Ep 430: The Human Advantage: How Trust and Intentional Systems Drive High-Performing Teams with Makayla Greathouse

In this episode, Makayla Greathouse, founder of Elevate Intent, shares how her fractional head of people and HR advisory practice helps growing companies design intentional, high-performing people systems. Blending 15 years of HR experience with a decade of teaching yoga, she brings a unique perspective that merges operational excellence with mindfulness. She explains why trust is the foundation of healthy culture and scalable growth, and how companies must move beyond ad hoc processes to create clarity in onboarding, role expectations, and performance. Through her leadership “triangle” of autonomy, alignment, and accountability, Makayla outlines how intentional systems empower teams, strengthen culture, and drive meaningful business results.

The conversation also explores authentic leadership, particularly for women navigating the workplace. Makayla highlights how traits like dependability and composure—often praised in women—can unintentionally create ceilings if they lead to silence or over-functioning instead of system redesign and healthy conflict. She shares practical tools like DISC and situational leadership to help leaders communicate more effectively while staying true to who they are. The episode closes with a powerful reminder of “The Human Advantage”—that while AI may accelerate output, it cannot replace trust, judgment, and human connection. For Makayla, an empowered woman is one who has the courage to show up fully and lead authentically in every space she occupies.

Connect with Makayla:
Website: www.elevateintent.co
LinkedIn: Makayla Greathouse, MA, SHRM-CP
Instagram: @moveswithmak

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Facebook: Marta Spirk

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