5 Levers Leaders Control Accountability is one of those leadership topics that sounds like it should be easy, until results slip, execution breaks down, and you realize that good people can still develop accidental habits of avoidance, blame, and underperformance. Often, organizations try to address accountability issues by improving hiring practices, tightening policies, or increasing monitoring. But leaders often miss that workplace accountability is primarily architected. shaped by what they consistently reinforce through expectations and consequences. A recent CEO benchmarking study found that nearly 1:5 CEOs identified “holding others accountable” as their greatest leadership competency weakness, with nearly as many also self-identifying that they are struggling to let go of underperformers. That’s not a capability gap in the middle; it’s often a governance and leadership-system gap at the top. A Useful Definition of Accountability Employee accountability is the expectation that an employee may be called on to explain an action or inaction to others, with the belief that a consequence will follow based on an evaluation. In other words, accountability is clear ownership, visibility, review, required explanation, and meaningful consequences for actions. When those elements are weak, cultures drift. People ignore, deny, blame, and play the victim. When they are strong, accountability supports job performance, motivation, ethical behavior, and discretionary effort. The Five Leadership Levers That Determine Whether Accountability Shows Up—or Disappears Research points to five psychological “dimensions” (levers) that drive accountability at work. These levers are practical because they are designable —leaders can strengthen them through operating rhythms, performance systems, and cultural expectations. Lever 1: Attribution, Ask: Who owns what? Accountability rises when work is personal, explicit, and unambiguous—when others clearly know who did it  (or didn’t). Attribution increases when people believe actions and decisions can be linked directly back to them. Leadership Team questions Are the most critical outcomes assigned to a single accountable owner (not a committee)? Do we have role clarity at the executive and enterprise level that eliminates “shared ownership” ambiguity? Are job and performance expectations explicit enough that there’s no confusion about what “good” looks like? Executive actions Make decision rights and ownership unmistakable (roles, RACI, “single throat to choke” where appropriate). Tighten success definitions: “What does success look like, by when, and by what measure?” Develop meaningful relationships with direct reports—accountability increases when leaders know people, not just titles. Lever 2: Observation, Ask: Can performance be seen? In an observation-accountable culture, people expect their behaviors and judgments will be visible to leaders, peers, and stakeholders. As the perceived audience size increases, accountability increases. Leadership Team questions Where is our execution invisible (especially cross-functional work)? Do we get leading indicators—or only lagging results after damage is done? Does peer-to-peer accountability exist, or does everything escalate up the hierarchy? Executive actions Increase transparency: dashboards, visible commitments, clear operating rhythms. Use peer-to-peer mechanisms (cross-functional reviews, team scoreboards). Reduce “private work” on enterprise priorities—make progress observable. Lever 3: Evaluation, Ask “Is work meaningfully reviewed?” People act differently when they expect performance to be reviewed in a real, comparative way. Evaluation accountability rises when feedback is frequent, and outcomes matter. Leadership Team questions Are performance reviews and business reviews robust—or ceremonial? Is there calibration across leaders to ensure consistency and fairness? Are evaluation outcomes variable (i.e., do strong and weak performance lead to meaningfully different outcomes)? Executive actions Strengthen business reviews and performance reviews with real standards and evidence. Add “reviewer status” by including a second-level review (leader’s leader) for formal evaluations. Make feedback a normal leadership discipline, not an annual event. Lever 4: Obligati, Ask: “Do people expect to explain the impact on others?” Obligation accountability increases when employees expect they must explain decisions and their impact on others’ well-being—customers, peers, teammates, or the public. Leadership Team questions Where do we tolerate “results at all costs” behavior that harms trust or culture? Do leaders explain decisions and consequences—or simply announce them? Are customers and stakeholders meaningfully represented in how we evaluate performance? Executive actions Build in required explanation: decision memos, post-mortems, customer impact reviews. Increase visibility to talent and performance across the organization through calibration meetings. Reinforce that “how results are achieved” is not optional—it’s part of the standard. Lever 5: Consequential, Ask: “Do consequences actually follow performance?” In strong accountability systems, people expect their actions will be linked to positive or negative consequences. Consequences include extrinsic rewards (bonuses, promotions, loss of privileges) and intrinsic outcomes (pride, meaning, satisfaction). Accountability collapses fastest when consequences are inconsistent or unfair. Leadership Team questions Do we reward results while ignoring behavior that erodes culture? Are consequences consistent across functions and leaders—or leader-dependent? Are we tolerating chronic underperformance because it’s uncomfortable to address? Executive actions Ensure fairness: people are motivated when rewards are equitable compared to others. Involve employees in defining rewards/recognition norms where appropriate. Build consequence integrity: if you say it matters, it must show up in rewards, promotions, and exits. A Practical Board/Executive Tool: The Accountability “Pulse” Survey If you want to strengthen accountability, measure it. The following validated survey by Han and Perry can help leaders better understand employee accountability within a team or across an organization. Have employees anonymously indicate their degree of agreement or disagreement with the following statements using a seven-point scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). Consider using this survey before and after taking steps to improve the team and organizational accountability. Measurement improves focus and tracks progress over time. What I do is noticed by others in my organization. If I make a mistake, I will be caught. I am constantly watched to see if I follow my organization's policies and procedures. Anyone outside my organization can tell whether I'm doing well. My errors can be easily spotted outside my organization. People outside my organization are interested in my job performance. The outcomes of my work are rigorously evaluated. My work efforts are rigorously evaluated. I expect to receive frequent feedback from my supervisor. I could not quickly avoid making a false statement to justify my performance. I am constantly required to follow strict organizational policies or procedures. I am not allowed to make excuses to avoid blame in my organization. If I perform well, I will be rewarded. Reasonable effort on my part will ultimately be rewarded. If I do my job well, my organization will benefit. Each question aligns with one of the five accountability levers. The higher the score, the higher the dimension of accountability. Attribution Accountability (Q1-3) Observation Accountability (Q4-6) Evaluation Accountability (Q7-9) Obligation Accountability (Q10-12) Consequential Accountability (Q13-15) Accountability is shaped by what leaders consistently reinforce — through clarity, visibility, expectations, and consequences — especially when results are under pressure. Holding employees accountable isn't easy, but it significantly impacts your leadership and business results. Where might your leadership team be unintentionally weakening accountability — not through intent, but through what you tolerate, inspect, or model? What Boards & Leadership Teams Should Watch For: The Accountability “Leak Points” When accountability issues repeat, they are rarely solved by telling people to “try harder.” They are usually symptoms of problems with the leadership system design. Common leak points include: Unclear ownership  for the outcomes that matter most Low visibility  into execution until it’s too late Soft evaluation  (feedback is vague, infrequent, or non-comparative) Low obligation  (leaders don’t explain decisions or impact) Inconsistent consequences  (standards vary by leader, politics, or favoritism) Three Immediate Actions to Take in the Next 30 Days Select 2–3 enterprise-critical priorities  and tighten ownership, measures, review cadence, and consequence alignment. Run the accountability pulse survey  in one high-impact area to identify which lever is weakest. Institutionalize calibration  of talent and performance, so that accountability is consistent across leaders—not personality-dependent. Closing challenge for the board and CEO Where might the senior leadership team be unintentionally weakening accountability, not through intent, but through what you tolerate, inspect, or model? References Connors, R., Smith, T., & Hickman, C. (2010). The Oz Principle: Getting results through individual and organizational accountability. Prentice Hall. Doolittle, J. (2023). Life-changing leadership habits: 10 Proven principles that will elevate people, profit, and purpose. Organizational Talent Consulting. Han, Y., & Perry, J. (2020). Conceptual bases of employee accountability: A psychological approach, perspectives on public management and governance , 3:4, 288–304 Han, Y., & Perry, J. (2020). Employee accountability: development of a multidimensional scale, International Public Management Journal, 23:2, 224-251. Howard, S. (2019). Holding employees accountable: where most leaders fail. Predictive Index.

And influencing the way you lead, think, and show up every day What if your greatest risk is not the decisions you make, but the ones you never examine? Everyone is busy. Organizations are busy. Calendars are full. Decisions are made quickly. That pace is often necessary, but it creates a quiet tradeoff. Very little time is spent stepping back to understand what those decisions actually produced or why. This is where outcomes separate from moving ahead or falling behind. Leaders do not improve simply by working longer or harder. They improve by becoming more intentional about how they think, decide, and learn. Evidence reinforces this. Spending just fifteen minutes a day reflecting can improve performance by as much as 23% compared to simply gaining additional experience.We also know from decision science that humans default to fast, intuitive thinking. Rapid decisions are efficient, but under complexity and pressure, they are consistently biased toward our preferences. Sometimes errors in leadership result from inaction; often, they result from misjudgment. When moving quickly, misjudgments are harder to see and easier to repeat. That is why high-performing teams build structured reflection into after-action reviews. It is what turns experience into learning instead of repetition. The pattern is consistent. It is not experience that improves performance. It is the ability to reflect on that experience and learn from it. Without reflection, even the most capable leaders and organizations can move quickly while repeating the same patterns. Reflection is the difference between activity and improvement. Why Reflection Matters More Than We Think Reflection is often viewed only as a personal habit. Something leaders do to improve self-awareness or productivity. And it does both. But its impact extends far beyond individual performance. Reflection helps leaders and teams recognize patterns, challenge assumptions, and better understand the connection between decisions and outcomes. Without it, confidence can grow faster than clarity. Leaders continue making decisions. Organizations continue executing. But the thinking behind those decisions remains largely unexamined. Over time, that gap compounds. Effective reflection involves the ability to doubt, pause, and be curious even about the ordinary. The practice of reflection provides a path to deeper understanding. It enables leaders to consider and learn about underlying contexts and causes for results. Evidence suggests that spending 15 minutes a day improves productivity by as much as 23% compared to those without reflection time. Researchers found that the benefit of additional experience is inferior to deliberately translating and organizing previously accumulated experiences. Sometimes reflection creates discomfort and conflict at both the individual and organizational levels as leaders wrestle with self-limiting beliefs and failure. However, leaders risk repeating bad decisions that could prove disastrous if they fail to consider alternate viewpoints. The best mindset to adopt is not to let a difficult past situation go to waste. The Leadership Dimension At the individual level, reflection creates space. Space to pause. Space to think. Space to question what feels obvious. In that space, leaders begin to see: where their assumptions influenced outcomes where bias-shaped decisions where a different approach may have led to a better result This is not about slowing down for the sake of slowing down. It is about improving the quality of the decisions that drive everything else. The ability to reflect requires open-mindedness, responsibility, and a willingness to evaluate oneself honestly. Open-mindedness: The desire to listen to other points of view and recognize that even the most strongly held beliefs may be questioned. Open-minded leaders have very few ideas that cannot be changed. Responsibility:  The desire to pursue truth and apply it to today's situations. Wholeheartedness:  A sincere attitude toward the critical evaluation of themselves and others. An unwavering commitment to make necessary changes and overcome the fear of failure. These are not soft qualities. They are what allow leaders to learn faster than the complexity around them. Conversely, narcissists generally lack the empathetic self-reflection necessary to facilitate self-reflection. While we all possess narcissism to some degree, if you are worried that you might be too much of a narcissist, relax; you probably are not. The Organizational Dimension While reflection begins with individuals, its real impact shows up at the organizational level. Most organizations are built to execute: Goals are set Plans are developed Results are measured Fewer are built to consistently learn from those results. Without shared reflection: Insights stay with individuals Teams interpret outcomes differently The same challenges reappear in new forms Experience accumulates, but learning remains uneven. When reflection becomes part of how an organization operates, something shifts. Teams align more quickly. Decisions improve over time. Patterns become visible earlier. The organization begins to learn as a system, not just as a collection of individuals. Practices That Make Reflection Work Reflection does not need to be complex to be effective. It needs to be intentional. Set aside time. Even brief moments of focused thinking can create clarity. This is a potentially obvious point, but crucial. Planning is often the most significant barrier to reflection. You get too busy or distracted and move on to the next thing before reflecting. It doesn't have to be a lot of time, but I recommend scheduling at least 20 minutes in a quiet place. Narrow your focus. Reflect on specific decisions, time periods, or experiences rather than everything at once. Let's be honest; it is hard for most of us to remember last week, much less last year. Rather than considering the whole year, break the year into periods or quarters. Then focus on each segment of time separately. Taking a strategic approach helps identify strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement. The following powerful questions, taken from an after-action review process used by the military, provide a structure for your reflection: What was expected to happen? What actually occurred? What went well and why? What can be improved and how? These questions help connect actions to outcomes in a meaningful way. Maintain a balanced perspective. Recognize both strengths and areas for improvement. Growth comes from understanding both. Adopt a strengths mindset. It is easy to be drawn to what is not right and focus on your weaknesses during reflection. Having a balanced focus is not about ignoring weaknesses; it's about prioritizing, pursuing, and leveraging strengths and opportunities to bring out your best. Consider what strengths contributed to your success. Tools That Strengthen Reflection Reflection is often more effective when supported by simple tools. Use a journaling app like Day One to capture your thoughts, feelings, successes, and frustrations. This approach has been demonstrated to be incredibly impactful on leader-follower relationships, clarity of purpose, and the acquisition of new skills. Like building any habit, start small and tie it to an existing practice, like your routine, before you leave the office for the day. Critical reflection should be a social process. It is most successful when collaborative. Leaders need to understand how followers perceive their actions. Using a leadership 360 assessment is one proven tool to improve critical reflection. These assessments typically gather feedback from their leader, peers, and direct reports, allowing comparisons with others. This is one leadership assessment you need to be using. Thought leadership introduces new ideas that challenge assumptions and expand understanding. Books, articles, and assessments on leadership can help leaders examine a particular situation from different perspectives, fostering critical reflection. Thought leadership grounded in research provides leaders with proven solutions that can be applied and shorten the learning process. If you are not a skilled speed reader, you may be surprised that you can learn how to read a book in an hour. Like any skill, there are tips and tricks to increase your speed and retention. Here is a bonus link to an assembled collection of my top five favorite books from thought leaders on change management, coaching, culture, innovation and creativity, leadership style, servant leadership, and strategic planning . Used together, these tools help turn reflection into consistent learning. Making Reflection Part of How You Lead and Operate The opportunity is not simply to reflect more. It is to reflect with purpose. For leaders, this means creating space to think and question. For organizations, it means creating space within the rhythm of work to step back and learn. After decisions are made.After projects are completed.Before moving on to what is next. When reflection becomes part of how work gets done, learning becomes part of how progress is made. Everyone is busy. Work continues. Decisions are made. Momentum builds. But without reflection, it is possible to move quickly while staying in the same patterns. With reflection, those same experiences become a source of clarity, learning, and better decisions. The question is not whether reflection is valuable. The question is: What decisions have you not revisited that are still shaping your business today? References: Densten, I. L., & Gray, J. H. (2001). Leadership development and reflection: What is the connection? International Journal of Educational Management, 15(3), 119-124. Di Stefano, Gino, F., Pisano, G. P., & Staats, B. R. (2016). Making Experience Count: The Role of Reflection in Individual Learning. IDEAS Working Paper Series from RePEc . Doolittle, J. (2023). Life-changing leadership habits: 10 Proven principles that will elevate people, profit, and purpose. Organizational Talent Consulting. Gardner, S. & Albee, D. (2015). Study focuses on strategies for achieving goals, resolutions. Dominican University of California. Helyer, R. (2015). Learning through reflection: the critical role of reflection in work-based learning (WBL). Journal of Work-Applied Management. Rath, T. (2007). StrengthsFinder 2.0, Gallup Press.

Self-Sacrifice as a signal of leadership credibility and trust. It's easy to be a leader when authority is clear, resources are sufficient, and outcomes are favorable. It becomes real when the leader must absorb the cost rather than pass it on. That is the moment people decide whether leadership is just a position they hold or a substantive calling. In many organizations, leaders challenge teams to accept uncertainty, stretch beyond their comfort zones, adapt quickly to change, and make personal sacrifices for the greater good of the organization. Those expectations are not unreasonable. What is unreasonable is expecting them to be credible when the same executives remain insulated from the same demands. This is why self-sacrifice matters. Not as symbolism. Not as moral theater. And not as a continuous state of self-denial. It matters because, at critical moments, leadership requires visible evidence that the mission outranks personal convenience and status. Executives must understand this intuitively. Followership is not secured by title alone. It is shaped by whether people believe the leader is carrying responsibility 'with them' or assigning it 'to them.' Self-Sacrifice Is Not the Strategy. It Is the Signal of Trust. Leadership self-sacrifice is often misunderstood. Some interpret it sentimentally, as though good leaders must always give more, take less, and defer to others endlessly. Others reject it entirely, viewing sacrifice as naïve, unsustainable, or incompatible with executive responsibility. Both interpretations miss the point. Self-sacrifice is not the operating model of leadership. It is one of the clearest signals of leadership credibility and trust. At decisive moments, leaders are watched for what they protect, what they surrender, and whose interests prevail when trade-offs become real. Those observations shape trust far more than value statements, speeches, or leadership frameworks. When leaders visibly incur a cost for the sake of the team, mission, or institution, they send a message that authority is in the service of something larger than themself. That message has organizational consequences. It strengthens trust. It deepens belonging. It increases willingness to reciprocate, cooperate, and commit. It also changes how people interpret difficult decisions. Employees are more willing to accept strain when they believe the burden is being shared rather than being exported downward. This is not a soft dynamic. It is an execution dynamic. Acts of self-sacrifice are inspiring. Many stories of modern w orld changers involve a common theme of tremendous self-sacrifice. Martin Luther King Jr. was central to the American civil rights movement. He faced numerous threats to his life and was ultimately assassinated in 1968. His message and his sacrifices galvanized the civil rights movement, leading to significant legislative and social changes in the United States. But not all acts of self-sacrifice in the workplace result in a positive impact. Those most influential involve self-sacrifice that conveys the leader can be trusted to act in ways that benefit the team and its mission. In the following video, Simon Sinek discusses the power of self-sacrifice within an organization. It's inspired by Marine Corps General Flynn's  account of why senior officers in the military eat last. Why Executives Should Take This Seriously The executive relevance of self-sacrifice is not primarily personal. It is institutional. Every organization depends on a belief that leadership authority is legitimate. Once that belief weakens, the enterprise does not necessarily collapse. More often, it becomes slower, thinner, and more political. People still comply, but with less trust. Change initiatives encounter more resistance. Cooperation becomes conditional. Discretionary effort declines. The organization continues to move, but conviction has been replaced by calculation. That deterioration is rarely caused by a single decision. It accumulates through repeated observation that leaders reserve sacrifice for others. Executives should care because people are constantly interpreting leadership through asymmetry. Who is expected to absorb the pressure? Who is protected when priorities collide? Who gives something up when trade-offs become unavoidable? If the answer is always “the team,” then the organization will eventually understand leadership not as stewardship, but as insulation. That is a dangerous realization. The Systems Condition: Self-Sacrifice Must Reinforce the Mission, Not Compensate for Disorder This is where a more executive-level reading becomes necessary. Self-sacrifice is not automatically virtuous simply because it is costly. It matters only when it strengthens trust in the leader’s commitment to the mission and to the people responsible for carrying it forward. That distinction matters because organizations can easily romanticize sacrifice while ignoring the conditions that make it meaningful. There is a difference between a sacrifice that clarifies leadership commitment and one that conceals a weak design. A leader who gives credit away, takes responsibility in crisis, protects the team during uncertainty, or shares in difficult conditions strengthens the legitimacy of leadership. Those actions reinforce the organization's social contract. A leader who repeatedly overextends to cover broken processes, chronic understaffing, vague decision rights, or preventable ambiguity may still look admirable, but the organizational effect is different. In that case, sacrifice is no longer reinforcing the system. It is compensating for its failure. Executives need to be able to tell the difference. If leaders never sacrifice, trust erodes. If leaders must always sacrifice, the system is unstable. This is the real leader-follower tension. The Trade-Off Executives Must Manage Self-sacrifice is necessary in leadership, but it comes with risk. The question is not whether leaders should ever put others first. They must. The question is how to do so without creating distortion. There are at least three executive trade-offs to manage. 1. Credibility vs. Dependency Visible sacrifice builds trust, but overused sacrifice can create dependency. Teams may begin to rely on the leader’s willingness to absorb cost rather than strengthening their own ownership, judgment, or accountability. The executive task is to model commitment without becoming the institution’s permanent shock absorber. 2. Symbolic Value vs. Structural Consequence Some acts of sacrifice are symbolically powerful and organizationally healthy. Others feel noble in the moment but quietly reinforce bad design. Leaders should ask whether the sacrifice is strengthening trust in the mission or merely preventing the organization from confronting a structural problem. Not every burden should be carried. Some burdens should be redesigned. 3. Shared Burden vs. Performative Hardship Employees are quick to distinguish between genuine sacrifice and staged sacrifice. Leaders who make visible sacrifices for recognition, or who dramatize burden without materially sharing it, weaken trust rather than build it. Self-sacrifice is credible when it is proportionate, relevant, and aligned with the mission. It becomes corrosive when it is theatrical. Where Self-Sacrifice Belongs in Executive Practice The practical question is not whether senior leaders should sacrifice. It is when that sacrifice is most consequential. In executive leadership, self-sacrifice is most credible when it appears in moments such as these: When leaders accept accountability rather than deflect blame downward When they give up status advantages that create unnecessary distance from the team When they share the burden of difficult transitions rather than merely announcing them When they subordinate personal recognition to collective contribution When they allocate time, attention, and resources in ways that demonstrate people and mission are not secondary considerations When they make hard calls that protect long-term institutional health over short-term executive comfort These moments matter because they answer the question people are always asking: What is this leader actually willing to risk, lose, or surrender for the sake of what they say matters most? That answer defines leadership more than competence alone. Two Executive Disciplines That Make Self-Sacrifice Useful The original argument rightly points toward two practical areas: goal design and belonging. Both remain important, but for an executive audience, they should be reframed as organizational disciplines rather than interpersonal suggestions. 1. Build Leadership Goals That Require Shared Benefit Leadership goals should not be limited to personal output, visible wins, or enterprise contribution detached from team consequence. Senior leaders should be evaluated in part by whether their decisions strengthen the capability, clarity, and performance conditions of the people they lead. That means leadership expectations should explicitly include: building environments where people can contribute and grow creating development conditions, not merely demanding results providing honest and timely communication recognizing contribution visibly and fairly ensuring the team is better positioned because of the leader’s presence This is where self-sacrifice becomes concrete. It moves from rhetoric into goal architecture. Leaders are no longer rewarded only for what they achieve personally, but also for what they make possible institutionally. 2. Treat Belonging as an Execution Condition, Not a Cultural Accessory Belonging is often discussed in emotional language, but its executive significance is operational. People commit more fully when they believe they are seen, valued, and safe enough to engage reality honestly. Leaders cultivate belonging not through sentiment, but through disciplined attention: curiosity, listening, practical support, acknowledgment, and respect. These behaviors communicate that people are not merely instruments of delivery. They are participants in the mission. Self-sacrifice plays a role here because belonging is weakened whenever leaders hoard comfort, distance, or privilege while asking others for commitment. People do not experience belonging where the burden is visibly asymmetrical. The Boundary Executives Must Keep Clear A final caution is necessary. Self-sacrifice should never be used to justify avoidable exhaustion, chronic overreach, or organizational martyrdom. Executives should reject any interpretation that equates leadership seriousness with perpetual depletion. That is not discipline. It is drift. The correct standard is not “leaders must always put themselves last.” The correct standard is more demanding and more precise: Leaders must be willing, when the moment requires it, to bear personal cost in ways that strengthen trust, reinforce mission, and dignify the people they lead. That is different from self-erasure. It is also different from comfort-preserving leadership. A mature organization does not ask leaders to sacrifice because it is careless with systems. It asks leaders to sacrifice because there are moments when no enterprise can be led credibly without visible shared burden. Final Thought At some point, every serious leader must choose between protecting self and the claims of the mission. People remember those moments. They build their interpretation of leadership around them. They notice who goes first. They notice who absorbs the cost. They notice whether responsibility is shared or assigned. And in the end, they decide whether leadership in their organization is something to trust, endure, or imitate. That is why self-sacrifice matters. Not because sacrifice is the goal. But without it, leadership often lacks proof. References Doolittle, J. (2023). Life-Changing Leadership Habits: 10 Proven Principles That Will Elevate People, Profit, and Purpose. Organizational Talent Consulting. Gallup. (2022). State of the global workplace 2022 report. Gallup.; Best Christian Workplace Survey 2022. Hoogervorst, Niek (2012). When do leaders sacrifice? The effects of sense of power on leader self-sacrifice. The focus quarterly (1048-9843), 23 (5), p. 883. Shin, J., & Shin, H. (2022). The effect of self-sacrifice leadership on social capital and job performance in hotels. Sustainability, 14 (9), 5509. Van Knippenberg, B. M., & van Knippenberg, D. (2005). Leader self-sacrifice and leadership effectiveness: The moderating role of leader prototypicality. Journal of Applied Psychology, 90, 25-37.

Your team says yes in meetings—then nothing changes. Organizational Talent Consulting helps CEOs, executive teams, and boards turn strategy into sustained execution and accountability. Led by Dr. Jeff Doolittle, we combine evidence-based executive coaching with organizational consulting to clarify priorities, strengthen decision-making, and align the systems that shape performance and culture. Based in Zeeland, Michigan, we serve leaders across West Michigan and nationwide. Home: Welcome SERVING SENIOR LEADERS & BOARDS NAVIGATING GROWTH, TRANSITION & ORGANIZATIONAL COMPLEXITY Your team says yes in meetings—then nothing changes. Dr. Jeff Doolittle partners with West Michigan CEOs, executive teams, and boards nationwide to turn strategy into sustained execution and accountability. Schedule a Leadership Strategy Conversation As featured in West Coast Way Magazine Jan-Feb 2026 Read it → EXECUTIVE COACHING & LEADERSHIP CONSULTING Based in Zeeland, Michigan • Serving West Michigan and beyond Executive Coaching Organizational Consulting Focused Workshops "Jeff walked us through a process to reorganize due to growing pains. The result solved a major problem I couldn't quite identify before." — President, Owner & Founder Mid-Sized Technology Firm • 25% annual growth achieved Explore Our Approach When this goes unaddressed, execution slows, accountability blurs, and leadership credibility erodes—despite strong results. Succession stalls. Key hires leave. Growth compounds complexity faster than your systems can handle. A Clear Point of View on Strategic Leadership & Organizational Results Most challenges are not a lack of capacity to perform or effort. They are the result of leadership beliefs that quietly shape habits—and organizational culture and systems that reinforce behaviors and outcomes. Sustainable improvement requires attention to both: How leaders think, decide, and show up How work is structured, measured, and reinforced That’s why our work focuses on proven coaching, consulting, and development practices that elevate people, profit, and purpose. Results WHY GRAND RAPIDS & WEST MICHIGAN LEADERS INVEST IN EXECUTIVE COACHING Evidence-Based Results from Strategic Leadership Development +80% Increased Self-Confidence ICF Global Coaching Study +70% Reduced Turnover Risk Gallup Research +15% Revenue Growth Impact Harvard Business Review +6x ROI on Coaching Investment Manchester Review CREDENTIALS & CERTIFICATIONS Certified Executive Coach International Coaching Federation Doctor of Strategic Leadership Literary Titan Gold Award Life-Changing Leadership Habits Regent University Best Experienced/ Senior Leaders Program HR.COM Trending Insights Recommended For You Accountability Isn’t About “Trying Harder”—It’s a System Accountability failure is not a people issue—it is a system design failure where visibility, consequence, and ownership are inconsistently engineered across the organization. The Decisions You Don’t Revisit Are Shaping Your Business And influencing the way you lead, think, and show up every day What if your greatest risk is not the decisions you make, but the ones you never examine? Everyone is busy. Organizations are busy. Calendars are full. Decisions are made quickly. That pace is often necessary, but it creates a quiet tradeoff. Very little time is spent stepping back to understand what those decisions actually produced or why. This is where outcomes separate from moving ahead or falling behind. Lead The Paradox of Leadership Self-Sacrifice Leadership requires more than authority. Explore how self-sacrifice builds trust, strengthens teams, and signals true commitment to mission. A Pathway to Growth Amid Uncertainty Uncertainty rarely reveals a motivation problem. It reveals whether the organization can absorb complexity without losing alignment, accountability, and execution control. Get Weekly Inspiration Discover Your Leadership AHA Home: Service How I Partner with Leaders to Drive Results These services are often applied together to shape leadership habits and align organizational culture and systems—so results improve and are sustained. A confidential, goal-focused partnership that strengthens leadership judgment, decision-making, and performance through client-led experimentation and action. 1:1 leadership development Strategic decision support Performance optimization Executive Coach - Grand Rapids Executive Coach - West Michigan Learn More Executive Coaching Start Here: Leadership Breakthrough Package Organizational Consulting Diagnosing and aligning systems, roles, accountability, and execution—so performance improves at the root and results hold over time. Culture transformation Systems alignment Change management Organizational Consultant - Grand Rapids Organizational Consultant - West Michigan Learn More Focused Workshops Sessions used selectively to create shared clarity, alignment, and capability around specific leadership, team, and organizational challenges. Leadership development Team alignment Strategic planning Learn More Home Page Services Download: How I Work With Leaders (1-Page Overview) Start a Leadership Strategy Conversation Real Results for Real Leaders See how our services create measurable impact for senior leaders navigating complexity and change. Current Stories Organizational Consulting Case Study Mid-Sized Organization Growth + Sustainability The Challenge Rapid growth created organizational strain—unclear functions, reduced efficiency, and turnover in critical technical roles threatened 25% YoY growth targets. Our Approach Used a DMAIC framework: conducted structured interviews and guided team formation to map critical workflows; evaluated organizational structure for alignment with culture and strategy while building leadership buy-in; developed trigger-based monitoring thresholds and change management plans to sustain the transformation. Key Outcomes Achieved 25% annual financial and operational growth targets Improved employee retention by 30% year over year Enhanced clarity and efficiency across critical business functions Established trigger-based thresholds for ongoing organizational health monitoring "Jeff walked us through a process to reorganize due to growing pains we were experiencing. His style was calm and respectful of our time. The result really answered a major problem I couldn't quite put my finger on previously." President/Owner/Founder Value Delivered Clear organizational roadmap Reduction in employee turnove Trigger-based monitoring system ensuring sustainable scaling Leadership clarity enabling faster, more confident decision-making Strategic Planning Case Study Large Organization Complexity and Scale The Challenge Declining membership required a strategic plan serving diverse stakeholders—from 2-3 truck operations to enterprises with 1,000+ employees. Our Approach Led a collaborative strategic planning process incorporating internal and external stakeholder input. Customized all member surveys, large focus group sessions, and one-to-one board and committee lead surveys were used to collect feedback. Used Scenario Planning and a Strategic Thinking-Acting-Influencing Assessment to go beyond traditional annual planning. Key Outcomes Designed a clear, actionable, multi-year strategic plan Defined organizational goals, priorities, and success metrics Incorporated input from diverse member companies Created actionable outcomes aligned with leadership priorities "This strategic planning process gave us a roadmap that actually reflects our diverse membership. The facilitation ensured every voice was heard." Association Executive Director Value Delivered Increased value and reduced operating costs Culture of trust and committed staff Excellent member service and leadership support Executive Coaching and Organizatioanl Consulting Case Study Mid-Sized Organization Executive Fit + Culture The Challenge Newly appointed President/CEO faced declining employee confidence and a stalled strategic initiative during a critical transition period. Our Approach Implemented a 12-month executive coaching engagement focused on senior leader presence, strategic decision-making, and assessing and realigning organizational culture. Leveraged Appreciative Inquiry through department focus groups and a culture assessment grounded in the Competing Values Framework, then facilitated a one-day culture workshop to clarify gaps between current and desired culture and align leaders around a shared path forward. Key Outcomes Employee engagement increased by 15% Less passive resistance to changes Identified cultural norms supportive of the previously stalled strategic initiative, restoring momentum Employee confidence in leadership improved by 16% "Dr. Doolittle's broad experience, data-driven processes, and strong interpersonal skills make him an invaluable resource and are what set him apart. We encountered several difficult decisions about our current and desired culture, and he aligned various teams through collaborative approaches and data-driven decision-making." President/CEO Value Delivered Accelerated leadership effectiveness during a critical transition Converted cultural insight into action Enhanced President/CEO Confidence Strengthened cross-department trust and collaboration What Leaders Experience Evidence-based results that make a measurable difference in leadership effectiveness and organizational performance. Sustainable improvements that elevate people, profit, and purpose Reduced friction, rework, and recurring performance issues Greater strategic alignment across leaders, teams, and priorities Accountability without erosion of trust or culture Clearer thinking and stronger decision-making under pressure Doctorate in Strategic Leadership Advanced expertise in leadership development and organizational behavior 25+ Years Executive Experience Partnering with leaders at Gordon Food Service, University of Michigan Health, Sherwin-Williams, and more Certified Executive Coach ICF-aligned coaching methodology with evidence-based frameworks Author: Life-Changing Leadership Habits Published thought leader on strategic leadership and organizational culture Who is Dr. Jeff Doolittle Dr. Jeff Doolittle Executive Coach & Organizational Consultant Doctorate in Strategic Leadership • 25+ Years Experience Based in West Michigan • Serving Clients Nationwide YOUR STRATEGIC PARTNER Leadership Challenges Require a Trusted Advisor When the stakes are high and clear answers are elusive, senior leaders need more than advice. They need a confidential partner who understands the weight of executive responsibility. Before starting Organizational Talent Consulting, Jeff held executive talent management and organizational development roles within multiple industries, such as pharma manufacturing, healthcare, retail, food service, and distribution. In these for-profit and non-profit organizations, he led a range of human capital transformation initiatives in support of strategic goals such as: Culture Building Employee Experience Leadership Competency Frameworks Organizational Design Performance Improvement Succession and Workforce Planning Strategic Planning "Dr. Doolittle's broad experience, data-driven processes, and strong interpersonal skills make him an invaluable resource. He aligned various teams through collaborative approaches and data-driven decision-making." — President & CEO Start a Confidential Conversation Connect with me AWARD WINNING BOOK Life-Changing Leadership Habits 10 Proven Principles That Will Elevate People, Profit, and Purpose Literary Titan Gold Book Award Get Your Copy on Amazon Learn More "A beneficial addition to any workplace... I highly recommend this book to anyone in a leadership position, no matter the level or organization." Literary Titan "A concise directional book on how to be successful at leading self, employees, customers, and shareholders." Dr. Rob Simpson — President, Global Business Leadership Center "Jeff distills a common-sense approach to leadership development into practical application for immediate use." Dr. Virginia Richardson, BCC — Business & Healthcare Futurist "A very relevant read for anyone who aspires to lead people in a very crucial time... a compelling call to action." Spencer Warren — Regional General Manager, Gordon Food Service Our Services Are For This work is designed for leaders who carry responsibility for people, profit, and purpose —especially valuable when: Growth or change begins to outpace leadership systems and decision clarity Culture becomes a risk instead of a consistent source of alignment and performance Decisions feel heavier, lonelier, and more consequential Execution falters despite capable, committed people Our Work Is Not For This work may not be the right fit if you’re looking for: Advice without accountability Motivational life-coaching or pep talks Generic off-the-shelf leadership training or one-size-fits-all programs Quick fixes that avoid examining how leadership habits and structure shape results This work is best suited for curious and open-minded leaders willing to think and act intentionally. How Our Work is Different Inner Game + Outer Game Leadership values and habits are developed alongside clarity and organizational systems—because our inner game determines what we will do, and organizational systems reinforce results. Performance Diagnosis This work relies on evidence-based insights to identify the organizational culture, system, and leadership signals actually driving results. Execution Without Burnout People, profit, and performance improve by removing friction, clarifying purpose, and aligning culture and systems—not by working harder and longer that exhaust leaders and teams. How We Work 1 Schedule a Strategy Conversation. Connect with Dr. Jeff Doolittle to understand your specific needs and goals so we can determine your best path forward. 2 Execute the plan. Receive a tailored roadmap built around your specific challenges and aspirations. Together, we'll move from insight to action. 3 Learn - Change & Thrive. Build sustainable leadership capacity and operational excellence. Lead with greater confidence, purpose, and impact. When a leadership challenge can't wait A focused conversation can unlock clarity and decisive next steps. Schedule your strategy conversation today. Schedule Your Strategy Conversation 100% Money-Back guarantee Frequently Asked Questions What does an executive coach actually do? An executive coach helps leaders think more clearly, make better decisions, and address challenges they can’t solve alone. Rather than giving advice or directives, coaching creates structured space to examine assumptions, behavior, and impact—so leaders can lead more effectively in complex environments. How do leaders improve performance without burnout? Leaders improve performance without burnout by removing barriers rather than adding pressure. By clarifying priorities, aligning systems, addressing root causes, and modeling sustainable leadership behaviors, leaders create conditions where people can perform consistently without sacrificing energy, trust, or engagement. Who benefits most from executive coaching? Executive coaching benefits leaders who carry significant responsibility for people, performance, and results—particularly CEOs and senior leaders navigating complexity, change, or increased decision pressure. It is most valuable for capable leaders who want clearer thinking, better decisions, and greater impact as the stakes of leadership rise. How is executive coaching different from consulting? Executive coaching focuses on the leader—how they think, decide, and show up under pressure. Coaching involves asking questions to bring out the best in the leader. Consulting focuses on the organization—clarity, systems, accountability, and structure. Consulting provides the questions and provides evidence-based answers. My work often integrates both because sustainable performance improves when leaders and systems evolve together. When should a CEO hire an executive coach? CEOs often seek coaching when complexity increases—during growth, transition, persistent performance issues, or heightened decision pressure. Coaching is most valuable when the stakes are high and clear answers are hard to find. Partner Next Step If you’re navigating leadership complexity and want a thoughtful, evidence-based partner, the best place to start is a conversation. Executive coaching and organizational consulting grounded in evidence-based leadership, systems thinking, and practical application. Start a Conversation Webinar Upcoming Webinar Series Free live leadership development webinars based on the latest research with no travel costs. We know you are going to love these events! LEARN MORE & REGISTER Organizational Espresso Get fresh ideas proven to stimulate individual, team, and organizational effectiveness Accountability Isn’t About “Trying Harder”—It’s a System The Decisions You Don’t Revisit Are Shaping Your Business The Paradox of Leadership Self-Sacrifice VISIT OUR BLOG Read our article in the The 5 Best Resources Your online store to learn more about change management, coaching, culture, innovation & creativity, leadership style, servant leadership, and strategic planning CHECK IT OUT WHITE PAPER: FREE GUIDE Discover the critical steps to ARCHITECTING CULTURE In this powerful white paper, discover the proven principles that lead to extraordinary success in shaping organizational culture. A download link will be sent to your email. Architecting Culture

How can we help? Do you have a question or are you interested in working with Organizational Talent Consulting? Just fill out the form. We'd like to chat. How can I help? When leadership challenges become complex, having the right thinking partner can bring clarity, alignment, and momentum. Share a few details below, and we’ll explore how Organizational Talent Consulting can help you move forward with confidence. Choose company size Service Area Executive Coaching Executive Mastermind Focused Workshops Organizational Consulting Speaking Development Program Submit Thank You! We look forward to helping you.. Ready to talk through a leadership challenge? Book a Leadership Strategy Conversation This is not a sales call. It’s a focused conversation to clarify what’s happening and what would make the biggest difference. Organizational Talent Consulting partners with CEOs, executive teams, and boards across West Michigan and nationally. While much of our work is conducted virtually or on-site with clients, our firm is based in Zeeland, Michigan. or schedule a short 20-minute discovery call now... Connect With Us Online Contact Us By Phone or Text 616-803-9020 Contact Us By Email Contact Us By Mail info@organizationaltalent.com Zeeland, MI 49464 Serving organizations across West Michigan and nationwide.

Real leadership case studies showing how executive coaching and organizational consulting drive clarity, engagement, and sustainable performance. Back to Home Leadership in Practice Real leadership work with CEOs, executive teams, boards, and mission-driven organizations CEO COACHING - GROWTH AND TRANSFORMATION Stabilizing culture and leadership trust during rapid growth Cultural strain emerged during rapid growth—reduced trust, leadership tension, and inconsistent communication. Improved trust, clearer expectations, and confident navigation of growth. Read More ORGANIZATIONAL CONSULTING - STRUCTURE & EXECUTION Reducing organizational confusion to unlock growth and innovation Confusion around roles, workflows, and decision authority slowed execution and increased turnover. Clear accountability, faster decisions, and sustained year-over-year growth. Read More EXECUTIVE TEAM DEVELOPMENT - TEAM EFFECTIVENESS Building trust, alignment, and performance within a marketing team A capable marketing team was operating as a working group—limited trust, inconsistent collaboration, and avoidance of productive conflict constrained performance. Stronger trust, open communication, and measurable gains in collaboration, conflict, and team performance. Read More EXECUTIVE TEAM CONSULTING - LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT Building leadership capability to sustain growth Informal leadership development was no longer sufficient to support organizational scale. Systematic leadership model embedded into hiring, development, and performance. Read More STRATEGIC PLANNING FACILITATION - BOARDS, ASSOCIATIONS & NON-PROFITS Creating strategic clarity across diverse stakeholders Diverse stakeholder expectations and shifting pressures left leadership without clear, actionable priorities. Aligned priorities, confident decisions, and reduced strategic drift. Read More CEO COACHING - LEADERSHIP TRANSFORMATION Evolving from execution to capacity-building leadership A mission-driven leader relied heavily on personal execution, limiting scalability, delegation, and long-term sustainability. Stronger strategic clarity, increased delegation and ownership, expanded organizational capacity, and measurable growth in impact and funding. Read More CEO COACHING - GROWTH AND TRANSFORMATION Stabilizing culture and leadership trust during rapid growth A CEO leading a technology and engineering organization was navigating rapid growth and organizational transition. While business performance remained strong, early indicators of cultural strain emerged—reduced trust, leadership tension, and inconsistent communication across teams. THE SITUATION As complexity increased, the organization outgrew its informal leadership habits. Leaders were working hard but lacked shared expectations for how to lead, communicate, and make decisions during change. Without intentional leadership alignment, culture became fragile. THE LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE THE WORK As an executive partner, the work focused on helping leaders: Increase leadership self-awareness Strengthen emotional intelligence and trust Reset leadership expectations d uring growth and uncertainty The emphasis was not on fixing people, but on strengthening leadership habits that shape culture. WHAT CHANGED Improved trust and working relationships Clearer leadership expectations during change More consistent communication and alignment Increased confidence in navigating growth LEADERSHIP INSIGHT "Culture reflects leadership habits. When habits evolve with complexity, trust follows. CEO COACHING EXECUTIVE TEAM CONSULTING · LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT Building leadership capability to sustain growth A growing, family-owned organization recognized that continued success required stronger leadership capability at every level. Informal leadership development was no longer sufficient to support scale. THE SITUATION The organization lacked a shared leadership model and consistent expectations. Leaders performed well individually, but leadership behaviors varied widely across teams, limiting alignment and long-term performance. THE LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE THE WORK As an executive partner, the work focused on helping leaders: Listening to leaders and employees to understand culture and leadership needs Designing a company-specific leadership model using the organization's language Embedding leadership development into hiring, development, performance, and compensation Leadership development was treated as a system, not a program. WHAT CHANGED Improved leadership performance and bench strength Increased employee engagement and retention Clear leadership expectations across the enterprise External recognition for innovation in leadership development LEADERSHIP INSIGHT "Leadership development works when it is integrated into how the organization operates—not added on." EXECUTIVE TEAM ORGANIZATIONAL CONSULTING · STRUCTURE & EXECUTION Reducing organizational confusion to unlock growth and innovation A technology and engineering organization entering a new growth phase experienced confusion around roles, workflows, and decision authority. Operational inefficiencies increased, innovation slowed, and turnover rose in high-demand roles. THE SITUATION The organization's structure no longer aligned with its strategy or culture. Employees were unclear where accountability sat, creating frustration and slowing execution. THE LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE THE WORK As an executive partner, the work focused on helping leaders: Listening to employees and leaders across the organization Mapping critical workflows and decision points Redesigning organizational structure aligned to strategy and culture Embedding change management to support adoption WHAT CHANGED Improved clarity around roles and accountability Faster execution and decision-making Reduced employee frustration and turnover Sustained year-over-year growth LEADERSHIP INSIGHT "As organizations grow, clarity—not effort—is the primary driver of performance and retention." Organizational Consulting STRATEGIC PLANNING FACILITATION · BOARDS, ASSOCIATIONS & NON-PROFITS Creating strategic clarity across diverse stakeholders A large regional association and several small-to-mid-sized nonprofit organizations faced increasing complexity, shifting external pressures, and diverse stakeholder expectations. Leadership needed a clear, actionable strategy to guide decisions. THE SITUATION While commitment to mission was strong, leaders lacked shared priorities, clear tradeoffs, and alignment between governance and execution. THE LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE THE WORK As an executive partner, the work focused on helping leaders: Listening to board members, executives, and key stakeholders Facilitating strategic planning focused on clarity, priorities, and tradeoffs Translating strategy into actionable leadership and governance commitments The emphasis was on strategy leaders could execute—not aspirational plans. WHAT CHANGED Clear strategic priorities and success measures Stronger alignment between boards and executive leadership Improved decision confidence and focus Reduced strategic drift LEADERSHIP INSIGHT "Strategy works when leaders are clear on what to prioritize, what to stop, and how decisions get made." Strategic Planning If these stories reflect challenges you're navigating, a leadership strategy conversation can help clarify next steps. Start a Leadership Strategy Conversation EXECUTIVE TEAM DEVELOPMENT · TEAM EFFECTIVENESS Building trust, alignment, and performance within a North American marketing team The team was operating as a working group rather than a fully aligned, high-performing team. While individuals were capable and committed, there was inconsistency in communication, collaboration, and how conflict was addressed. THE SITUATION The team had strong potential, but lacked the shared habits needed to operate as a cohesive unit. THE LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE THE WORK Through the Building Effective Teams experience, the focus was on embedding practical leadership and team habits: Establishing operating agreements to define how the team works together Leveraging Predictive Index behavioral insights to increase self-awareness and team understanding Introducing Thomas Killman's constructive conflict frameworks to normalize healthy debate Clarifying roles and accountability using tools like RACI, which evolved into project one-pagers Reinforcing strengths through exercises like “superpowers” identification The work emphasized application—not just insight—ensuring tools became part of how the team operated. WHAT CHANGED Within 90 days, the team demonstrated measurable and observable progress: Conflict improved by 28%, with more open and unguarded discussion Collaboration increased by 26%, strengthening teamwork and alignment Performance improved by 16%, with greater accountability and recognition Communication and trust increased, with multiple areas reaching high-performance levels Team members reported: More honest and productive conversations Stronger respect and trust across the team Greater clarity in how to work together effectively The team progressed from a working group toward a real, high-performing team. LEADERSHIP INSIGHT "Teams don’t become high-performing through effort alone—they evolve through shared habits of trust, clarity, and constructive conflict." Executive Team Development CEO COACHING · LEADERSHIP TRANSFORMATION Evolving from execution to capacity-building leadership A senior leader at a small, local community-based training organization was operating in a high-impact, mission-driven environment with growing organizational demand. While deeply committed and effective, the leadership model relied heavily on personal execution rather than building capacity across the organization. THE SITUATION The organization was gaining momentum, expanding membership, increasing stakeholder engagement, and launching new initiatives. However, much of the execution depended on the leader directly. The leader was highly capable, but the model was not sustainable at scale. THE LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE THE WORK Through executive coaching and leadership reflection, the focus centered on evolving how leadership impact was created: Building strategic confidence and executive presence Strengthening decision-making discipline (saying “no” sooner, evaluating before committing) Increasing delegation and ownership across the organization Redesigning the role to align with organizational needs Encouraging productive challenge with the board and stakeholders Supporting a three-month sabbatical to reinforce distributed leadership and test sustainability The work emphasized shifting from personal output to organizational capacity. WHAT CHANGED Over a one year period, the leader and organization demonstrated meaningful transformation: Strong improvements in confidence, strategic clarity, and leadership sustainability Increased stakeholder influence and executive presence Clear shift toward earlier delegation and stronger boundaries 90% initiative execution rate with zero regretted losses Membership organizations' growth rate of 38%, including expansion into new communities New funding opportunities, including invitations for $100,000+ annual support Increased team ownership, engagement, and leadership bench strength The organization moved from dependency on a leader to shared ownership across members and stakeholders. LEADERSHIP INSIGHT "Sustainable leadership is not defined by how much a leader does—but by how much ownership they create in others." CEO Coaching Frequently Asked Questions Are these real engagements? Yes. Each story is grounded in real executive coaching, consulting, and strategic planning work. To protect confidentiality, details are anonymized and, in some cases, reflect patterns observed across multiple similar engagements. Why don’t you name organizations or leaders? Senior leaders value discretion. Anonymizing details allows leaders to speak openly and ensures the focus remains on leadership challenges, systems, and outcomes—not publicity. How should I read these stories? These stories are not testimonials or promotional case studies. They are examples of leadership patterns—how leadership habits, decision systems, and organizational structures influence performance during growth, transition, and complexity. Is this work relevant to my organization? If you are a CEO, executive leader, board member, or nonprofit leader navigating growth, change, or complexity, the challenges described here are likely familiar. A leadership strategy conversation can help determine fit. Do you work locally or nationally? Dr. Jeff Doolittle works with leaders across Holland/Grand Rapids and West Michigan, as well as with organizations nationally.