Elevate Labs’s Theory of Leadership
Entrepreneurship is a trip, y’all. I’ve been holed up in my office (newly redecorated with lots of LEGOs, hit me up if you want tips on how to build the Art of Chocolate BrickLink set) working on competency models, book writing, and in general trying to figure out what Elevate Labs - and by extension, my whole life, since I’m not great at separating work from personal - is about.
And we’ve got some stuff figured out!
1/ A Unified Theory of Leadership
I’ve done a crazy amount of thinking, discussing, observing, coaching, and training on leadership, and over my time I’ve learned a few things:
The way we’ve traditionally thought about leadership is flawed, at least for this moment in time. The gravitas and omnipotent leader is a thing of the past; in its place is transparency, vulnerability, and humility.
Unfortunately, our brains haven’t caught up to this fact. We’re still looking for traditional versions of “leaders” because they’ll keep us safe from a tiger on the prairie - but that’s not the same as business results.
As a society, we place a lot of emphasis and value over process (how hard are you trying) over outcomes (what’s the result of your work). I see this so strongly right now in the debates over AI authorship. We’re stuck on a model that toiling over your work = success, as opposed to what is successful.
The walls between work and life don’t exist. I’m not just talking about the fact that I’m caring for 2 sick humans and a bored dog while I’m writing this; bigger than that, the ways we need to show up as leaders at work are the same as how we need to show up as leaders for ourselves, for our families, for our communities, and for our societies. The same “leadership competencies” I’ll talk about in a minute are the things I’m trying to measure myself against at home.
Through these observations, research, experimentation, and brainstorming, Elevate Labs as a whole has identified a core set of actions that those exercising leadership take…
2/ Introducing the Compass Method: Navigating Disruption Without a Map
As we looked at what sets apart leaders who are thriving in this moment from those perpetuating the status quo, we noticed 3 critical actions that leaders take:
They build awareness of themselves and their environment, able to cut through the noise to pinpoint the truth in a situation.
They develop alliances with others similar and different to generate progress.
They take action for change, even when there’s no right answer, and experiment and iterate until they get it right.
The best thing is… these are things you do! Everyone can do them, in any facet of their life. These actions are not rocket science, but rather a deliberate choice you can make, every day.
3/ Awareness, Alliance, and Action Can Look Different in Different Spaces
As we built out competencies, behaviors, and skills aligned with awareness, alliance, and action, we noticed that we would expect to see these show up in three different areas:
Self: Who am I at this moment in time, and what does this moment require of me?
Team: How am I showing up with the groups of people around me - whether that’s my team at work, my friends, my family, my community?
Systems: What am I doing to bring awareness, alliance, and action to changing the system I’m in?
These three levels aren’t revolutionary: they’re the foundation of every competency model and leadership framework I’ve been since 2010 (yes, I have a problem). But I want to propose a twist: Self, Team, and System don’t reflect your level in a hierarchy but rather the space in which you - regardless of where you sit - can influence change. Every executive needs self-awareness, every individual contributor affects the dynamics of their team, every manager can take action to change their system.
There’s a lot more to unpack in each of these three As. You can read a bit more here, and I’ll be diving deep into different facets of each A in the coming weeks.
4/ So Now What?
Elevate Labs is excited to launch three signature products, aligned with the Compass Method, to support your journey through leadership:
Blind Spot Review: Most leaders want to grow — but we all have blind spots that hold us back. The Blind Spot Review is a powerful, personalized tool to uncover what’s beneath the surface: the behaviors, patterns, and perceptions that shape how you lead. Unlike other 360 assessments you’ve done before, the Blind Spot Review provides a clear picture into how you’re perceived by those around you and how you can grow into the leader you wish to be.
Executive Compass: The Executive Compass is 3-month, 1:1 program for CEOs and business owners with practical tools and focused coaching to lead more effectively. No jargon, no fluff — just the clarity, structure, and momentum you need to lead with confidence.
Leadership Bootcamps: Our Leadership Bootcamps provide a structured, high-impact approach to leadership development through a blend of live virtual learning and real-world application. Designed for a variety of leaders, these programs offer three half-day interactive sessions plus guided, on-the-job application.
I’ll do a deep dive into each in a future blog post. Our first Leadership Bootcamp on Team Effectiveness is tentatively scheduled for July - only 15 spots available, so sign up soon!
It’s been an interesting first few months: whiteboarding until 10pm, calls with people around the globe, sending out my first official invoice, crying into my pillow in existential despair. I’m really excited and only moderately terrified about putting this all out into the world. But as I coach people all the time: ideas are cheap, action is what matters.