The Leadership Program
Leadership is a team sport.
When one person is carrying too much, coaching that person only goes so far. The Leadership Program grows the top leader and the people leading beside them.
You might recognize this
Decisions keep landing on your desk, even with a strong team in place.
Your directors were promoted for doing great work, and now they’re learning to lead on the job.
Growth or a leadership change has strained how your team works together.
What changes
Where you are now
The CEO spends too much time refereeing disagreements and carrying decisions the team could make. Directors and managers lack follow-through and seem to be figuring things out on their own, buried in the details, with no room to get their heads above water and grow as leaders.
A year from now
Your leaders take on more responsibility and speak to each other more directly. The CEO spends less time in the middle, and the team gets more done together. The specific goals come from your Context Map; that’s what guides everything in the program—and how we’ll evaluate success.
How the program works
We shape each program around your organization. Programs run in 12-month terms, and organizations may stay with it for multiple years.
Getting started
Brad starts with the CEO. A few coaching sessions create a clear picture of where the organization is now, where you want it to go, and what stands in the way. That Context Map steers everything that follows.
One-to-one conversations with each executive create Context Maps for their department. We outline what’s working, what needs to change, and how they want to grow. Brad helps create alignment with where the CEO is headed. (When the gap is wider, a strategy session closes it.)
Doing the work
Coaching helps the team work through the obstacles on the map.
Each executive meets with Brad 1-2-1, and those conversations stay confidential.
When something needs to move between people, Brad brings them together for a three-way conversation. Every quarter, Brad and the CEO step back from the coaching to review how the program is going.
Planning the next year
As the year winds down, Brad and the CEO review progress in the organization and the individuals. Where it’s warranted, we might create a new program for the next year. A director might move from the cohort into 1-2-1 coaching, or the cohort might take in new members.
Executive team
Senior executives usually choose 1-2-1 coaching, because their time is scarce and they want attention focused on their own leadership.
Each executive works with Brad on the challenges in front of them, typically twice a month.
Directors and managers
Directors and managers form into a cohort and bring real issues for coaching and peer reflection. Each month has a theme, which Brad sets based on what he’s seeing across the organization.
Over time, participants find that their peers offer real support and practical help. They learn that their problems look a lot like everyone else’s. This builds trust that carries into solving more problems without escalation.
“Brad has made a huge, tangible impact at C+R.”
Lynne Bartos, VP and Marketing Content Strategist
Led by Brad Farris
Brad started as an engineer, but got curious about how the rest of the company ran. Over time, he became “the nerd who spoke business.” He joined a team that reviewed more than 100 acquisitions for a $1 billion family-owned company, then stepped in as a general manager at two of the acquired businesses. Since founding Anchor Advisors, he’s worked with more than 450 companies.
For HR leaders and boards
If you’re weighing this for your organization, the questions below are a good place to start. We’re also glad to walk you through your goals and who should take part.
Is what people share confidential?
Yes. Each 1-2-1 conversation is confidential, and so is the cohort. When an issue needs to move between people, Brad brings them together in a three-way meeting so it’s handled directly.
What do you report back to the organization?
Less than you might expect. Brad doesn’t report attendance or what people share. The CEO tracks progress against the context map and talks it through with Brad in quarterly check-ins. If challenges arise that go beyond coaching, Brad raises them with the CEO.
Who should take part?
Senior executives usually work 1-2-1 with Brad. Directors and managers usually join the cohort to see how much their challenges overlap. Each year, you and Brad revisit who’s in the program and where.
How will we know it’s working?
In quarterly check-ins, Brad and the CEO review progress against the goals in your context map. Most CEOs notice their leaders taking more ownership and speaking more directly, so CEOs spend less time settling disagreements and managing poor performance.
What if someone isn’t a good fit for coaching?
If an executive isn’t engaging, Brad raises it with the CEO, and you decide together what to do. Sometimes a nudge from the CEO is enough. If someone opposes coaching, they can leave the program. Whether that becomes a performance issue is the CEO’s call.
Thinking about your own team?
Tell Brad what’s happening. He’ll tell you honestly whether the program is a fit.