Build Strong CultureLeaders & Teams

Workshops, training, and coaching programs designed to help Community Colleges build a unifying culture, empowered leaders, and high-performing teams.

Build Unifying Culture

Align and engage your people in a common cause, story & mission.

Build Strong Leaders

Activate leadership potential with Rise of a Leader programs.

Build Strong Teams

Increase engagement, buy-in, and performance.

Are Your Leaders & Teams
Ready To Rise

  • Is your team struggling with unity & lack of connection?
  • Are you suffering from low engagement & morale?
  • Do your leaders and teams believe in your cause?
  • Is your company culture causing you headaches?
  • Would better communication boost performance?
  • Do you need a common story to unite & ignite your team?

"Rise Is One of The Most Important Things I’ve Done In My Entire Career."

Paula Powell

Director, City of El Paso

What Others Are Saying

About Rise Workshops & Programs

Rise is Different
Because Learning Is Never The Target!

If you’re looking to learn more about what you already know or can easily access with a Google search or reading a book — then we are not the partners for you.

Because like no other time in history, you and I can learn just about anything. But none of these “learned things” tell us the truth about who we need to become and what we need to believe if we want to turn knowledge and information into something we actually live and do…

Live It to Lead It!

At Lead Your Story, we don't just teach—we transform. Forget lengthy reports, PowerPoint slides, or complex methodologies. Instead, we guide you to get RAW about what's truly holding you and your team back.

Next, you'll get REAL about overcoming these challenges to hit your next big goal. Spoiler alert: it's not about learning more stuff you already know.

We help you stay RELEVANT by zeroing in on your CORE-3: a crystal-clear target, a prime mover strategy, and a few high-leverage actions. This laser focus is your game-changing cheat code to maximize performance and drive better outcomes.

Living Leadership means loyalty to your RISE, abandoning fleeting trends for timeless principles. It's about doing the challenging work that matters most—the kind of hard-heroic-work only meant for leaders and teams ready to charge into burning buildings.

WHY BOTHER? Because this is what great leaders and organizations do. They uncover a Unifying STORY and ETHIC to believe in—then they LIVE IT and LEAD IT with unwavering consistency and intensity.

Remember, you must Live It to Lead it.

If you think more information or some secret sauce strategy will save you, we wish you the best. For everyone else, welcome to a disruptive world where leaders and teams awaken, transform, and ignite new growth by focusing on what truly matters. #RISE

What’s Your Living Leadership Score?

Story Scorecard™

Learn your Living Leadership score with a Story Scorecard™. It's a short but high-impact assessment that gives you valuable data and key insights about your institutional culture, leadership, and team performance.

Watch the 2-minute demo video and see the FAQ to learn more.

Rise Graduate Stories

Paula Powell : Director City of El Paso

I’ve been through many leadership programs, but nothing like RISE. It helped me dream big and then supported me to Live It and make it real. I’m now more confident and accomplishing more, but as important, my team is now performing at a record pace.

Dr. Kyrin Dunston : Owner - True Balance MD

What can’t X do? Not much. He doesn’t think outside the box; for him, there is no box. He pulls incredible ideas from somewhere deep and always has your best interest at heart. He over-delivers until you are satisfied with the results. Definitely, someone, you want on your team or leading them.

David Saucedo : President - The Saucedo Company

At RISE my strengths & weaknesses were exposed like never before. I was challenged, broken down, and then built back up. This program exposes limitations and then pushes you pat them. Attend RISE of a Leader, it’s something you will never forget.

Lawrence Andre : CEO - The Why Inside

I walked away more confident and driven than I’ve ever been. If you’re a business owner or leader, attend RISE – it’s going to fuel business and life growth. There’s absolutely nothing like it.

Chris Arriola : CEO - The Sleep Center

Today’s training was a great experience. It opened my eyes to what I’m great at and where I can improve. It’s experiences like RISE of a Leader that make all the difference. I highly recommend this course if you’re a leader who wants to grow.

Tanya Scott-Pilcher: Owner - Get Skills

What a motivator!!! X inspired and motivated the inmates in our GET Skills Program. Who would’ve thought or imagined inmates getting eXcited about a program to help them live better lives…. X is compassionate, uplifting, and capable of reaching diverse groups of people.

Brandon Cox: Financial Advisor - Edward Jones

X is an unbelievable speaker and motivator. Every time I’ve had the pleasure of hearing him present, I always come away with a couple of good ideas for my business. But what I really appreciate about X is that he connects each area of business improvement to personal and leadership areas for improvement. You can’t beat that.

Helping Leaders & Teams
Rise For Over 20 Years!

$100M+
Upside Revenue & Decreased Costs
1,000+
Stories Crafted & Communicated
10,000+
Leaders & Team Members Trained

Is Your School the Right Fit?

Not all colleges are the right fit for Rise programs.

Is Rise of a Leader
right for you?

  • You want to elevate your culture, strengthen your leaders, and maximize team performance.
  • You want to disrupt the status quo and build something new within your institution.
  • Your leaders are willing to take a long, hard look in the mirror to see how they can improve and help the organization to thrive.
  • Your leaders find it challenging to get people to engage and perform up to their potential.
  • You're willing to cut the fat and let go of what's not working so you can focus on what's most important.
  • You seek to unify your culture and align your faculty, administration, and classified staff.
  • You want an experience that challenges your institution to realize its full potential in serving its student body.

Is Rise of a Leader
not rightfor you?

  • You don’t have clear objectives and goals for the institution.
  • You cannot candidly and transparently discuss the challenges your institution faces.
  • Your leaders are unwilling to look long and hard in the mirror and face some hard truths.
  • You are unwilling to let us talk openly with internal and external stakeholders.
  • You are looking for more information rather than action-oriented solutions.
  • You seek a quick fix instead of a long-term strategic solution focusing on changed behavior.
  • You are unwilling to do the work required to build a sustainable culture, which takes time and ongoing strategic focus.

Rise of a LeaderFrequently Asked Questions...

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Rise of a Leader is a comprehensive program designed to transform higher education institutions by empowering leaders and teams to live their leadership principles to drive better real-world outcomes.

Rise of a Leader has three phases:

  • Leadership Phase: This phase begins with defining clear leadership goals and priorities, followed by a thorough diagnosis of the current state. It also includes designing a strategic plan and deploying it through continuous feedback and adjustment. Leaders are connected, aligned, and coached to Live It to Lead It.
  • Team Phase: Builds on the leadership phase by establishing team goals and priorities. This phase follows the same four-part process and focuses on connecting team members, aligning around clear directives, and helping them grow into living embodiments of the institution's desired culture and values.
  • Culture & Brand Phase: Integrates the work done in the leadership and team phases. This phase focuses on defining cultural and brand goals, diagnosing the current state, designing a strategic plan, and deploying it. The emphasis is on aligning behaviors and actions with brand values and ensuring the organization embodies its desired culture.

 

Rise of a Leader enhances leadership capabilities, strengthens team dynamics, and cultivates a cohesive organizational culture, leading to improved performance, better student engagement, and a stronger brand perception.

The program is structured into three interconnected phases: Leadership, Team, and Culture & Brand. Each phase follows a four-part process: Define, Diagnose, Design, and Deploy.

Rise of a Leader service options include:

  1. Assessment and Reporting: we conduct assessments and provide detailed reports and strategy recommendations on leadership, team dynamics, culture, and brand.
  2. Coaching & Consulting: we offer one-on-one and group coaching sessions for leadership and team development.
  3. Training and Workshops: we conduct training sessions and workshops to engage leaders and teams.
  4. Campaigns:  we implement long-term campaigns to reinforce cultural initiatives and brand values.

Rise of a Leader Initiatives Have Created:

  • 57% improved engagement*
  • 78% improved teamwork*
  • 97% reduction in silo behavior*
  • 43% improved personal execution*
  • 37% reduction in cost*
  • 71% improvement in sales velocity*

* ALL RISE initiatives start with specific target goals & associated metrics to measure and track real-world outcomes.

Unlike traditional programs that focus on theoretical knowledge, Rise of a Leader emphasizes actionable, living leadership principles, ensuring that knowledge is actively lived and practiced within the institution.

The program begins with a thorough assessment and diagnosis, tailoring the strategic plan and interventions specifically to your institution’s unique needs and goals.

Rise of a Leader aligns with your institution’s strategic priorities by integrating with existing initiatives and enhancing them through targeted leadership, team, and cultural development.

The program is designed to complement and enhance your current initiatives, not disrupt them. It provides a structured framework to align and strengthen your existing efforts.

Start by completing your Registration of Interest Survey.  This short survey helps us to determine if you are a good fit and officially adds you to our waiting list.

We understand waiting can be frustrating, but our in-depth work with Community Colleges means we have limited capacity and are highly selective to ensure top-quality service.

The good news is that completing the Registration of Interest connects you directly with X, our CEO. You’ll have an exclusive Discovery Call with him to discuss your institution’s needs and how we can help you elevate your institution’s leadership, culture, and performance.

While some improvements can be seen relatively quickly, substantial results typically emerge over several months as the program phases are fully implemented and integrated.

Yes, performance tracking is integral to the program. We use specific metrics and feedback loops to monitor progress and make necessary adjustments.

Yes, ongoing support is provided to ensure sustained success and continuous improvement. This includes regular check-ins, coaching, and additional training as needed.

The Leadership phase includes defining leadership goals, diagnosing current leadership strengths and weaknesses, designing a strategic development plan, and deploying that plan with continuous feedback and adjustment.

It starts with an initial assessment and alignment session to establish clear leadership goals and priorities.

Assessments include 360-degree feedback, leadership style evaluations, and organizational culture surveys.

Leaders receive one-on-one coaching and/or group training sessions, as well as continuous support through RAW Reviews and purposeful practice sessions.

By ensuring leaders are aligned, resolute, and embodying the desired culture, they set a strong example for the entire organization, driving overall performance and cohesion.

The Team phase includes defining team goals, diagnosing team dynamics and performance, designing a strategic team development plan, and deploying that plan with continuous feedback and adjustment.

It starts with an initial assessment of team dynamics and performance to establish clear goals and priorities.

Assessments include team performance evaluations, dynamics surveys, and feedback sessions.

Teams receive tailored training sessions, team-building exercises, and ongoing support through RAW Reviews and purposeful practice sessions.

By fostering strong, cohesive teams that are aligned with leadership goals and organizational culture, the institution can achieve higher levels of performance and collaboration.

The Culture & Brand phase includes defining cultural and brand goals, diagnosing the current state of culture and brand perception, designing a strategic development plan, and deploying that plan with continuous feedback and adjustment.

It starts with an initial assessment of the organizational culture and brand perception to establish clear goals and priorities.

Assessments include cultural audits, brand perception surveys, and stakeholder interviews.

Initiatives include cultural development workshops, brand alignment sessions, and long-term campaigns to reinforce cultural values and brand identity.

By aligning the institution’s culture with its brand values and ensuring both are actively lived and practiced, the institution can enhance its reputation, engage stakeholders, and differentiate itself in the marketplace.