What happens when people feel invisible, and what becomes possible when leaders learn to truly see them? Leaders who learn to recognize the unseen experiences people carry into work create stronger trust, deeper engagement, and teams that contribute more fully. In this episode of Missing Conversations, hosts Altus executive coaches, Steven Jones and Ellen Burton, sit down with transdisciplinary artist, researcher, and social innovator Gabrielle Senza, whose In/Visibility Lab has gathered more than 500 anonymous reflections on belonging, safety, identity, and hope. Drawing from their own lived experience of feeling both unseen and painfully exposed, Gabrielle has spent years creating spaces where people can speak honestly about what matters most to them, and in doing so, offers leaders a powerful lens on trust, human connection, and the conditions that allow teams to contribute their best. Together, Steven, Ellen, and Gabrielle explore what leaders can learn from these voices: how better questions open deeper conversations, why people give more when they feel respected and understood, and how creating space for genuine human connection strengthens culture, collaboration, and performance. If you care about building teams where people can bring their full capacity to the work and to one another, listen in. 🎧 Key Moments You'll Want to Hear 02:26: Why conversations about identity and belonging must begin with care. 03:04: Inside Gabrielle Senza's Invisibility Lab: how one artist turned the experience of being unseen into a living archive of more than 500 human stories. 06:20: The questions that unlock honesty, reflection, and deeper understanding. 09:21: Gabrielle's personal story of growing up both invisible and exposed, and how that contradiction shaped their work and leadership. 11:34: How leaders create workplaces where people can show up fully. 12:38: Why creativity, leadership, and meaningful work all begin with a deeper intimacy with ourselves and with others. 14:32: What leaders can learn from slowing down enough to truly witness another person. 16:24: "What's your magic?" A human invitation that can change how leaders see the people in front of them. 17:16: What becomes possible when we stop reducing people to labels, roles, or assumptions. 19:44: What prejudice, erasure, and control cost a team: creativity, trust, safety, and the willingness to contribute fully. 21:49: One leadership question that can change a team: Am I creating the conditions for this person to show up fully? 22:28: Why people contribute more when they feel purpose, ownership, and belonging. 26:01: The hidden cost of assumptions about identity, difference, and who has value to add. 28:35: What leaders and teams miss when they only listen to what feels familiar, comfortable, or affirming. 29:53: How creativity can open difficult conversations without shame, fear, or defensiveness. 30:47: A better question than "What do you do?" and how it changes the quality of connection. 33:52: How leaders can protect their own capacity while holding space for the experiences and emotions of others. 38:20: An invitation to leaders: remember that every person in front of you carries a story you cannot see. 39:35 A simple dyad practice teams, partners, and families can use to help people feel seen, heard, and understood. 43:27 Why asking people what they love about their work creates a richer conversation and greater connection. 44:07 Final takeaway: leadership begins with seeing people more fully, and asking questions that invite them to be known. By the end of this conversation, you'll hear answers to: Why do people feel invisible at work, and why does that matter for leadership? People feel invisible when their experiences, identity, and perspective are overlooked or reduced to a role or label. When leaders unintentionally create environments where people feel unseen, teams often respond by holding back ideas, creativity, and commitment. Gabrielle Senza's In/Visibility Lab, which has gathered more than 500 anonymous reflections on belonging and identity, reveals how deeply people want to be acknowledged as human beings—not just employees. Leaders who create space for people to feel seen and respected build stronger trust, engagement, and collaboration across teams. Timestamps: 03:04, 09:21, 19:44, 26:01 How can leaders create teams where people feel safe to contribute fully? Leaders create stronger teams by designing conditions where people feel respected, heard, and able to bring their perspective without fear of dismissal or judgment. That begins with listening differently, slowing down enough to understand the experiences people carry, and asking questions that invite reflection rather than quick answers. When people feel purpose, ownership, and belonging, they are far more likely to contribute their insight and energy to the work. Timestamps: 11:34, 21:49, 22:28, 28:35 What questions can leaders ask to build trust, connection, and belonging? Better leadership often starts with better questions. Gabrielle suggests moving beyond routine workplace questions like "What do you do?" and instead asking questions that reveal what matters to people, such as "What's your magic?" or "What do you love about your work?" These questions invite people to share their strengths, motivations, and values, creating richer conversations and stronger relationships across teams. Even simple practices like structured listening exercises can help people feel genuinely heard and understood. Timestamps: 06:20, 16:24, 30:47, 39:35, 43:27 Remember that we have humans with hearts in front of us. These are souls. So let's connect. About Gabrielle Senza Gabrielle Senza is a transdisciplinary artist, researcher, and social innovator whose practice blends visual art, performance, and participatory inquiry. Her work explores visibility, compassion, and human connection across social, political, and environmental contexts, emphasizing creative activism and cross-cultural research. Senza's art investigates the phenomenon of invisibility—who and what society sees, ignores, or suppresses. Through interactive installations, sound, and participatory performances, she engages audiences as co-researchers in making hidden systems and emotions visible. Her In/Visibility Lab functions as a mobile research and performance platform exploring empathy, social justice, and ecological awareness through public experimentation and workshops. An advocate for creative inquiry, Senza has taught and lectured at institutions including Cooper Union, Bard College at Simon's Rock, and MASS MoCA. She continues to curate, publish, and collaborate internationally while advancing dialogue on visibility, belonging, and environmental responsibility through creative engagement. You can connect with Gabrielle on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabriellesenza/ 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: #Leadership #Identity #Belonging
