Conflict will naturally arise in every field and industry. When disagreements occur at a strategy meeting, exchanges can get heated. It takes skilled leadership to approach these tense situations and bring teams together. Stephen Sunstrom, MBA, lends his expertise to those hoping to acquire the skills and knowledge needed to deal with everyday conflicts.
Mr. Sunstrom has honed his leadership skills over two decades of management and consultant experience. Sharing his knowledge with aspiring leaders, he has earned awards for his leadership and educator achievements. His new book, “Leadership in Two Steps: Creating Success Through Impactful Relationships,” helps readers build a foundation for strong leadership to resolve conflicts and unite people into a cohesive, efficient team.
Mr. Sunstrom began his professional journey with extensive military service in the U.S. Air Force, serving from 1996 to 2016. Among his positions there, he worked as a human resource manager, training and development specialist and department manager for IT support. He also filled several U.S. Air Force Honor Guard positions, including training and development manager, training and development specialist, and military training leader. While in the Air Force Honor Guard, he was to train about 15 individuals and work with them to honor the late President Ronald Reagan at the U.S. Capitol during Reagan’s state funeral. About six months later, he was also on the Joint Armed Forces Cordon at the 55th Presidential Inauguration for President George W. Bush, where he worked at the Capitol and White House.
When Mr. Sunstrom entered the private market, he applied his leadership and management skills as a field organization and talent development manager at Whataburger in San Antonio, Texas. In 2021, he joined the Institute for Leadership and Strategic Foresight as a human capital strategist, curriculum developer and organizational consultant. He now serves as the institute’s chief executive officer, bringing the wide breadth of knowledge he has accumulated over years of management. Building upon his legacy as a leader and educator, Mr. Sunstrom has concurrently worked as the president, curriculum developer, talent development specialist, coach, human resources expert, and project manager at Sunstrom Enterprises LLC since 2020.
Mr. Sunstrom’s achievements as an educator were recognized when he was named the Educator of the Year in 2010 and the Educator of the Quarter in 2009 by the Robert D. Gaylor NCO Academy. He has brought his educational skills into other fields and hobbies, working as a master instructor (currently, 6th DAN Black Belt) in Ketsugo Ryu Jujitsu at Patriot Martial Arts since 2018. He has also spread the knowledge he garnered in the hobby of scuba diving by authoring articles “Divers and Continuing Education,” “Rebreather Training Experience,” and “How Training Saved My Life.” These works were published on the Duggan Diving website in 2015.
Mr. Sunstrom’s book, “Leadership in Two Steps: Creating Success Through Impactful Relationships,” was released in February 2024 by Game Changer Publishing. This work combines the leadership lessons Mr. Sunstrom has collected throughout his storied career, providing practical tools for leaders, teachers, and coaches at all levels.
To tackle one of the more challenging aspects of leadership, Mr. Sunstrom created a model to assist with dealing with conflict at work. “I had notes based on my book,” he states. “I looked at it and thought, ‘There’s something more here that I’m not seeing.’” Mr. Sunstrom had a moment of realization, understanding that much of the difficulty in dealing with conflict derives from the heightened emotion and passion it evokes. From there, he created his SEATED acronym, which addresses these emotions to resolve team conflicts.
Looking to the future, Mr. Sunstrom strives to author a book that will further contribute to the field of leadership within the next three to five years. He will also continue to focus on his responsibilities as the newly appointed CEO of the Institute for Leadership and Strategic Foresight, in which he will shape its direction and continued impact in the field.
Mr. Sunstrom attributes his success to the supportive leaders who saw his potential and pushed him to achieve it. He would like to acknowledge his mentors, including Brian G. Jones, Pamela Condon, Lauren Courchaine, and Ronita Pinckney. He also credits his exceptional wife, who has been an unwavering source of support and encouragement. One of his main driving forces is his kids; he wants them to have phenomenal leaders as they grow in their careers. In all of his endeavors as a leader and educator, Mr. Sunstrom believes in the human aspect of his work, stating, “It’s not about theory; it’s all about taking care of people.”
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