Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share Altitude Leadership Lab
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
Altitude Leadership Lab
Altitude Leadership Lab episodes
- The Art of Listening
Listening is more than hearing words. It is the foundation of trust and the secret to understanding what people truly need. Nicole and Stacie explore three levels of listening—internal, focused, and global—and show how each level shapes relationships and results. Through simple practices and reflection, they reveal how great leaders listen for both words and energy.
What You’ll Take Away
- The three levels of listening and how to use them intentionally
- How silence and curiosity strengthen understanding
- Simple practices like The Silent Minute and The Energy Check to build listening awareness
Next Step for Managers
In your next conversation, focus on noticing rather than responding. Take one breath before you speak and see what shifts in the interaction.18 min - Decision Frameworks for Leaders
Good decisions are rarely about luck; they are about structure. Nicole and Stacie introduce frameworks that help leaders make clear, values-aligned choices even under pressure. They show how to separate emotion from logic, gather the right input, and evaluate tradeoffs with transparency. This episode helps managers move from instinctive reacting to deliberate leading.
What You’ll Take Away
- How to use a structured decision-making process that reduces stress
- When to make a call alone and when to gather input
- How clarity and reflection turn decisions into learning opportunities
Next Step for Managers
Before your next major decision, pause to identify the criteria you are using. Share them with your team to model transparency and learning.13 min - The Psychology of Risk
Every leadership decision involves risk, and how we handle it shapes our culture. Nicole and Stacie unpack the psychology behind risk-taking, exploring why some managers avoid it and others overdo it. They discuss how fear, trust, and self-awareness impact decision-making and how to help teams take smart, strategic risks without unnecessary stress.
What You’ll Take Away
- How to identify your personal risk pattern as a leader
- The link between psychological safety and healthy risk-taking
- Strategies for helping your team make bold, thoughtful choices
Next Step for Managers
In your next one-on-one, ask “What feels risky to you right now?” Use the conversation to name fears and find small, safe steps forward.18 min - Leading Better Meetings
Meetings can either drain energy or create alignment. Nicole and Stacie help managers transform meetings from a necessary evil into a powerful leadership tool. They share how to clarify purpose, invite participation, and end with momentum instead of confusion. You will learn how to use meetings as the central rhythm of your leadership, not a distraction from it.
What You’ll Take Away
- How to set clear expectations and outcomes for every gathering
- Tips for balancing time, tone, and participation so people leave engaged
Next Step for Managers
Before your next meeting, clarify its purpose in one sentence and end by naming one clear next step for everyone in the room.14 min - Unlocking Engagement
Engagement is not just about motivation but about meaning. Nicole and Stacie explore what truly drives people to care about their work and stay invested in their team. They share insights from research and coaching on how connection, contribution, and clarity form the foundation of engagement. You will learn how to reframe performance conversations and lead with presence instead of pressure.
What You’ll Take Away
- The three elements of engagement every manager can influence
- How to recognize disengagement early and address it with empathy
- Practical ways to connect daily tasks to a shared purpose
Next Step for Managers
Ask your team one question this week: “What part of your work feels most meaningful right now?” Listen fully before offering input.13 min - The Levels of Delegation
Delegation is one of the most powerful ways to grow your team, but it often fails because expectations are unclear. Nicole and Stacie walk through the five levels of delegation, helping managers understand how to hand off work without letting go of ownership. They share language for setting boundaries, defining outcomes, and knowing when it is time to step back or step in.
Levels of Delegation Graphic
What You’ll Take Away
- The five levels of delegation and when to use each one
- How to shift from task-giver to ownership-builder
- Questions that clarify authority, responsibility, and accountability
Next Step for Managers
Identify one project or task you can delegate at a higher level this week. Define the outcome, authority, and support before handing it off.17 min - Manager Rhythms (Daily, Weekly, Monthly Cadence for Healthy Teams)
Leadership thrives on rhythm. Nicole and Stacie explore how the right daily, weekly, and monthly cadence helps teams stay grounded, clear, and connected. They break down what consistency really looks like in practice and how managers can build a predictable structure without losing flexibility. Through practical stories and frameworks, this episode shows how steady rhythms create space for trust, accountability, and sustainable growth.
What You’ll Take Away
- How to design your daily, weekly, and monthly leadership rhythm
- The difference between reactive management and proactive leadership
- Why rhythm creates psychological safety and predictable energy across your team
Next Step for Managers
Map out your next 30 days using one rhythm in each category: daily, weekly, and monthly. Keep it simple, sustainable, and visible to your team.Bonus: Team Rhythms
Nicole and Stacie take the conversation deeper with examples of how teams can use rhythms to build connection and momentum. From morning check-ins to monthly reflection sessions, they show how consistency builds culture more than slogans ever will.What You’ll Take Away
- Why shared rhythm matters more than perfect planning
- How to use meetings, feedback loops, and rituals to reinforce trust
- Simple tweaks to keep team energy high even during busy seasons
Next Step for Managers
Choose one rhythm to introduce to your team this month and protect it on the calendar.21 min - From Burnout to Balance
Sustainable leadership is built on daily habits, not occasional vacations. Nicole and Stacie explore how leaders can recognize burnout early and create rhythms that protect energy and focus. They offer personal stories, practical boundaries, and small shifts that help you keep leading for the long haul.
What you’ll take away
Early warning signs of burnout and how to respond
Daily and weekly practices that sustain energy and creativity
Why strategic rest is essential for effective leadership
Next Step for Managers
Pick one boundary this week—such as a workday cutoff time, a morning pause, or a no-tech dinner—and track it for seven days. More ideas at getaltitude.org.18 min - Making Difficult Conversations Easier
Hard conversations are unavoidable, but they don’t have to derail relationships. Nicole and Stacie share how to lower the tension, name issues with honesty, and invite real dialogue. You’ll learn practical ways to stay grounded, clarify intent, and keep your team aligned even when the topics are tough.
What you’ll take away
How to set a constructive tone by naming the difficulty
A four-step conversation guide: Context → Acknowledge → Share → Invite
Tools for separating intent from impact and “balcony view” listening
Next Step for Managers
Script one difficult conversation and practice saying your first two sentences out loud. Extra resources at getaltitude.org.20 min - Feedback that Fuels Growth
Most people tense up when they hear the word feedback. Nicole and Stacie reframe it as guidance—insight that moves people forward instead of looking back. Through personal examples and practical tips, they show how consistent, growth-oriented guidance builds trust and keeps teams engaged.
What you’ll take away
Language that shifts feedback from criticism to coaching
The Situation–Behavior–Impact model for clear, neutral conversations
Why frequent, meaningful feedback drives stronger engagement
Next Step for Managers
Identify one person to give guidance to this week using the phrase, “Can I share something that might help you grow?” Find more tools at getaltitude.org.17 min
About Altitude Leadership Lab
From the publisher's feed
Altitude was born from the desire to journey with leaders for lasting change. We walk with leaders to bring perspective, clarity, and partnership for maximum impact.
We are a collective of seasoned leaders who provide wayfinding when direction is lost, tools when fresh equipping is needed, and encouragement when leadership feels weary. Whether you’re beginning your climb or attempting a new summit, our greatest thrill is to connect leaders with guides who show the way.
As individual coaches, we often found ourselves fighting leadership fires—culture problems, staffing changes, organizational gaps. Over time we realized lasting change calls for a different approach. Altitude began with the goal of doing more than solve urgent problems. We help leaders understand the story of their influence, help teams grasp their impact within the organization, and help organizations see their role in the larger culture.
Altitude Leadership Lab is a seasonal podcast for leaders navigating tough terrain and seeking clarity, confidence, and connection. Hosted by Nicole Unice (pastor, therapist, executive coach) and Stacie Heyman (people strategist and culture expert), the Lab is a workshop and companion space for those who don’t want leadership to be lonely.
Our first season, Management Step by Step, focuses on the essentials of leading people. Each episode explores a core practice (feedback, values-based direction, one-on-ones, conflict navigation, and more) with stories, experiments, and tangible steps you can put into action. Whether you’re leading a team for the first time or recalibrating in your tenth year, we come as fellow travelers, sharing what we’ve learned (and are still learning).
Join us in the Lab. Subscribe, bring your questions and doubts, and let’s walk this journey together.
Learn more at GetAltitude.org