Empowering Leaders.
Elevating Teams.
We are in a leadership crisis.
We've failed to empower our leaders with the skills they need to be successful; for themselves, their teams and our organizations. This challenge is compounded in small organizations and non-profits who see leadership development and team building unattainable.
I want to change that.
Does this sound like YOU?
Individual
You've been promoted into a leadership position and are so excited to rock it. You've had great leaders and want to inspire others like you've been inspired. But it isn't as easy (or fun) as you thought it would be. You are committed to learning, but just need someone to teach you.
You are on a team that is struggling to communicate and work together. Too much time is spent resolving conflict (or it's not resolved at all) and it seems like you can't get anything done. Side meetings and politicking have taken over and you dread having to work with them. When you think about team building, negative memories of trust falls and sharing most embarrassing moments are conjured up and you quickly dismiss it thinking those are even worse than the situation. You are considering leaving because this just sucks.
Organization
Your organization is growing and you've promoted some of your awesome people into leadership positions, but you seeing challenges. They are struggling with managing other people and some of the other skills they need to build a strong team so your organization can thrive. You want them to be successful and recognize that they just need a different skillset. You know employee engagement is closely tied to their ability to lead well and you are committed to both!
You look at teams in your organization and see one that isn't performing like you need. They can't seem to get anything done and there is a definite divide. When you talk to the team leader, they are frustrated because they can't figure out how to get past the challenges. They don't feel like they have time to build a strong team, but yet, they seem to waste so much time on distractions and frustrations.
Leadership and Team Development are not beyond reach.
I focus in individuals, small businesses and non-profits. I understand your challenges and design programs with them in mind.
Empowering Leaders
A new leadership crisis has surfaced - failure by neglect.
With the best of intentions, organizations see individuals excelling in their zone of genius, then promote (throw) them into leadership roles with a congratulatory slap on the back and zero support. Unfortunately, no one performs at their best in a sink-or-swim situation - so there is failure, stress, and instability for that leader. Then, when a team starts to experience the ripple effect of that failure, getting out of the pool feels safer than being pulled under.
People leave lousy management more often than they leave bad jobs.
Attract and Retain Talent by Equipping Leaders
Leaders have a greater-than-ever influence on their teams - until they don’t. Employees are in the power position, with more opportunities and options than ever before. They also have very little tolerance for dysfunctional management. So while being an employer of choice remains an admirable goal, management skill development is now an act of survival.
Ineffective leaders cause people to jump ship, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Leaders can learn the skills they need to foster healthy, effective teams. Keeping great people and positioning your organization for growth is an accessible reality - and the best investment you can make at both an individual and corporate level.
“If companies want to retain their talent and grow, they must equip managers and leaders with tools to create a healthy, happy environment. When we invest in people, they feel valued, and valued people return the favour. Leadership development is a brilliant win-win that moves your organization forward from a grassroots level.”
Elevating Teams
“Not finance. Not strategy. Not technology. It is teamwork that remains the ultimate competitive advantage, both because it is so powerful and so rare.”
When Team members understand each other, the possibilities are limitless.
There is always an opportunity to restore the connection between team members and leaders. Trust and respect can be rebuilt through intentional, thoughtful work - and it doesn’t have to be dry and painful. When Individuals feel believed in, advocated for, and see vulnerability modelled, the walls come down. It’s no longer risky to address a conflict, admit a mistake, ask for help. An investment in developing your most critical resource sees a powerful return through renewed engagement and output.
In your new, healthier environment, everyone finds their sweet spot in the safety of trusted relationships. Exploration, collaboration and creating become the norm. That’s the environment we all want to work within - where individuals feel seen for their strengths, interests and knowledge - with a team that has their back.
The reality is that team dynamics make or break job satisfaction. The good news is that teams can grow stronger and thrive. Provide your people with an opportunity for relational resets and growth. (Or make your solid team even stronger.) You know what kind of impact your team is capable of. Help them reach that potential by removing a barrier of dysfunction.
Are you looking for:
Leadership Skill Development
You are an Individual Contributor who wants to move into a leadership role and is looking for the skills you need.
You are a manager looking to grow your skill-set.
You are a leader in an organization who knows you need to offer your employees growth opportunities, knowing that promoting internally is generally a better option.
Team Building
You are on a team that is experiencing difficulty communicating and working together
You are on a high-turnover team (like a non-profit board or a team formed for a specific project) and you want to speed through the getting to know you phase so you can dive into the working productively one.
You are looking for meaningful team building (not trust falls and sharing your most embarrassing moments)
Non-Profit Governance
You are on a non-profit board and want an Executive Director and/or Board Evaluation, from a holistic perspective without getting sucked into the weeds. You are looking for how to grow and learn from the past year, rather than, simply identifying what didn’t go well.
Speaking
You are planning a conference, seminar or event and are looking for someone to speak on leadership and teams.
Who am I?
I'm a teacher with a passion for building strong leaders and cohesive teams. My approach to training is deeply influenced by my teaching background, utilizing an interactive model that fosters meaningful connections.
My journey of service began in my teenage years when I became a camp counselor at Moonlight Bay for Bissell Centre. Since then, I've dedicated my time to various non-profit boards and spent over a decade facilitating parent engagement in education. Growing up in a family of entrepreneurs, I hold a strong belief in the transformative power of small businesses and non-profits within our community.
My unique strength lies in creating connections — whether between people, ideas, organizations, or content. Witnessing the 'aha' moment when someone relates an idea to their own experiences or future aspirations brings me immense joy.
Miscellaneous random facts about me (that likely won't show up elsewhere)
I'm a bit cheeky (and more than a bit sarcastic which has apparently spread to my children; especially my youngest) and I hate cutsie words (it's a sandwich, not a sammy)
I love teenagers (toddlers, not so much)
"The West Wing" is one of my favorite TV shows (and I'm always up to talking about it)
I'm passionate about non-profits and volunteering and I like governance
My main hobby is rubber stamping and scrapbooking (and I have a whole room full of supplies)
Relationships are important to me
My brain seeks to create connections: between people, ideas, experiences, learnings
Running a kick-ass meeting is my forte (and I silently judge ineffective ones)
I love meeting people and hearing their story
What people are SAYING
Questions?
No problem - check out my answers.
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I'll help you. I will listen to your challenges and then we will sort out a solution together. I have tons of flexibility to create a program that will work for you. I have several options and I can adapt them too.
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You start with what you can do. I understand the challenges small organizations face, so I try to design programs that work for you. Maybe you send one person at a time, or we do shorter trainings spaced out.
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Understanding my DISC profile (and recognizing others) has given me incredible understanding of why I am excited to do some things and why I avoid others. I am better able to communicate with others and not get caught up in personalities.
I think everyone should go through DISC training, but understand it might take others a bit longer to believe me.
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Let's talk about what small steps you can take and how to build a bigger plan. You don't have to do all or nothing. Let's sort out a way to do something. I am creating programs that I offer multiple times so you can send one person at a time, or we'll do shorter trainings spaced out. We can also design a longer program that will qualify for the Canada-Alberta Job Grant where the government will pay 2/3 of the cost.
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You bet. I focus on teaching leadership skills and building strong teams, however, I also do non-profit governance board evaluations, leadership coaching and work with individuals and organizations to identify and define their core values. I do this work with select organizations, so let me know if you are interested and we can talk about whether we are a match.
Free Resources
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“I want to thank you for helping me develop the skills that helped me land a leadership position with CompuVision. After completing CompuLeads I feel I am better prepared to transition into an official leadership role and I am very grateful for your teachings, guidance and reading suggestions. The time you spent researching and developing this course captured the fundamental skills required to lead a team and it solidified my decision to pursuit a people leader role. Thank you!”
Oscar