Uplifting Leadership Review 2025: Inclusive Coaching for Teams

When your team consistently falls short of goals, morale dips, and turnover rises, the pressure lands squarely on your shoulders. The long hours and extra effort don’t seem to change the outcome—and instead of growing in confidence, you may start to question your effectiveness as a leader.

These challenges are more common than most leaders admit. Gallup reports that disengaged employees cost organizations $7.8 trillion annually in lost productivity. That statistic underscores a painful truth: if your team isn’t engaged, your results and reputation as a leader are at risk.

The encouraging news is that leadership struggles are not permanent. With the right mentorship and practical tools, it’s possible to energize your team, achieve measurable goals, and raise your visibility within the organization. In this article, we’ll explore why these issues matter, common mistakes leaders fall into, and how frameworks—along with programs like Uplifting Leadership™ by Aleta Maxwell—offer proven ways to create sustainable change.

Why This Issue Matters

When teams underperform, when engagement drops, or when turnover spikes, the cost isn’t just financial—it’s cultural. High turnover adds recruiting costs, lost knowledge, and lowered morale.

Leaders also feel the impact personally:

  • Decreased visibility makes it harder to earn promotions.
  • Lower confidence results in indecision and reactive leadership.
  • Persistent underperformance can spiral into toxic work environments.

On the flip side, when leaders invest in developing their skills and strategies, they unlock their own confidence while empowering their teams. That transformation creates stronger performance, healthier cultures, and sustainable growth.

Common Mistakes Leaders Make

1. Believing More Pressure Will Fix Performance

Leaders often respond to missed goals by piling on pressure. This backfires, leading to burnout and even more disengagement.

2. Avoiding Hard Conversations

Rather than addressing issues directly, some leaders avoid conflict—resulting in unresolved tensions and declining performance.

3. Equating Retention with Paychecks Alone

While salary matters, employees leave managers more often than companies. Leaders who ignore emotional intelligence and recognition risk higher turnover.

4. Overlooking Visibility and Presence

Leaders who quietly do the work without building influence often get overlooked for opportunities, fueling frustration and low confidence.

5. Waiting for the Company to Provide Training

Relying solely on company training is a mistake. Proactive leaders seek external guidance and coaching to address gaps and grow strategically.

A Proven Framework: The 4R Model

To address poor performance, low engagement, and lack of confidence, apply this framework:

  1. Recognize – Identify the patterns: missed goals, rising turnover, or waning confidence.
  2. Reflect – Pinpoint the root causes. Are they cultural? Communication gaps? Lack of strategy?
  3. Reframe – See challenges as growth opportunities rather than personal failures.
  4. Reach Out – Partner with programs like Uplifting Leadership™ to gain clarity, accountability, and practical tools.

Leaders who embrace effective approaches see measurable results, including higher retention and Gallup’s reported 23% boost in engagement.

Real-World Examples

Patagonia’s Leadership Culture

Patagonia has long been recognized for its people-first approach. By building a culture of trust, empowerment, and social responsibility, the company consistently demonstrates how employee engagement drives performance and loyalty.

Adobe’s Check-In System

Instead of rigid annual performance reviews, Adobe introduced an ongoing “check-in” system that prioritizes frequent, meaningful conversations. This approach improved engagement and reduced voluntary turnover by nearly 30%.

Zappos’ Employee-Centric Leadership

Zappos invests heavily in leadership development that emphasizes communication, transparency, and employee well-being. Their commitment to culture and coaching has resulted in one of the lowest turnover rates in the retail industry.

These examples highlight that successful leadership isn’t about hierarchy or control—it’s about building trust, fostering engagement, and creating sustainable performance through modern practices.

Actionable Path to Stronger Teams and Leadership Confidence

Rather than a checklist, think of these steps as a path you can follow to move from struggling with performance to leading with confidence:

  • Start with Awareness: Take an honest look at your team’s engagement levels. Are people checked in or checked out? Review turnover data and listen to informal feedback.
  • Open the Conversation: Replace silence with regular check-ins. Use these moments not just to track tasks, but to ask questions and surface concerns that might be holding the team back.
  • Build Emotional Intelligence: Practice empathy and recognition in daily interactions. Small shifts—like acknowledging contributions—create momentum for bigger cultural change.
  • Seek Guidance: No one leads alone. Programs like Uplifting Leadership™ give you relatable mentorship and frameworks tailored to your stage of leadership.
  • Raise Your Profile: Share progress publicly. Highlight team wins and lessons learned to build credibility and visibility across the organization.
  • Align on Outcomes: Define goals that link personal growth with team success. When objectives feel shared, accountability becomes natural.

Review of Uplifting Leadership™ by Aleta Maxwell

Uplifting Leadership™, founded by Aleta Maxwell, is a coaching and leadership development platform designed for leaders grappling with underperformance, turnover challenges, and diminishing confidence. Aleta’s background as a Chief Human Resources Officer gives her real-world insights into organizational dynamics and leadership challenges.

Cited Testimonials

  • Marisa S., SVP of Product: “I wasn’t convinced coaching would make a real difference, but I completely evolved as an executive leader. Aleta gave me actionable, concrete feedback, held me accountable, and helped me show myself more grace.” (from Uplifting Leadership Testimonials)
  • Zorica V., Director of Operations & Hospitality: “I questioned if I had time for coaching, but after 8 months I became calmer, more confident, and far more effective in managing people. The change was worth every minute.” (from Uplifting Leadership Testimonials)
  • Maria, CEO/Founder: “I was hesitant to invest in coaching, but with Aleta in my corner I now believe we will hit our revenue triggers and company goals sooner than projected.” (from Uplifting Leadership Testimonials)

Conclusion

Missed goals, disengaged teams, and fading confidence don’t have to define your leadership story. With the right support, you can rebuild trust, improve performance, and step into leadership with greater visibility and assurance.

Uplifting Leadership™ provides structured guidance and practical tools that give leaders a way forward without the fluff. It’s not a silver bullet, but for those ready to put in the work, it offers a clear framework to grow yourself and your team.

Leaders who feel unseen, overwhelmed by turnover, or unsure of their influence will find this program a structured way to regain clarity, rebuild team trust, and grow with confidence. However, this program may not be for everyone. For leaders who prefer live peer networking or year-long executive coaching packages, they may find the scope of Uplifting Leadership too limited. But for those ready to commit to applying structured strategies and reflection, Uplifting Leadership can be a catalyst for lasting progress.

 

FAQs

1. How does Aleta Maxwell’s coaching improve team performance?

Aleta teaches leaders how to run effective one-on-one meetings, provide feedback that motivates, and use emotional intelligence to rebuild trust. The result is higher engagement and teams that consistently hit their targets.

2. Can Uplifting Leadership help reduce turnover?

Yes. By teaching managers how to recognize contributions and address disengagement early, Uplifting Leadership programs help leaders retain talent. The approach is similar to Adobe’s check-in model, which reduced voluntary turnover by nearly 30%.

3. Which Uplifting Leadership program is best for boosting my confidence?

The Ready. Set. Advance. program includes modules on personal presence, influence, and communication. Leaders practice exercises that improve visibility and decision-making, helping them step into bigger roles with confidence.

4. Is this coaching only for executives?

No. There are different tracks for different stages of leadership. New managers can start with Ready. Set. Work., mid-level leaders with Ready. Set. Advance., and executives or hospitality managers with specialized programs.

5. What makes Aleta Maxwell’s approach unique?

She combines her experience as a Chief Human Resources Officer with a coaching style rooted in empathy. This blend provides both organizational strategy and personal insight, ensuring leaders grow in a way that balances business results with human connection.

Additional Resources

If you’d like to dive deeper, here are respected resources that complement Uplifting Leadership: