What if the missing ingredient in your leadership isn't strategy, structure, or skill? It's love. In this episode of Missing Conversations, hosts and Altus executive coaches, Steven Jones and Amy Vodarek, sit down with relationship strategist, coach, and author Joëlle Lydon for a conversation that will reframe how you think about teams, conflict, and commitment. After years of experiencing love as a currency, something earned through good behavior and performance, Joëlle rebuilt her understanding of how people connect, repair, and grow, then built a practice helping others do the same. Her book, Unbreakable Us: Removing the Barriers to Love, offers a roadmap for smart, self-aware people who are tired of the emotional roller coaster in their relationships. Through the Japanese legend of the red thread, the concept of the sacred third, and her wings-and-branches framework, Joëlle gives leaders a practical, grounded way to move from "me vs. you" to "what are we building together?" Listen in to discover why one of the most important investments you can make in your team's performance, trust, and future begins with love and one simple question that can reorient any relationship, conflict, or commitment. Key Moments You'll Want to Hear 01:33: Why "love" belongs in leadership conversations. 03:39: How healing impacts how we relate and expands our capacity to serve others. 05:21: The red thread metaphor: the Japanese legend showing that even in disagreement, connection still exists. 07:35: The three most patterns keeping people stuck: performance, self abandonment, treating love like a mood. 11:41: How we move beyond "me vs. you" and protect the space we are creating together. 14:05: Why smart leaders repeat unhelpful patterns. 18:57: How to build the capacity to choose differently when it matters most. 22:31: Why love is a living system, not a feeling. 25:33: A powerful leadership practice: notice when you're protecting ego over purpose, then choose what strengthens the relationship instead. 29:24: What it means to create a shared understanding and shared agreement with others. 34:23: The branch will break. What Joëlle learned about building on wings instead, and what it means to lead a team that doesn't need the world to hold them up. 38:11: Dependence. Independence. Interdependence. Why the future belongs to teams that can think for themselves and succeed together. 42:01: How conflict is an invitation to upgrade how people work, communicate, and move forward together. 45:30: The one question we can ask to better serve each other. By the end of this conversation, you'll hear answers to: How do leaders build trust on teams when pressure is high? Trust grows when people stop protecting only themselves and start acting in service of what they are building together. In the episode, Joëlle explains that strong relationships are created through consistent deposits: repairing quickly, honoring commitments, speaking honestly, and making decisions with the shared mission in mind. When leaders shift from "me vs. you" to "what serves the team," trust becomes something they build on purpose rather than hope for by chance. Timestamps: 11:41, 25:33, 29:24, 45:30 How can executive teams handle conflict without damaging relationships? Conflict does not have to signal failure. Joëlle reframes it as a sign that the relationship or team is ready for an upgrade. Avoided tensions often create stagnation, side conversations, and unnecessary distance. The better move is to slow down, stay grounded, and enter the conversation with respect, curiosity, and a focus on what strengthens the relationship. When leaders do that, conflict becomes a path to better communication, stronger alignment, and smarter decisions. Timestamps: 14:05, 18:57, 42:01, 45:30 How do leaders create resilient teams that can adapt to change? Resilient teams are not built on perfect conditions or constant external stability. They are built on inner capacity: the ability to stay steady, choose wisely under pressure, and respond when circumstances shift. Through Joëlle's wings-and-branches metaphor, leaders are reminded that structures, roles, and circumstances can change at any time. Teams grow stronger when people develop the confidence, accountability, and interdependence to adjust together and keep moving forward. Timestamps: 18:57, 34:23, 38:11, 45:30 Love is a living system. ~ Joëlle Lydon About Joëlle Lydon Joëlle Lydon is a Certified Relationship Coach, author, educator, and Intentional Creativity® teacher who helps individuals and couples build emotionally intelligent, deeply connected relationships. Blending creativity, neuroscience, and decades of teaching, her work guides people beyond old patterns into courageous connection and lasting relational transformation—in love, leadership, and life. You can find her on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/Joëlle lydon/ https://Joëlle lydon.com ; Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YourLovebyDesign/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Joëlle lydon/ 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: #TeamRelationships #ConflictResolution #Love