The Collective Corner with Elena Armijo

In this grounding episode, Elena Armijo welcomes Megan Akatu, executive coach and somatic leadership guide, for a conversation on body intelligence, self leadership, and the kind of confidence that does not require pushing or proving. After twenty years in corporate leadership, Megan followed what she describes as a clear inner call toward coaching, building a practice rooted in helping leaders trust the wisdom already living within them. Check out Elena's website to learn more about how she can support you in seeing and using the power that resides within you. Elena opens with a coaching reflection centered on a powerful question: when the pressure is highest, what would it mean to trust your body before your strategy? She names the body as a source of leadership data, reminding leaders that tension, heat, stillness, breath, and discomfort are not distractions. They are signals worth learning. Megan shares how her own transition began during a season of exhaustion and uncertainty, when her body signaled that something was no longer aligned before her mind could explain why. That moment became a turning point into coaching, somatic leadership, and the deeper work of helping people identify patterns, release old stories, and take the next aligned step without forcing certainty. The conversation also explores how leaders can create safety in themselves before trying to stabilize a room. Megan offers simple practices, including tracking body sensations, noticing personal cues, pausing before responding, and building the capacity to sit with discomfort long enough for clarity to emerge. This episode is an invitation to slow down, listen inward, and recognize that the body often knows before the strategy forms. It offers a steady reminder that leadership begins with the capacity to stay present, especially when things feel uncertain.   Let's Get Social!  Want to hear more from Elena? Click here! Learn more about The C-Suite Collective Connect with Elena on LinkedIn Schedule a complimentary session: Click here   Megan Akatu: LinkedIn  |  Website  |  Instagram  |  YouTube  |  The Way She Leads Podcast   This podcast was produced by the following amazing team: Ulrich Wolvaardt, Audio Engineer Aaron Boykin, Musician & Artist (Get updates about Aaron's music via Instagram) Jo van Eeden, Project Manager

In this episode, Elena Armijo welcomes Hillary Hittner, executive coach, mediator, and close collaborator at The C-Suite Collective, for a rich conversation on conflict, creativity, and the human work of staying present when tension enters the room. With a background in theater, DEI, inclusive leadership, and mediation, Hillary brings a deeply attuned lens to what conflict reveals beneath the surface. Check out Elena's website to learn more about how she can support you in seeing and using the power that resides within you. Elena opens with a coaching reflection on the conflict leaders keep avoiding and what it may be trying to reveal. She reframes conflict as data rather than a verdict, inviting leaders to notice tension as a signal instead of proof that something has gone wrong. She also names the cost of performative alignment, the quiet danger of absence in hard conversations, and the importance of creating space between activation and response. Hillary shares how her early work in theater shaped her ability to listen creatively and notice the emotional architecture of a room. She describes conflict as a tool, a marker, and a flag that helps leaders identify what needs attention. Drawing from her mediation practice, she offers practical ways to slow down, including naming the shared landscape, identifying feelings and needs, and making clear requests. The conversation moves into how conflict avoidance shows up in teams, from false agreement to silence, peacekeeping, and agitation. Hillary and Elena reflect on the possibility of using tension as a source of growth, trust, and belonging, not only inside organizations, but in families, communities, and daily life. This conversation is an invitation to stop smoothing over tension and begin listening to it with curiosity, dignity, and care.   Let's Get Social!  Want to hear more from Elena? Click here! Learn more about The C-Suite Collective Connect with Elena on LinkedIn Schedule a complimentary session: Click here   Hillary Hittner: LinkedIn  |  Website     This podcast was produced by the following amazing team: Ulrich Wolvaardt, Audio Engineer Aaron Boykin, Musician & Artist (Get updates about Aaron's music via Instagram) Jo van Eeden, Project Manager

In this thoughtful episode, Elena Armijo welcomes Teri Riddle, CEO and founder of the Crossland Group, to reflect on leadership, trust, and the deeper forces shaping organizations today. With more than twenty five years of experience guiding leaders across the public and private sectors, Teri brings a rare combination of strategic clarity, humanity, and lived wisdom to the conversation. Check out Elena's website to learn more about how she can support you in seeing and using the power that resides within you. Elena opens with a coaching reflection centered on a question many leaders are quietly holding right now: when everything feels uncertain, what does trust require of me? She reflects on trust as something built slowly through ordinary moments of follow through, honesty, and repair. Alongside trust, she names three other forces that often move through organizations at the same time: joy, grief, and change. Teri brings a powerful layer to this reflection. Early in her career she worked in hospice care, an experience that profoundly shaped how she understands transition and loss. In organizations, change always carries a form of grief. When that grief is ignored, it often appears in other ways such as disengagement, conflict, or burnout. Naming what is ending alongside what is beginning can help leaders guide people through change with greater honesty and care. Teri also reflects on how these ideas shape her own leadership practice. Inside her firm, practices such as eliminating time tracking, offering annual sabbaticals, and prioritizing well-being are rooted in a simple belief that trust must be lived, not just discussed. These values have also shaped the evolution of the Crossland Group itself. Over twenty five years, periods of reinvention became defining moments in the firm's journey. One pivotal shift involved moving beyond traditional organizational charts and focusing instead on purpose, strategy, and the shared responsibility leadership teams hold for the success of the whole system. The conversation closes with reflections on mentorship, generational responsibility, and the importance of illuminating truth as leaders navigate an increasingly complex world.   Let's Get Social!  Want to hear more from Elena? Click here! Learn more about The C-Suite Collective Connect with Elena on LinkedIn Schedule a complimentary session: Click here   Teri Riddle: LinkedIn  |  Website     This podcast was produced by the following amazing team: Ulrich Wolvaardt, Audio Engineer Aaron Boykin, Musician & Artist (Get updates about Aaron's music via Instagram) Jo van Eeden, Project Manager