Unconditional Power: Steven Gaffney’s 3-State Framework For High-Performing Teams

Steven Gaffney is a leadership advisor and author who helps teams perform under pressure through honest communication, change management, and practical leadership tools. Having advised leaders across Fortune 500 companies as well as government and military teams, Steven has seen firsthand that strategy doesn’t fail because teams lack intelligence—it fails because they operate in the wrong “mood,” leave critical things unsaid, and confuse facts with the stories they tell themselves about those facts. His latest book, Unconditional Power, lays out a practical framework for moving teams from reaction mode to execution mode—especially when information is incomplete and the pressure to move fast is real.

In this conversation, Steven breaks down the three morale states that determine whether teams take action or stall, why hidden disagreement is more dangerous than open conflict, and how leaders can create real alignment after debate (without requiring artificial consensus). If you’re a founder, executive, or operator responsible for guiding strategy through uncertainty and human dynamics, this episode gives you a repeatable playbook for making better decisions, faster—with your team fully committed.

👉 Learn more about Steven and connect: https://stevengaffney.com/

👉 Connect with Steven on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevengaffney/

👉 Contact for a free chapter of Unconditional Power: https://justbehonest.com

In this episode, you’ll learn:

•The three morale states—powerless, conditionally powerful, and unconditionally powerful—and how each one shapes execution.

•How to separate what you notice (facts) from what you imagine (assumptions) to prevent meetings from running on stories.

•A simple “T-chart” method to resolve disagreements quickly and move forward with clarity.

•Why “getting the unsaid said” is the fastest way to fix trust, alignment, and performance breakdowns.

•How great leaders build accountability through commitment—so teams stop complying and start owning the mission.

00:00 Introduction to Leadership and Learning

00:59 Introducing Steven Gaffney

01:19 Fundamentals of High Performing Teams

03:01 Diving into Unconditional Power

03:52 The Importance of Mood and Morale

04:25 Three Moods of Morale

07:01 Taking Action in Uncertainty

13:10 Distinguishing Facts from Stories

18:09 Leadership Gravitational Pull

21:00 Leadership Team Dynamics

22:11 The Importance of Honest Communication

23:23 Getting the Unsaid Said

25:29 Balancing Authenticity and Mission

30:54 Creating Accountability and Commitment

34:24 Scaling Leadership Principles

37:04 Connecting and Learning More

Thanks for listening! This episode is brought to you by Kaihan Krippendorff of Outthinker Networks and Verne Harnish of Scaling Up.