Episode #77: Why Smart Teams Still Struggle to Execute, and What Leaders Are Missing in Their Conversations

What do leaders actually get paid to do?

Most will say strategy, execution, or results. But watch closely, and you’ll see something else: leaders spend their days in conversations, shaping how people think, what they commit to, and what gets done.

In this episode of Missing Conversations, hosts Dan Winter and Don DeVito sit down with Chalmers Brothers—best-selling author, certified personal and executive coach, consultant, seminar leader, and speaker, whose work began with a life-changing realization about language, self-awareness, and the unseen forces behind performance—to explore why leaders don’t just drive outcomes, they shape the conditions that make those outcomes possible. Drawing from decades of work with leaders and teams, Chalmers connects the dots between how we interpret situations, the conversations we lead, and the trust, alignment, and accountability that follow. Chalmers offers a practical way to approach challenges like misalignment, difficult conversations, and disengagement without defaulting to pressure or control. If you’ve ever wondered why smart teams still struggle to execute, or how to create an environment where people contribute fully and think together, listen in. Then, notice what changes in the very next conversation you lead.

Key Moments You’ll Want to Hear

01:43: From engineer to leadership coach: the moment Chalmers realized results don’t change until how we see ourselves does.
05:07: Why a “right answer” mindset limits leaders, and how letting go of it is the key to better outcomes.
06:35: What do leaders actually get paid to do? The answer: lead conversations that shape performance and culture.
09:21: How leadership expectations have changed in 2026, and the competencies leaders need to have today.
14:55: The Observer–Action–Results model explained: why leaders get stuck repeating actions that no longer work.
19:00: How to build self-awareness as a leader: noticing your assumptions, interpretations, and internal narratives.
23:24: Why communication breaks down: your team hears something different than what you think you said.
27:33: The link between conversations and business results: why having the conversation you are avoiding produces the quality results you want.
29:25: How to have difficult conversations at work: a practical framework for direct feedback grounded in care.
33:02: How to run better meetings: declare the type of conversation upfront.
34:19: Why trying to “win” conversations damages trust, alignment, and long-term performance.
35:58: How to think differently as a leader: shift from reacting to situations → observing how you interpret them.
43:45: How leaders influence team culture and morale: shaping moods, engagement, and energy through conversations.
47:19: Acceptance vs resignation: how leaders move forward when they can’t control the situation.
51:07: Why shared understanding drives execution: how leaders align teams on goals, values, and expectations.

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

How do leaders create alignment when teams interpret the same message differently?

Alignment breaks down not because leaders are unclear, but because people interpret what’s said through their own experiences and assumptions. In the episode, Chalmers highlights that leaders don’t succeed by simply stating expectations. They succeed when others leave the conversation with a shared understanding of what was meant. That requires checking how the message was received, not just how it was delivered. When leaders take responsibility for how meaning is created, not just communicated, teams move from polite agreement to real coordination and follow-through. Timestamps: 23:24, 24:46, 26:22

How can leaders have difficult conversations without damaging trust or relationships?

Avoided conversations don’t disappear. They show up as misalignment, frustration, and underperformance. Chalmers introduces the idea of “carefrontation”: entering a difficult conversation grounded in care for the person, clarity about what matters, and honesty about what’s at stake. Instead of leading with critique, leaders first establish what they care about, what they’re committed to, and why the conversation matters. That changes the experience from confrontation to partnership, where feedback strengthens trust instead of weakening it. Timestamps: 29:23, 30:13, 32:17

Why do capable teams still struggle to execute, and what can leaders do differently?

Most organizations don’t struggle because of a lack of intelligence or effort. They struggle because of the conversations they’re not having. In the episode, Chalmers makes a direct connection: the quality of results an organization produces reflects the quality of conversations happening inside it. Missed, rushed, or avoided conversations create gaps in understanding, ownership, and coordination. Leaders change results not by pushing harder, but by addressing what’s unsaid, creating space for the conversations that clarify direction, surface blind spots, and move the team forward together. Timestamps: 27:33, 28:06, 33:02

The way that we observe influences the actions that we take and the results we do produce. ~ Chalmers Brothers

About Chalmers Brothers

Chalmers Brothers is a leadership development expert with a 36-year career focused on helping leaders and teams strengthen workplace culture, accountability, communication, and trust. He is the best-selling author of Language and the Pursuit of Happiness and Language and the Pursuit of Leadership Excellence, both widely used in leadership and coaching programs. Chalmers has spent more than two decades as a trusted speaker for Vistage CEO advisory boards and previously served as a Vistage Chair. His work is grounded in a practical understanding of how language, relationships, and self-awareness shape performance.

You can find him on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chalmersbrothers/

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:

#LeadershipDevelopment #SelfAwareness #EffectiveConversations