Leadership: n. from 1821, “The position of leader.” By late 19c. definition extended to “characteristics necessary to be a leader.”

Heresy: v. From the Greek word hairesis, “a taking or choosing; a choice.” A derivative of hairein, “to choose.”

Many of the greatest leaders in history were regarded as heretics in the time they lived.  From Voltaire and Joan of Arc, to Mother Teresa, Thomas Jefferson, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, or even Oprah Winfrey… These men and women all had one thing in common: they understood that leadership is heresy. It’s not the status quo that creates change, it’s the courage to act in the face of orthodox beliefs and standards.

But that’s a copout.  It’s easy to look at the famous with the wisdom of hindsight and see their greatness.  And it’s easy to look at them and think they are some how different from the rest of us – even though they are not.  So look at real life leadership, those people you know to be leaders/heretics because of how they inspired you; your grandmother, your dad, your neighbor, a boss, a mentor, a favorite teacher or sports coach or drama director… Everyone is a leader and everyone can be a heretic, from that 12-year old who is courageous enough to chose to stand up to a bully in the school yard, to the mom who speaks up at the PTA for the very first time with a quivering voice and shaky knees, or the co-worker who has the courage to speak truth to power and changes the organization for the better. This is daily, real, tangible leadership and the leadership I endeavor to call out.

So what does Leadership is Heresy really mean? Combine the two definitions above: the characteristics of leadership rooted in our ability to choose, recognizing that we actually have a choice and realizing that those we often hold up as great leaders all thought, felt, behaved and acted contrary to the popular opinion of their time.

Leadership is heresy and leadership isn’t what we do to others, it’s standing up, perhaps for what we believe is right, perhaps for ourselves, perhaps for the greater benefit of those around us…  but in all cases it’s an invitation to ourselves and to others to believe in and become our dreams and possibilities.  Let’s create those kinds of leaders and heretics.

The 5 Tools Successful Leaders Use to  Navigate, Engage & Empower Their Crew

There are three kinds of leaders: top leaders who make things happen, mediocre leaders who let things happen and unengaged leaders who wonder what in the world just happened. Top leaders consistently make it happen by coaching, developing and empowering others to personally connect with and engage in their vision, purpose and direction.  The 5 Tools include:

• Sextant: (GPS) For navigation
• Chart: For mapping the course and finding their way
• Wheel: To steer the ship
• Two-Way Radio: Communication isn’t a one-way street
• First-Aid Kit: Let’s face it, crap happens

This program can be broken up in many creative and uniquely relevant ways that are best determined after we explore your objectives for the audience and how you want them impacted by the presentation. Different parts make great, inspiring keynotes and a couple work well with other tools as an add-on workshop.

The 5 Dynamic Principles of Leadership, Communication & Decision Making Skills

H.U.M.A.N. Strategies™ is the foundation of Steven’s work as a speaker, facilitator and coach. It is a dynamic, humanistic approach to personal and professional leadership, communication and effective decision making skills.

Based on the five core principles below, H.U.M.A.N. Strategies™ seeks to empower people and organizations by tapping into the humanistic qualities that drive the choices they make, form their dreams, conquer their fears, inspire their actions and connect them with the larger mission to achieve their highest potential.

H.U.M.A.N. Strategies™ is particularly applicable as a conference keynote with variable slants to serve opening, closing and banquet slots. It has been highly received by Fortune 500 companies, Academics, Non-Profits and Religious organizations alike; from CEO’s to sales teams, from administrative staffs to students, from middle management to executive directors… anyone looking for the strategies necessary to engage, inspire and empower people or themselves to believe anything is possible.

• Honor the person
• Understand perspectives
• Manage reactions
• Attract desired results
• Negotiate solutions

The 10-Point Leadership Triangle: A Dynamic Model for Mastering & Implementing the 3-Dimensions of Leadership

• What if you could finish the year exceeding all your goals?
• What if you could engage your team to perform at record levels?
• What if you could reach the end of the year feeling the happiest and most successful you have felt in years?

All it takes is Leadership! Leadership can be one of the most difficult skills to cultivate because too many people look for a one-dimensional solution to a three-dimensional problem.

The 10-Point Leadership Triangle brings the 3-Dimensions of Leadership to life with a dynamic 3-D model that allows leaders to meet people where they are, and gives them a roadmap for how to move forward. With this model you can turn the impossible into the possible and gain a sense of perspective. It will help you get your team clearly focused, engaged and all heading in the same direction. It might even have you believing again in the beauty and power of your dreams.

This program can stand-alone well as a keynote, round-table or workshop, & it pairs well with any of the other topics, especially HUMAN Strategies™ as a companion workshop. As a topic it is highly adaptable to a wide range of themes and agendas.

The 7 Key Tools for Mastering the Human Obstacles of Change

Change! Sometimes it is thrust upon us, and sometimes it is inspired from within. In any case, it is a by-product of leadership, and leadership is not just for CEO’s anymore. In fact, while most “leaders” live in the 1st dimension of leadership, real change takes place in the 2nd and 3rd dimensions, and you can only effectively reach them by Navigating the Seven C’s of Change.

Understanding The 3-Dimensions of Leadership

• 1st Dimension – “Height” – Leadership of Others
• 2nd Dimension – “Width” – Leadership of Self
• 3rd Dimension – “Depth” – Leadership Without Authority

Change is difficult, ask just about anyone; but just because we saychange is hard doesn’t mean it has to be hard. Most times the challenge of change has less to do with the change itself, and more to do with the mysteries and routes surrounding those changes. In this program we will unpack those mysteries as we learn to navigate the C’s:

• Clarity – Choice – Courage – Connection
• Collaboration – Consultation – Concrete

This program stands alone well as a keynote, round-table or workshop, and is highly adaptable to a wide range of themes.