Welcome to Executives Unplugged, the show for leaders navigating rapid change with limited resources and relentless expectations.
Join operator and executive coach Keith Cowing as he sits down with world-class leaders to decode their playbooks. Drawing on experience leading teams through both failures and multi-billion dollar exits, he skips the idealistic frameworks for battle-tested tactics that will help you:
Leadership is messy, but you don't have to face it alone. Executives Unplugged puts the best operators and insights in your corner to help you win and enjoy the ride.
Welcome to Executives Unplugged, the show for leaders navigating rapid change with limited resources and relentless expectations.
Join operator and executive coach Keith Cowing as he sits down with world-class leaders to decode their playbooks. Drawing on experience leading teams through both failures and multi-billion dollar exits, he skips the idealistic frameworks for battle-tested tactics that will help you:
Leadership is messy, but you don't have to face it alone. Executives Unplugged puts the best operators and insights in your corner to help you win and enjoy the ride.
Too many offsites miss the powerful opportunity to align a leadership team. Here’s how to make yours the exception.
In this episode, Kelly Dwyer, executive coach and facilitator, breaks down what separates transformational offsites from frustrating ones. She’s helped leadership teams at venture and PE-backed companies turn tense conversations into breakthroughs and knows exactly how to keep the “elephant in the room” from derailing trust.
Kelly and host Keith Cowing unpack a tactical playbook: how to prep the right way, design the space for honesty, navigate conflict, and make sure the alignment lasts.
Leaders will walk away knowing how to run an offsite that doesn’t just check a box, but changes how their team thinks, decides, and leads.
00:00 — Why offsites fail (and how to fix them)
02:10 — How prep work sets the tone
05:00 — The value of “having a sleep” between days
07:40 — The CEO’s role: set vision, not the agenda
10:50 — Creating meeting agreements that drive honesty
16:20 — The facilitator’s job: manage time and truth
18:50 — Handling conflict when the “fight” breaks out
22:30 — Tools for structure: parking lots, sticky notes, and timers
25:40 — Decision-making without consensus traps
28:20 — The “Fist to Five” tool for real alignment
30:20 — Ensuring follow-through and lasting impact
33:30 — Why offsites are the most powerful (and risky) meetings you’ll ever run
Follow Kelly Dwyer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellydwyer/
Visit Kelly’s Website: https://kellydwyer.co
Listen to Kelly’s Podcast: https://www.lifefromwithin.com/
Follow Keith Cowing on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/keithcowing
Subscribe to Keith’s free coaching via email: https://kc.coach/
Subscribe to the show:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kcowing
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1Bw7KhjlUzFjMoFhdfNAKN
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/executives-unplugged/id1769131263