June 2025 Edition
Monthly Updates and Learnings from Collective Growth
Welcome to the Collective Growth newsletter! This is your monthly roundup of bold leadership, transformational work, and what’s ahead. In this issue: a client spotlight of a leadership team realignment, our newest program in action, and the launch of the Collective Growth Podcast, Inner Work. We’re so glad to grow alongside you.
Client Spotlight: Growing Together- An IT Leadership Team
When a newly hired Chief Information Officer stepped into his role, he recognized both the potential and the pressure facing his leadership team. The organization was navigating rapid change, shifting demands, and nuanced expectations, and the team, though experienced and committed, hadn’t yet gelled into a cohesive unit.
The leader reached out to Collective Growth to support both his transition and the team’s development. Over the course of 10 months, we partnered to guide a structured leadership journey—one that focused equally on individual growth and team alignment.
Through both monthly group sessions and one-on-one coaching, the team built trust, surfaced unspoken dynamics, and began strengthening communication across the board. They practiced new ways of leading, listening, and showing up for one another, focusing on clarity and consistency.
"This work helped us become the team we needed to be. We’re more aligned, more connected, and leading with purpose."
- Collin P., Chief Information Officer
The shifts were noticeable. Leaders who had once hesitated to speak up began contributing with confidence. Accountability improved. Energy lifted. Most importantly, they began operating as a true leadership team, not just a group of capable individuals.
Together, they realigned their culture, naming the values they want to lead by and the behaviors that will define their future. They left the experience stronger, more connected, and more equipped to lead through complexity.
Shifting culture takes time. But when it’s supported well and embraced from the top, the results are lasting and transformative.
An Inside Look at the OPTIMAL Launch Cohort
As we’ve worked with leaders and teams over the last (nearly) seven years, we’ve seen an increasing need for accessible, ongoing support that helps leaders grow with intention, not just in isolated moments, but in the day-to-day reality of their roles. The OPTIMAL Leadership Program was born out of that need. It brings together our most effective coaching tools, leadership frameworks, and self-awareness practices into a structured, dynamic experience. Grounded in seven core principles—Optimize Mindset, Practice Noticing, Tap Into Empowerment, Invite Wellness, Motivate with Values, Align with Purpose, and Level Up Habits—OPTIMAL is designed to build the clarity, consistency, and inner strength leaders need to thrive in complexity.
This spring, Collective Growth welcomed a dynamic group of purpose-driven leaders into the very first OPTIMAL Leadership Program Launch Cohort. These early adopters are not only engaging in deep, values-aligned leadership development—they're also helping shape the future of the program itself. Through monthly group coaching, interactive modules, and tools like the Enneagram and CliftonStrengths, Launch Cohort members are cultivating clarity, resilience, and empowered action across their work and lives.
Their courage to experiment, reflect, and grow together is at the heart of what makes OPTIMAL so powerful. We’re inspired by their insights and honored by their commitment to leading with authenticity and purpose. If you're curious about how this kind of intentional leadership journey could support your own growth, we’d love to connect. Curious how a leadership journey like this could support your growth? Book a free call with our team to discuss options!
The Collective Growth Podcast Has Arrived!
Inner Work: Honest leadership conversations, from the inside out.
We’re excited to share another big milestone: the launch of The Collective Growth Podcast, hosted by our founder, MaryAnn Means-Dufrene!
This new series explores the emotional side of leadership—the identity shifts, doubts, and defining moments that shape who we become. It’s not about “how I built this,” but how this built me.
Four episodes are already live, featuring stories about:
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Learning to face pain and fear
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Staying the course through loss and change
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Leading through overwhelm
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Redefining success in leadership and life
Start with Episode 1: Inner Work – Leading from Within, where MaryAnn shares her own story—from calling herself a reluctant entrepreneur to stepping into her voice. She opens up about the personal turning points that reshaped her leadership: the breakdowns, the doubts, and the moments of quiet courage that built something new.
If you’ve ever stood at a threshold wondering whether you’re ready for what’s next, this conversation is for you.
Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube
About Collective Growth
Collective Growth helps organizations grow with clarity by developing leaders, aligning culture, and designing systems that work.
We help clients cut through complexity, focus on what matters, and lead with purpose.
At Collective Growth, we believe leadership begins with self—and when leaders thrive, their teams and organizations do too. As a strategy and culture consultancy, we support growth at every level: the leader (mindset and behavior), the team (trust and performance), and the organization (systems and operations). Our three-phase process—Discover, Design, and Develop—allows us to deeply understand each client’s context, create targeted strategies, and walk alongside them to bring those solutions to life. The result is aligned leadership, empowered teams, and a ripple effect of sustainable culture change.
Know someone who would benefit from this work? Forward this newsletter or share Inner Work with someone who would appreciate it.
P.S.
Thank you for being a part of the Collective Growth community! I am so thankful for each and every one of you for your ongoing support. As always, feel free to reach out if you have any thoughts or comments.
-MaryAnn Means-Dufrene
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