Leadership Accelerator
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SEASON 04 | EPISODE 11 | NOVEMBER 2024
Embracing Idea Conflict: Creating Space for Healthy Debate

In today’s episode, TMG CEO Stephen Miles and Managing Director Stephanie McCoy Loquvam discuss the importance of fostering idea conflict without social conflict. They examine going “hard on the idea, soft on the person” to support effective decision-making and embrace diverse perspectives. From managing pre-reads to structuring effective meetings, they share strategies that help leaders create environments where open, constructive debate can thrive. Tune in to learn how to reduce social conflict, strengthen team cohesion, and drive productive conversations.

In this episode
Stephen Miles
Founder and Chief Executive Officer

Coach to top CEOs, boards, and C-suite executives around the world, Stephen Miles is the founder and CEO of The Miles Group (TMG). His 20+ years of working closely with some of the highest performing executives, leadership teams, and boards of directors in the global Fortune 500 has put him at the center of some of the most critical leadership challenges and decisions companies are facing today.

Speaking frequently to organizations on strategies for coaching C-level executives and developing high-potential talent, Stephen has been featured in the Harvard Business Review, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Fortune, Entrepreneur, and Chief Executive. He is co-author of Your Career Game: How Game Theory Can Help You Achieve Your Professional Goals; he collaborates frequently with the Stanford Graduate School of Business on research around CEOs and boards, including a recent exploration of the costs and benefits of CEO activism. Stephen and his CEO advisory services were profiled in the Bloomberg Businessweek article “The Rising Star of CEO Consulting.”

Stephanie McCoy Loquvam
Managing Director

Stephanie McCoy Loquvam is a managing director at The Miles Group. She advises clients across many dimensions of leadership, including executive selection, senior team effectiveness, succession planning, and scaled leadership development. Stephanie supports senior leadership teams and individual executives through 360 assessments, individual and group coaching, and team assimilation / alignment programs. She also has experience working with the Boards of Directors of publicly traded companies to assess board composition and enhance overall effectiveness. Stephanie brings diverse perspectives based on experience across industries including technology, financial services, construction, oil and gas, and food services.

Before joining TMG, Stephanie was an attorney in private practice representing businesses of all sizes in commercial disputes, regulatory issues, corporate governance and constitutional matters.

Stephanie holds a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree in forensic psychology, and a master’s degree in business administration from Tiffin University, as well as a juris doctorate from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University, where she served as an editor of Jurimetrics: The Journal of Law, Science and Technology. Stephanie lives in Phoenix, Arizona.