Services and programs

Keynotes

Tom Magness has spoken to well over 100,000 leaders from just about every industry represented in the Fortune 500 about the “Business of Leaders” since his transition from the military in 2011. Among his most popular keynote topics are the following:

  • The Business of Leaders.

    Using key aspects from his book, “Leader Business,” Tom uses the book’s framework to highlight the importance of the leader’s role in planning, preparation, execution, and learning. The Leader Business cycle, using experiences both in and out of uniform, provides an overall foundation for inspirational leadership for people at any level of an organization.

  • The Crucibles of Leadership.

    Leadership beliefs, how people think about the behaviors and expectations of leaders, come from somewhere. Usually, they are the result of something difficult, whether a challenge overcome or a boss who pushed them beyond what they thought was possible. Using personal difficulties and the “crucibles” of well-known leaders, Tom Magness challenges leaders to lean into their own experiences to codify their own foundation for leadership.

  • A Culture of Execution.

    At the end of the day, leaders have one primary responsibility. They must deliver results. Anything less is just talk. Tom Magness shares a secret formula from the military to provide an understanding of how military leaders get results, what he calls, “Violent Execution.” This approach, using his own experiences in Afghanistan, uses proven military techniques to empower leaders and teams to be aggressive, manage risk, and deliver results.

  • A Culture of Learning.

    High-performing teams strive for perfection – every repetition another attempt to be the very best. It is those teams who seek that standard that achieve excellence, not because they are perfect but because they embrace an approach to learning and continuous improvement that ensures success. Tom Magness shares the framework from the Army for learning, both at the individual and team level, that is embraced by the most elite organizations.

Workshops

Colonel Magness has led well over 500 leadership development workshops for leaders in both public and private sector organizations. His combination of classroom/academic programs and experiential learning activities ensure high-impact and true change for participants. Below are examples of his most common workshops (all generally 3-4 hours):

  • Enabling Effective Leadership.

    Using the military’s tools for empowerment and mission accomplishment, this workshop ensures participants have a foundation for effective leadership. Participants learn how to communicate “intent,” solicit ideas and empower results from lower levels, and create a learning organization using After Action Reviews.

  • Leadership Philosophy.

    In the military, leaders take command and immediately share their personal leadership philosophy. This 1-page document helps identify priorities, communicates expectations, and describes personal values and leadership beliefs. This workshop provides an understanding and helps participants work through the key aspects of a philosophy using a proven template and personal anecdotes to emphasize the importance of delivering results – with character and competence.

  • Building a Culture of Execution.

    Colonel Magness shares a secret formula for delivering results from what the military calls, “Mission Command.” Participants learn key steps for creating understanding across the team, empowering people to execute, and learning quickly. When fully leveraged, teams and leaders stay on the “offense” and achieve amazing success.

  • Leading High-Performing Teams.

    This workshop identifies important characteristics of high performing teams, using principles and tools from elite military organizations. These help teams build trust, have healthy debate, create a culture of accountability, and deliver results at the highest (enterprise) level.

  • The Warrior’s Ethos.

    Military warrior-leaders understand they must do everything to accomplish the mission. But they must also take responsibility for the safety, success, growth, and development of their people. Understanding this balance, and the tools that make this possible, are among the deliverables in this high-impact workshop. Leaders put the “mission first” and… “never leave a fallen comrade.” Elite organizations build teams and leaders around these expectations.

Experiential Learning

True learning comes not just from hearing but has the greatest impact when practiced, i.e. experientially. Colonel Magness has a number of significant experiential learning programs that can be delivered as stand-alone activities or, best case, as a follow-up to an academic program so that leaders can immediately apply their learning.

  • Friday Night at the ER.

    Simulation exercise to help leaders understand systems- thinking and the prioritization of overall enterprise success using collaboration, innovation, and effective decision-making. While it uses a simulated 24-hours in a hospital, this activity works for any group of leaders who need to take leadership to another level.

  • Operation Essayons.

    Somewhat akin to “Amazing Race,” teams work together to achieve overall (enterprise) success while competing to be their best. Along the way, they must respond to continuous change, make decisions, communicate up and down, and use the capabilities of their team to the greatest possible level. This experience is both fun and life-changing, creating memories that will stay with leaders well beyond what any typical leadership program can provide.

  • Leader Reaction Course.

    Hands-on learning using a variety of tools to force leaders and teams into problem-solving mode. Success comes when leaders communicate, listen to their people, and effectively leverage the strengths of team members. Whether executed indoors or out, all participants have multiple opportunities to practice effective leadership, and followership.