You have a leader with the potential. You just can't trust the follow-through yet.
They're smart. They work hard. But under pressure they still rescue their team's decisions, avoid the hard conversation, and let the standard slip. Preparation is a 12-session, cohort-based program that changes how a leader actually behaves when it counts - and proves it before you invest in a full installation.
Promoting someone before their behavior is ready is expensive. So is waiting too long.
We've worked with more than 2,000 leaders across 200+ organizations, and the pattern is the same: the leaders who struggle after a promotion almost never lack knowledge. They lack practiced behavior under pressure. Preparation closes that gap one leader at a time - so you know, with evidence, whether they're ready before you hand them more.
The program ends with what we call Evidence of Installation™ - in plain terms, a behavioral audit. The leader demonstrates the new behavior in real work, under real pressure, or the program isn't complete. No certificate for showing up.
The Installation
Two phases. Twelve sessions.
Preparation installs the Human Performance Operating System™ - our name for the set of behaviors and weekly routines that keep a leader steady under pressure - in cohorts of leaders. Phase 1 stands alone as a complete installation at $6,500 per seat. Leaders decide whether to continue to Phase 2 - not before.
Phase 1
Foundation
Sessions 1-6. Define winning and establish identity, name the guardrail you refuse to trade, build the ownership standard, install early-signal recognition, practice recovery protocol, lock the Phase 1 behavior checkpoint.
- Define winning and establish identity
- Name the guardrail you refuse to trade
- Build the ownership standard you will hold
- Install early-signal recognition
- Practice the recovery protocol under pressure
- Lock the Phase 1 behavior checkpoint
Phase 2
Guide the Leader™
Sessions 7-12. Install coaching-mode behavior, replace directive habits with ownership transfer, install tolerance discipline, practice tradeoff discipline in live decisions, run the MMI (Monday Morning Implementation) cadence, Evidence of Installation™ behavioral audit.
- Guide the Leader™: install coaching-mode behavior
- Replace directive habits with ownership transfer
- Install tolerance discipline for standards
- Practice tradeoff discipline in live decisions
- Run the Monday Morning Implementation cadence - a short weekly check where the leader declares what held and what slipped
- Evidence of Installation™: behavioral audit
Pricing
Locked pricing. No surprises.
You pay for behavior demonstrated, not attendance. Phase 1 is a complete, standalone installation - continuing to Phase 2 is a decision you make after you see the results.
Phase 1: Foundation
$6,500
per seat - stands alone
Full 12-Session Bundle
$12,500
per seat, Phase 1 + Phase 2, Evidence of Installation™
“Using Steve's approach enabled our management team to break down complex topics of communication, trust and accountability, and find more wins with our team members and clients.”
Josh Eling
President & CEO, Huron Community Bank
2,000+
Leaders Installed
The DEC Emerging Leaders Academy is Preparation, run at the Detroit Economic Club.
The DEC Emerging Leaders Academy is the flagship instance of Preparation, delivered in partnership with the Detroit Economic Club at the partnership rate available to DEC members. The same 12-session, two-phase installation is available directly through LLI to any organization or individual leader.
Hear it from the participants
Participants from the DEC Emerging Leaders Academy describe what changed in how they lead.
Captions can be turned on with the CC control in the player. You can also watch on Vimeo.
From the DEC Emerging Leaders Academy
The flagship instance of Preparation for Installation, delivered in partnership with the Detroit Economic Club.
“The leadership operating system is a repeatable model for how to manage and lead a team.”
Zac Sepanik
General Manager, NBS Commercial Interiors
“The process helped me understand the kind of leader I actually am and gave me the tools to become the leader I want to be.”
Michael Mannina
Assistant Clinical Manager, Henry Ford Health
“It taught me to think differently about leadership and how to apply those ideas in my day-to-day work.”
Dr. Issra Mehdi
Senior Strategist, DTE Energy
Built For
Who This Is For
Built For
- Individual leaders who need the system installed before an organization commits to a full installation
- Rising leaders being prepared for greater scope and authority
- DEC members enrolling through the DEC Emerging Leaders Academy
- Leaders referred ahead of an Executive/Team or Enterprise Installation
Not For
- Leaders looking for a seminar or a certificate for attending
- Organizations that need the system installed across a full leadership team at once (see Executive/Team Installation)
- Anyone unwilling to bring real work into the sessions between meetings
You pay for behavior demonstrated, not attendance.
Phase 1 is complete and standalone at $6,500. If the leader does not demonstrate the installed behavior by the end of Phase 1, that outcome is the diagnostic - we will tell you plainly whether continuing to Phase 2 is the right next step, not push it regardless.
What your Monday looks like when it works
The leader you were worried about walks into Monday with a clear picture of what winning looks like this week. Their team brings them recommendations, not problems. When something slips, they name it the same day - to their team and to you - and fix it without being asked.
You stop wondering what's happening in their department when you're not there. You stop rehearsing the conversation about whether they're ready. You have watched them hold a standard under pressure, and you have the evidence in hand when the bigger role opens up.
Book 30 minutes
Tell us where leadership is breaking down. No pitch, no pressure.
Get your installation map
We show you exactly where the gap is and which path closes it.
Decide with evidence
You move forward only if the fit is clear. If it's not, we'll tell you.