team members.
07:59: Leadership principles to follow no matter the industry.
10:48: How structure creates clarity.
13:19: The real role of an executive leader. It’s not authority over people.
15:26: How to build trust across your team.
19:20: The one action leaders can take when your team doesn't know how to talk to each other.
22:46: Why it’s so hard for leaders to get honest feedback, and what you can do differently.
26:23: How leaders can stay open instead of defensive in hard conversations.
29:45: The capability leaders need most in complex environments and times.
30:26: What happens to team culture under pressure or crisis, and how leaders can respond.
33:02: How leaders avoid burnout while staying committed to their work.
35:28: What leaders gain from stepping away.

By the end of this conversation, you’ll hear answers to:

How do leaders build trust in teams?

Trust on teams begins with the leader. Michael shares that when leaders listen with genuine interest, act with integrity, and create space for people to speak openly, they set the tone for how others relate. As people experience consistency and openness from the leader, they begin to extend that same trust to each other. Over time, this creates a culture where collaboration feels natural and commitments become more reliable. Timestamps: 04:16, 15:26, 17:35, 22:46

What helps leaders receive feedback in a way that strengthens trust and learning?

Leaders strengthen their teams when they create an environment where feedback is both welcome and useful. Michael shares that staying present, managing reactivity, and listening for what’s true, without needing to immediately defend or explain, opens the door for more honest input. As leaders practice this, teams begin to trust that their perspectives matter, leading to clearer communication, better decisions, and stronger alignment. Timestamps: 22:46, 26:23, 28:38

How can leaders stay grounded and lead effectively during times of uncertainty and pressure?

Leadership is tested most when the environment becomes more complex and demanding. Michael reflects on leading through COVID, social tension, and broader societal challenges, and what he noticed in himself and his team. What made the difference wasn’t more control. It was staying connected to values, maintaining care for people, and creating space for honest conversation even when things felt strained. At the same time, he highlights the importance of including yourself in the equation, recognizing that sustainable leadership requires attention to your own capacity, energy, and well-being. When leaders stay grounded in what matters, they create steadiness that others can rely on. Timestamps: 30:26, 32:32, 33:02, 35:28

They had to be able to trust me for me to be able to build a culture of them trusting each other.

About Michael Saxe-Taller

Michael Saxe-Taller is a Berkeley native who has dedicated his adult life to building communities and developing leaders. After more than a decade, he recently stepped down as Executive Director of Kehilla Synagogue, a progressive community of 550 households in Oakland/Piedmont. Previously, Michael served as a community organizer with the Industrial Areas Foundation across Sonoma, Marin, and Napa Counties. His career in strengthening Jewish communities includes roles as Associate Director of Berkeley Hillel, Director of Adult Programs at the JCC in Manhattan, and Program and Membership Director at Congregation Kol Shofar in Marin County. He has also collaborated with numerous alliance-building organizations throughout the Bay Area.

You can connect with Michael on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelsaxetaller/

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.

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https://www.linkedin.com/company/altus-growth-partners
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Keywords:

#CommunityBuilding #JewishCommunity #TeamBuilding