This re-release of Electrifying Growth features host Chris Sugden from Edison Partners in a conversation with Steve Schloss, Founder of ListenForward & Edison Operating Partner. Steve’s unique career path spans Fortune 500s, startups, and nonprofits, all unified by a core focus: how leaders show up and build teams that scale.

With experience at Citibank, Time Inc., LivePerson, and USGA, Steve brings a rare blend of left-brain operations and right-brain people strategy. He shares what separates functional teams from transformational ones, the real value of listening as a leadership skill, and why CEOs must evolve from experts to system-level thinkers if they want to grow.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What most leaders miss when designing executive teams for scale

• Why listening is the most underleveraged leadership capability

• How values, mission, and culture need to evolve as your business does

• What effective coaching really looks like and why it isn’t therapy

Jump into the conversation: (00:00) Meet Steve Schloss and his career across industries

(02:16) From HR at LivePerson to transformation at USGA

(10:08) What “you get the team you deserve” really means

(13:58) How leaders can relaunch culture with real alignment

(20:22) Coaching vs. therapy and the mindset required for growth

(24:56) What leaders get wrong about development and accountability

Resources:

Connect with Steve on LinkedIn: Steve