#474: Allison Steele & Rachel Huffman — Stop Mistaking Agreement for Alignment

Sep 22

What if everyone on your team is saying yes—but you’re not actually aligned?

In this episode, Tony Miltenberger sits down with real-life friends Allison Steele and Rachel Huffman of Emerge Recovery & Trade Initiative to talk about what it takes to build a team that can move in the same direction without avoiding the hard conversations along the way.

Rachel shares a recent realization from Emerge’s leadership team: they were good at making decisions and moving forward, but sometimes they were acting like “good soldiers” instead of spending enough time in healthy conflict. Real alignment requires more than agreement—it requires trust, curiosity, honest conversation, and a willingness to stay at the table when perspectives differ.

Tony, Rachel, and Allison also explore leading through rapid growth, navigating relationships with founders, discerning God’s direction, and Allison’s approach of simply doing the “next one right thing.” And they get personal about the relationship they’ve built as leaders—one where disagreement is safe, hard conversations are possible, and neither has to lead alone.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

Why agreement and alignment aren’t the same thing.
How healthy conflict can actually strengthen a leadership team.
Why curiosity is a leadership muscle worth developing.
How core values create clarity around hiring, decisions, goals, and accountability.
What it looks like to lead an organization when the founders are still involved.
Why Allison focuses on the “next one right thing” instead of figuring out the whole path.
How trust creates the safety leaders need to disagree and grow.
Why great leaders weren’t meant to lead alone.

Coaching Question

Where might your team be settling for agreement when you need to spend more time building real alignment?

Connect with Emerge Recovery & Trade Initiative

Emerge Trade & Recovery helps people build healthy, sustainable lives through an integrated ecosystem of behavioral health services, supportive housing, and workforce development—including its on-site Trades Institute.

Website: https://www.emergerecoverytrade.com/

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Strong leaders weren't meant to lead alone.

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Connect with Tony Miltenberger

Website: twmilt.com

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