Host: Carrie Tuttle

Guest: Rebecca Wood

Most leaders are handed the keys to their first team without a roadmap. Rebecca Wood has been there. She is a leader with over 25 years of experience as a former National Director of Sales and a Director transforming membership models at the Calgary Chamber of Commerce. Now, the founder of Romeo Whiskey Consulting, Rebecca has built teams from scratch and coached executives navigating the real loneliness that comes with senior leadership.

She joins Carrie to talk about what it takes to build a dream team. They dig into the key ingredients, like trust, communication, clarity, mindset, and the courage to have hard conversations before things fall apart.

Rebecca shares a practical approach to using communication tools like DISC to help leaders adapt how they deliver messages, and she's candid about the moments her own high-D drive got in the way of the very results she was chasing.

Whether you're stepping into your first people leadership role or a seasoned leader who has lost momentum with your team, this conversation offers real frameworks, honest stories, and a grounded reminder that you don't have to figure it all out alone.

QUOTE-WORTHY MOMENTS

• "It's not about you and succeeding. You now have to get that team to where you need them to be. "
• “I don't need all the credit. I want other people to be able to step up into their own and have the confidence to make the decisions they need to make.”
• "Be vulnerable and get some support, because you don't have to do it alone. And it can be very lonely."

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

• Trust is the foundation. Without it, everything stays surface level.
• Knowing your own communication style is the first step to adapting it for the people around you.
• Clarity on goals and alignment on direction are what keep a team rowing the same way.
• A quarterly action plan only works if the team actually refers back to it.
• Hire for mindset and attitude — skills can be taught, but mindset is harder to shift.
• Have the hard conversation early. Letting it build is harder on everyone.
• Momentum comes from investing in people, celebrating milestones, and leading with energy over fear.
• Self-awareness is the prerequisite to leading others — know your own pace before you set it for your team.
• You don't have to figure it out alone. A mentor or coach is one of the most effective tools a new leader has.

LINKS FROM EPISODE

Rebecca Wood on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccawoodyyc

Rebecca Wood's website: https://www.romeowhiskey.ca/

Books mentioned:

Radical Candor — Kim Scott

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team — Patrick Lencioni

Start With Why / other titles — Simon Sinek

Extended DISC — mentioned in episode. See also: Suits & Sneakers Episode with Markku Kauppinen https://open.spotify.com/episode/0ZA79RJWfrTZCtROBE7LHw?si=mwmt_9i2SQicxuoA5Ai_ZA

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