How Right Relationship Transforms Leadership, Culture, and Performance with Carlo Bos and Heather Davidson
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Summary:
What does it actually look like to live and lead in right relationship?
In this final episode of season 10, The UpLevel Podcast brings together two leaders who have been deeply embedded in this work, both in conversation and in real-time practice.
Over the past 15 months, we’ve explored right relationship across industries, identities, and lived experiences. It only felt right to close this chapter with Carlo Bos and Heather Davidson, whose partnership with UpLevel has become a living example of what right relationship can look like at scale.
Carlo is a leadership development expert, executive coach, and former co-CEO of the Co-Active Training Institute, and Heather Davidson is an innovative learning and development leader and strategic problem solver with nearly two decades of experience across Google, Amazon, and GE.
Together with UpLevel, Carlo and Heather have been co-creating and scaling a leadership program inside a big tech company, bringing the principles of right relationship into real organizational systems, teams, and results. This conversation offers a window into that work.
We’ll explore what it means to lead from self-acceptance and courageous conviction while remaining open enough to be shaped by others. We look at how co-creation, trust, and shared purpose become the foundation for effective leadership—and how presence, mindset, and nervous system regulation influence every interaction.
As we close this season on right relationship, this conversation becomes both a reflection and a bridge. A reflection of what we’ve been exploring together and a bridge into what’s next.
Because the natural extension of right relationship… is stewardship. This is a conversation about leadership, co-creation, and the responsibility we hold to each other and to the future.
In This Episode:
What right relationship looks like in real leadership practice
Self-acceptance, conviction, and adaptability in leadership
Co-creation as a driver of performance and culture
Designing relationships within complex organizations
Leadership in the age of artificial intelligence
The role of mindset, presence, and nervous system regulation
Navigating power, hierarchy, and disagreement
Building trust and alignment at scale
Stewardship and thinking in generations, not just outcomes
Disclaimer: The views Heather Davidson shares in this conversation are her own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Google or any other current or former employer.
Order of Topics:
Defining "Right Relationship"
Coaching for Right Relationship
Dynamics of Collaboration and Partnership
Navigating Change and Maintaining Relationship
The Interplay of Artificial Intelligence and Human Intelligence
Restoring Right Relationship: Personal Practices and Resourcing
Embodying Right Relationship: Modeling, Mindset, and Environment
Healing, Transformation, and Impact on Organizations
Stories of Right Relationship in Challenging Contexts
Foundations of Relationship Skills: Lessons from the Past
Core Skills and Concepts of Right Relationship
Navigating Power, Authority, and Disagreement
The Co-Leadership Model and Shared Power
The Roots of Right Relationship: Personal Origin Stories
Operating Model for Right Relationship
Looking Forward: Stewardship and Its Meaning
Hopes and Dreams for the Future: Micro and Macro Perspectives
Action Items:
Understanding Right Relationship
Balance Strength and Flexibility: Embrace self-acceptance while being open to change through collaboration.
Start with Self-Awareness: Begin by understanding yourself, then extend this awareness to others for effective co-creation.
Applying Right Relationship in Work Environments
Model Relational Excellence: Demonstrate right relationship principles seamlessly in your interactions at work.
Adaptability is Key: Be prepared to adjust roles and strategies as projects evolve.
Leveraging AI While Maintaining Human Connection
Develop Natural Intelligence: Cultivate empathy, discernment, critical thinking alongside technological advancements.
Self-Regulation Practices for Leaders
Practice meditation or yoga regularly to maintain balance and optimism.
Integrate daily activities that bring joy and presence into your routine (e.g., outdoor activities).
Focus on nervous system regulation; create grounded spaces for yourself and others.
Designing Effective Programs
Create immersive environments free of distractions like desks or tech to foster deeper learning experiences.
Building Strong Team Dynamics
Establish clear role allocations within teams while maintaining flexibility during transitions.
Prioritize relational solutions over operational ones when responding to changes.
Practical Skills for Operationalizing Right Relationship
Design alliances with explicit agreements on working together effectively.
Anchor decisions around a shared purpose or intention during conflicts or changes.
Practice deep listening not just outwardly but also inwardly for authentic engagement.
Stewardship Principles Moving Forward
Care sustainably for oneself and others—aiming beyond immediate needs towards long-term impact ("seven generations").
Model positive leadership behaviors that can ripple outwards influencing future generations positively.
About Carlo:
Carlo Bos is a leadership development expert, executive coach, and former Co-CEO of the Co-Active Training Institute, where he led during a pivotal period of transformation from 2018 to 2023. Over the past 20 years, he has worked with executives across industries as an assessments expert, program designer, and master facilitator, building and scaling leadership programs that have reached thousands. Having sat on both sides of the leadership and development table, Carlo is passionate about cultivating authentic, values-driven leadership. Today, he focuses on restoring healthy male leadership while helping organizations scale human intelligence alongside rapid advances in AI, in service of growth, inclusion, and impact.
About Heather:
Heather Davidson is an innovative Learning and Development leader and strategic problem solver with nearly two decades of experience at Google, Amazon, and GE. She views leadership as the ultimate lever for business performance and specializes in translating complex strategy into behavioral change and measurable results. At Google, she drives cultural transformation by equipping sales leaders with advanced coaching skills to elevate performance. With a background spanning Fine Arts and an MBA, Heather blends design thinking, Lean philosophy, and emotional intelligence. Her experience includes leading corporate L&D at Amazon and architecting large-scale transformation at GE Appliances, enabling leaders and organizations to achieve purpose-driven, high-performance impact.
🎉 The UpLevel Podcast was listed as one of the Top 10 Best Coaching Culture Podcasts!!! https://podcasts.feedspot.com/coaching_culture_podcasts
🎉 It was also ranked #4 among the top 50 Best Workplace Mental Health Podcasts! https://podcast.feedspot.com/workplace_mental_health_podcasts
About UpLevel Productions: Founded by Christie Mann, MA, CPCC, PCC, and Rachel Baldi, CPCC, PCC, UpLevel creates, produces, and delivers Transformative Experiences, Workshops, Training, Events + Media that develop leaders who make our world a healthier, more alive, and connected place to be. As Associate CTI Faculty Partners, UpLevel is licensed to sell, produce, and deliver Co-Active coach training and leadership development programs around the world to support the transformational growth of individuals and culture inside the workplace and organization. www.uplevelproductions.com Instagram @uplevelproductions Facebook & LinkedIn @uplevelproductionscompany
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