You weren’t promoted to CEO and here’s why they’re not telling you…

It came down to “the other person had better relationships and influence with stakeholders.”  Our VP’s and Presidents in training to be the next CEO have heard this countless times, and even more so in our post-pandemic world. Recent research from the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), particularly the working paper “Have CEOs Changed?” (Decressin, Kaplan, and Sorensen, 2024), has highlighted significant shifts in the characteristics of CEOs. Since the global financial crisis, CEOs have become more focused on execution, analysis, and detail orientation. While these skills are critical for operational success, the same research shows a decline in the interpersonal, charismatic, and creative-strategic abilities that are equally important for long-term organizational success. This trend is concerning. In a world where employee engagement, innovation, and strategic foresight are key drivers of success, executives must be more than just effective managers—they must be inspiring leaders. However, the data suggests that the supply of executives with strong social and interpersonal skills is shrinking, even as the demand for these skills grows.

The growing need for Holistic and Visionary Leadership

No leader is a finished product. How can they be?  Experience through life events mold our unique perspectives and talent and that comes with time, and a mindset towards continuous development. At Stratiform, we support visionary leaders develop these skills by targeted coaching (for results, reflections, and refinement) as we believe this crucial for leaders to fuel and nurture their strengths and talents and bring forth a future forward perspective.

Here’s why:

            1.         Strengthening Interpersonal Skills: The ability to connect with and inspire others is essential for building a cohesive and motivated workforce. Our coaching programs are designed to enhance communication, influence, empathy, conflict resolution, and people leadership skills, ensuring they can lead with both authority and compassion.  As you grow in your career, people are less likely to give you feedback, which creates all types of blind spots.  Having a coach to help you navigate these is essential in building the emotional quotient needed to lead others well.

            2.         Balancing Analytical and Strategic Thinking: While operational expertise is important, today’s leaders must also be visionaries who can guide their organizations toward future opportunities. This requires creative and strategic thinking and foresight.

            3.         Aligning Leadership with Organizational Objectives: Leaders are often required to navigate complex corporate challenges. Whether it’s driving organic growth, managing operations, or formulating long-term strategies, our coaching ensures that they are equipped with the skills and mindsets to align their leadership style with their organization’s unique goals, mission, and values.

            4.         Adapting to a Dynamic Workforce: With Millennials and Gen Z making up a significant portion of the workforce, you must evolve your leadership approaches to meet the expectations of these generations. Our coaching emphasizes the importance of collaborative, transparent, and purpose-driven leadership—key factors in attracting and retaining top talent.  We also show you how to identify and align your core values to create a highly engaged workforce, conduct productive new people leader assimilation, transition into roles that require you to execute more strategically.

Future Proofing your Business and Career

As the demands on our leaders continue to evolve, so too must their skills. By prioritizing continuous development, today’s leaders can navigate uncertainty with confidence, drive innovation, and lead their organizations to new heights.  It’s a form of self-care and of future-proofing.

At Stratiform Consulting, we’re committed to helping YOU unlock your full potential—because the success of your organization starts at the top.  We have honed a toolkit and set of strategies that:

• Refine your interpersonal acumen, ability to read people and regulate their emotional states, build rapport and influence,
• Sharpen the quality of your creativity through targeted neural exercises that boost cognitive functioning,
• Enhance communication, influence, empathy, conflict resolution, and people leadership skills
• Develop creative problem-solving and strategic thinking skills, empowering you with tools to innovate and adapt in a rapidly changing business environment.

Leadership Development is a billion-dollar industry.  Companies fail when they don’t invest in developing these critical skills within their leadership pipeline.  As a leader of others, investing in yourself pays off in superior results and relationships.

Catapult Your Career to New Heights

We offer an accelerated program to increase your impact as a leader, refine your vision for the future, and expand your spheres of influence.  We teach you a series of mind clearing and relaxation techniques that enhance cognitive abilities, neuroplasticity and psychological resilience.  With newfound brain power and inter-personal acumen, you’ll be poised to lead your organization well into the future, becoming a trusted leader in your industry, not just or organization.

Develop and articulate a Compelling Vision and Strategy

In an increasingly complex and fast-paced business environment, leaders are required to be more creative, visionary, and strategic than ever before. However, many struggle to consistently generate innovative ideas, maintain a forward-thinking mindset, and develop strategies that align with both short-term objectives and long-term vision. Traditional leadership development programs often fall short in fostering the deep creative and strategic thinking necessary for true visionary leadership.

Our Solution: VisionaryMind 360

VisionaryMind 360 is an online program designed to boost creativity, elevate visionary thinking, and refine strategic decision-making skills. The platform offers a holistic approach that combines cutting-edge neuroscience, creative practices, and strategic frameworks to unlock the full potential of visionary leaders.

 Key Features:

Creative Thinking Lab:

• Neuroscience-Driven Creativity Exercises: A series of exercises and activities based on the latest neuroscience research designed to stimulate the brain’s creative centers, enhance divergent thinking, and break through mental blocks.
• Idea Generation Tools: AI-powered brainstorming tools that help CEOs generate and refine innovative ideas by drawing connections between seemingly unrelated concepts.
• Creative Challenges: Regular creative challenges that encourage out-of-the-box thinking and problem-solving, tailored to the specific industry and leadership context of the CEO.

Visionary Leadership Accelerator:

• Vision Mapping: A guided process for creating and refining a powerful, future-oriented vision for the company, incorporating elements of foresight, trend analysis, and scenario planning.
• Future-Casting Workshops: Interactive workshops where CEOs learn to anticipate and shape future industry trends, positioning their organizations as pioneers in their fields. Our workshops are not just about listening but about engaging, creating, and experimenting. You’ll be immersed in various environments designed to spark your imagination. You’ll walk away with actionable insights and significant plans already completed.
• Visionary Leadership Coaching: One-on-one coaching and personalized feedback sessions focused on developing the mindset and skills necessary for visionary leadership, including the ability to inspire and mobilize others around a compelling vision.

Strategic Thinking Studio:

• Strategic Frameworks and Models: Access to a wide range of strategic thinking tools and models that help CEOs analyze complex situations, make informed decisions, and align their strategies with long-term goals.
• Scenario Planning Tools: Tools for creating and exploring multiple future scenarios, allowing CEOs to anticipate challenges and opportunities and build resilient strategies.
• Strategic Decision-Making Simulations: Real-world business simulations that challenge CEOs to make strategic decisions in dynamic environments, enhancing their ability to think critically under pressure.

Mind Expansion Sessions:

• Meditative Practices for Creative Insight: Guided meditations and mindfulness practices designed to quiet the mind, reduce stress, and open up space for creative insights and visionary thinking.
  • Cognitive Flexibility Training: Exercises that improve cognitive flexibility—the ability to switch between different concepts and perspectives—critical for strategic and creative thinking.
  • Cross-Industry Innovation Labs: Sessions that expose CEOs to innovations and creative strategies from other industries, fostering cross-pollination of ideas and breakthrough thinking.

VisionaryMind Community:

• Visionary Leaders Network: An exclusive network of forward-thinking CEOs and executives who share insights, strategies, and challenges related to creativity, visionary leadership, and strategic thinking.
  • Collaborative Vision Projects: Opportunities to collaborate with other visionary leaders on joint innovation projects that push the boundaries of what’s possible in their industries.
  • Monthly Visionary Forums: Virtual forums where thought leaders in creativity, strategy, and visionary thinking discuss emerging trends, share best practices, and explore new ideas.

Strategic Vision Dashboard:

• Vision Alignment Metrics: Tools to assess how well current business strategies align with the long-term vision and make necessary adjustments.
  • Innovation Pipeline Tracker: A dashboard for tracking the development and implementation of innovative ideas generated through the platform.
  • Visionary Impact Reports: Periodic reports that measure the impact of visionary leadership and strategic initiatives on business performance, employee engagement, and market positioning.

Objectives and Outcomes:

Unleashing Creativity: Helps you break free from conventional thinking patterns and consistently generate groundbreaking ideas.

Visionary Leadership: Empowers you to develop and articulate a compelling vision that drives organizational success and inspires stakeholders.

Strategic Excellence: Enhances your ability to think strategically, assess capabilities and prioritize the critical few, make informed decisions, and adapt to an ever-changing business landscape.

Holistic Development: Combines creative, visionary, and strategic development into a cohesive program that addresses the multifaceted demands of modern leadership.

 Pricing Model:

– Subscription Fee: Flat rate per leader, per month with access to all platform features, tools, and resources, EQi and Leadership Styles Assessment and Action Planning.

– Premium Add-Ons: Additional services such as personalized visionary coaching, in-depth strategic audits, and bespoke innovation workshops available at an extra cost.

VisionaryMind 360 offers a unique blend of creativity, visionary insight, and strategic acumen, making it the go-to platform for CEOs who aspire to lead their organizations into a prosperous and innovative future.

Stay Connected

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Let’s innovate the future—one groundbreaking idea at a time!Reference: Decressin, Y., Kaplan, S. N., & Sorensen, M. (2024). Have CEOs Changed? NBER Working Paper No. 32854. Retrieved from https://www.nber.org/papers/w32854