Transformative Leadership Program

How do today’s most successful senior leaders drive organizational success and transformation?  They do it through their own success and transformation.  We’ve seen the story time and again–leaders who focus relentlessly on their own capabilities to drive change are invariably the ones who are successful achieving transformational results in their organizations.  Sounds straightforward, right?

Consider this recent research published in the Harvard Business Review which says the key ingredient to successful in the C-suite, in particular the CEO role, is no longer financial resource management but “social skills”, a broad term they define as “a high level of self-awareness, the ability to listen and communicate well, a facility for working with different types of people and groups, and what psychologists call “theory of mind”—the capacity to infer how others are thinking and feeling.”

Is it any wonder that the tenure of CXO roles is steadily decreasing?  In a digital age, where the problems leaders are solving are multiplying and changing faster and faster, these roles are difficult to succeed in and, more importantly, to have an impact quickly.

The tasks are simply more than any one person thinking alone can effectively cope with and it is often the overlooked or less developed parts of our skills as leaders that put us in harm’s way of achieving great success in our current roles and beyond.  You have to be a politician, a master at relationships, a compelling communicator of your strategy, humbly self-improving, confident in adversity, adept in a digital age, understanding of the complexity of running an organization while also innovating, and you need to be able to manage broad and deep transformations.  

Unfortunately, it is nearly impossible to find people in your world that have no other agenda but your success.  So most CXOs go it alone. That’s why so many fail to meet their own goals and those of their shareholders. But you don’t have to do it alone, in fact you should not.  But, where can you find the resources you need effectively, safely, and quickly?

After over a decade of working together, Mark Bowden and Michael Leckie have brought together their expertise in communication, transformation, non-verbal communication and impact, culture and change, political savvy, relationship mastery, coaching, and creating inspirational leaders, and turned that knowledge and proven experience into the help that most CXO leaders need but few will be self-aware and courageous enough to seek.  

Per our research conducted while at Gartner, the leader that has sought and obtained trusted thinking partners is the leader that moves with alacrity, presence, and impact.

We take on a very select few clients at any one time so we give you our full attention.  You will speak with us regularly, at least once every week.  We will be there, on call, when things hit the fan and we will help you move forward through the mess with thoughtfulness, strategic insight, a cool head, and a clear and cogent plan.  We will also meet in-person during the year, at least twice, quarterly is ideal, and will find opportunities to observe you at work–whether it be delivering a keynote, working with your leadership team, or just strategizing your next moves while walking on a beach or sitting in a room in the dreaded airport hotel (but, for your sake, we hope you choose the former).

The course of each Transformative Leader engagement is different, depending on the needs that arise.  You will find that you develop a deep sense of trust and belief in the fact that we are quickly becoming your friends and confidantes, and that we operate from a place of real relationship and rock-solid experience in what we do.  That is because we are, and we do.

We do this work together, as a team, as we discovered that it allows us to rely on our varied, yet complementary, skill sets. You can read all about that on our respective websites, books, etc., if you like, we won’t list it all here.  But suffice it to say we have worked at all levels including CEOs and CXOs from Fortune 50 companies, and G7 World Leaders, through to start up, innovation labs, and private equity and venture capital backed companies.  Our books on influence, body language, transformation and change, and the neuroscience of leadership are leaders in their field.  We have held CXO positions in world-class organizations, appeared on global stage and screen, and we do this work because we love it and the impact it has on the lives of not just the leader but the people they have the privilege to lead.  We also do this together because we thrive on learning and growing in the moment right along with you.

If you are ready to make a difference in your world and increase your impact beyond what you thought possible then it may be time to talk to us about making a sea change in your leadership and life.  

The program is simple in form and we price our work according to value.  It costs enough that we only engage serious leaders of a high caliber, and it is cost effective enough that you are spending the equivalent of bringing in a mid-level employee, but instead getting two advisors that would be out of range, even individually, full-time..  However, while we are not “full time” our presence in your life will seem that way.  

If you are intrigued, our process to engage and determine if there is mutual fit is simple as well.  We jump on a call and you tell us what you are up against and why you think this might be for you.  We will talk it through with you and, if we all believe there is great possibility and we can be of huge help to you, we will move forward.  If we do not have space and ability to do so, we will tell you when you contact us but will still meet to know if it might be right when the opportunity is available.