Cortex Leadership Consulting is a consulting firm based out of Virginia working with businesses and individuals worldwide. Our Team. About Us. Cortex Leadership Consulting partners with leaders and their teams to solve their toughest people problems. Our interactive and customized approach is based on proven methods and practices to guide leaders to more effectively and efficiently reach their business objectives and desired outcomes. Our team of expert coaches is dedicated to providing high-quality executive coaching services that are tailored to meet your unique needs. We believe that every client deserves individual attention and personalized coaching that is designed to help them achieve their goals. Lynda McNutt Foster CEO & Founder Named a Business Icon by Valley Business Front magazine, Lynda McNutt Foster, is a recognized leader in executive coaching and organizational transformation, specializing in guiding leaders and their teams through successful digital transformations. As the CEO of Cortex Leadership Consulting, Lynda combines years of research, training, and over 10,000 coaching sessions that provide leaders with practical strategies and tools for achieving impactful results. Lynda's strategic expertise and that of her expert team, extends beyond coaching, as she actively facilitates leaders in their digital transformation journeys through proven change management, talent acquisition, and training techniques. Her approach has been instrumental in transforming outcomes for numerous clients, ensuring that their organizations are equipped to thrive in today’s rapidly evolving business landscape. In addition to her role at Cortex, Lynda has contributed to Forbes and served as an expert commentator on WFXR's Coffee with a Coach series for more than four years. She has written over 400 articles, blending her own insights with the latest research in building culture, conversational and relationship intelligence, time mastery, team alignment, peak performance, engagement, and conflict resolution. Lynda is a certified coach in Emotional and Conversational Intelligence® and a Certified Trainer for The 3 Vital Questions®. She is an expert in integrating the sciences of DISC, Motivators (Driving Forces), and Cortex Team Strength assessments, providing predictive people analytics essential for organizational growth and role alignment. As the co-founder of goMonti, a technology company dedicated to personalized coaching and team engagement, she continues to push the boundaries of leadership development. Her work is further highlighted by her co-authorship of the whitepaper A Leader’s Guide to More Fresh, High Quality Ideas from Their Teams, published by the Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Council. She is also the author of 4 Keys to More Effective Leadership and Time Mastery: 7 Simple Steps to Richer Outcomes, and the creator of the EPIC program for high performers, Leading a Winning Team, and Coaching for Peak Performance. Lynda’s clients have included: Metis, PenAir Credit Union, Carilion Clinic, City of Roanoke, County of Roanoke, The Glebe, ValleyStar Credit Union, Real Chemistry, Snow Peak, Orvis, Warm Hearth Village, Harmony Senior Services, Home Instead Senior Care, Kissito/Pace Health Care (now Innovage), Delta Dental VA/Corvesta, Excel Truck Group (VA, NC, SC), CMG Leasing, Federal-Mogul, Roanoke College, Roanoke Rescue Mission, MB Contractors, Better Building Works, Quick Fix Real Estate, HH Hunt, and many others. Lynda's international clients have included: The Haskell Company, Yokohama. Originally from Miami, FL, Lynda now calls Roanoke, VA home, where she balances her professional life with being a mother to an empowered daughter and wife to an incredibly supportive husband. She enjoys weekend gardening, day hiking, and bird watching. Lynda’s unique blend of strategic acumen and practical experience makes her an invaluable resource for leaders looking to drive successful digital transformations. Her insights into change management, talent acquisition, and leadership coaching have consistently delivered measurable results, making her a must-listen speaker at conferences. Allen Foster Vice President & Co-Founder Allen Foster is Vice President and co-founder of Cortex Leadership Consulting, a leading firm dedicated to executive coaching, talent acquisition, and organizational training. Allen’s extensive experience includes customized 1-on-1 coaching, strategic consulting, talent acquisition specializing in benchmark and search, and the facilitation of over 1,000 leadership training/facilitation sessions. As Cortex’s lead trainer and facilitator, Allen is a Certified Trainer in DISC (CPBA), Driving Forces (CPDFA), and The Empowerment Dynamic, 3 Vital Questions. His expertise further extends into customized workshops focused on DISC, Team Alignment, Conflict Resolution, Team Values Creation, Team Building, Time Mastery, and Problem-Solving strategies. Before co-founding Cortex, Allen launched his professional career in retail management, quickly distinguishing himself by leading successful multimillion-dollar store openings and renovations, eventually becoming one of the youngest store managers at a major national big-box retailer. Driven by a passion for marketing, Allen later joined his wife, Lynda, in her advertising agency. Over 15 years, he guided numerous businesses on their marketing and advertising strategies, eventually leading the agency to significant growth. He continues to support select long-standing clients in their advertising efforts today. Allen holds a Bachelor's degree in Marketing from Virginia Tech. He is married to Cortex CEO and co-founder, Lynda McNutt Foster, and is the proud father of Melody Kappler. A passionate Virginia Tech football and wrestling fan, Allen is also an avid reader with particular interests in history and science. In his leisure time, Allen enjoys hiking and can regularly be found exploring the Roanoke Greenway or Mill Mountain trails with Lynda. Allen’s wealth of hands-on experience, combined with his deep knowledge of behavioral assessments and training methodologies, makes him a trusted resource for organizations looking to enhance leadership capabilities, optimize team performance, and drive sustainable growth. Contact: allen@cortexleadership.com Jeanne (Jackson) Newby Principal Consultant Jeanne is a dynamic HR leader with over 20 years of business and HR operations with fortune 500 companies. Jeanne provides insight into how to structure and maximize the effectiveness of the HR function to develop talent and align to the company vision and goals. Jeanne is passionate about coaching top talent, helping managers foster a highly engaged, motivated workforce, and developing employees to achieve their full potential. Jeanne is highly proficient in using tools and technology to assess leaders and their teams, providing feedback and coaching to increase communication and teamwork that drive desired business outcomes. Jeanne is facilitator of the EPIC Leadership Program. This contemporary, fast-paced, interactive experience provides a launching pad for leadership learning for the highest engaged team members in an organization looking to lead in the future. Provided in small group coaching experiences, Jeanne facilitates a virtual experience that can propel ambitious professional careers forward. Contact: jeanne@cortexleadership.com Kim Levings Coach & Master Facilitator Kim Levings is an experienced leadership development professional with over 35 years of expertise in people and leadership development. With career experience in both corporate and nonprofit sectors in the USA and South Africa, Kim provides training facilitation, leadership development, and coaching services. She has held executive leadership roles in Human Resources, Manpower Development, Training, and Operations and has partnered with leadership teams and consulting firms to help scale development teams and programs. As a Master Trainer and certified partner in Everything DiSC® and 5 Behaviors® of Effective Teams, Kim equips individuals to bring their best selves to life, building healthier teams and cultures. Offering services globally and remotely, Kim spends part of each year in South Africa, continuing her work with leaders and teams around the world. Originally from South Africa, Kim has always been passionate about helping individuals and teams reach their full potential. Through her years of leadership in Human Resources and Operations, she saw firsthand the challenges leaders face. These experiences inspired her to focus on leadership development, training, and coaching to create lasting impact. With a candid, transparent approach, Kim aims to connect with people in meaningful ways, building trust quickly. Whether working with organizations like River Ranch Foods, Nex-gen Pharma, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, or facilitating programs like Thinking into Results and Serving Leadership, her goal remains the same: to support leaders and teams in creating healthier, more effective workplaces. As a “nomad,” Kim splits her time between the USA and South Africa, providing leadership development services to clients across the globe. Contact: kimlevings@cortexleadership.com Megan Dickhans Business Strategy Consultant, Facilitator, Leadership Coach Megan Dickhans is a seasoned Business Strategy Consultant and Leadership Coach who helps organizations bring clarity, discipline, and momentum to their most important initiatives. She works at the intersection of strategy, execution, and culture—guiding leaders to align vision with operations, strengthen organizational maturity, and build systems that support long-term, repeatable success. As Founder of Sage Consulting and a partner at Cortex, Megan works closely with executives and department heads to design strategic plans that are both ambitious and executable. Her approach combines rigorous project and change management disciplines with a strong focus on team alignment and practical accountability. She is known for turning complex, fragmented challenges into actionable direction, and for helping leaders and teams adapt quickly as priorities evolve. Megan’s background includes five years of digital product leadership and consulting in the healthcare sector, where she led enterprise mobile and web initiatives across the full product lifecycle. She created and deployed continuous improvement systems that increased portfolio productivity by 50% and improved alignment between product strategy, operational capacity, and organizational outcomes. As a people manager within the PMO, she coached project managers in both technical execution and leadership, contributing to a culture of continuous improvement and high performance. Prior to her work in healthcare technology, Megan served as Assistant Director of Student Support at the Virginia–Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine. She managed large-scale academic and student programs, facilitated peer evaluation systems for 250+ students, launched the college’s first virtual job fair, and strengthened academic and behavioral conduct policies. Her contributions improved student engagement, leadership development, and operational consistency across the college. Megan has also served as a lecturer at Virginia Tech, teaching business management, marketing, economics, and personal financial management. A highlight of her academic work was developing and leading an international study abroad program in Ireland. Across all roles, Megan is recognized for her ability to rapidly diagnose organizational challenges, cultivate trust across diverse stakeholder groups, and distill complexity into clear, decisive action. Her clients and colleagues describe her as strategic, collaborative, and exceptionally effective at building alignment in environments where priorities, people, and pressures converge. Her blend of strategic insight, operational discipline, and cross-industry experience positions her as a trusted advisor for leaders navigating transformation, growth, and the need to deliver meaningful, measurable results. Contact: megan@cortexleadership.com Darryl Agee Principal, Cortex PMO Division Darryl Agee is a certified Project Management and Agile Certified Practitioner, currently serving as a Solutions Architect for Perficient, a global AI-first digital consultancy that helps leading brands transform how they connect with customers and drive business growth. In this role, he partners with product, technology, and business stakeholders to deliver strategic digital solutions at enterprise scale. With over 25 years of experience, Darryl has led software development, system modernization, and digital transformation initiatives across industries including retail, healthcare, supply chain, and high-tech. His recent work includes serving as a senior consultant embedded within the digital product organization of a Fortune-ranked retail client, helping to modernize operations, enable agile delivery, and elevate enterprise digital capabilities. Previously, Darryl served as PMO Practice Lead for More Better Technology (MBT), a Roanoke-based technology startup where he established a Strategic Realization Office and led enterprise clients through Agile and DevOps transformations. In addition to his consulting work, Darryl is an experienced educator with over 20 years of teaching experience in project management. He is a professor at Virginia Tech and teaches PMP® and PMI-ACP® prep courses at Virginia Western Community College and other institutions. He is a frequent speaker and active board member for the Southwest Virginia PMI Chapter. Darryl holds an MBA from Auburn University at Montgomery, an MS in Computer Information Systems from the University of Phoenix, and a BA in English from the Virginia Military Institute. He earned his PMP® in 2006 and PMI-ACP® in 2017. In recent years, Darryl has embraced the rapidly evolving field of Artificial Intelligence and Automation, integrating AI literacy and innovation themes into his client work and course instruction. His curiosity and adaptability continue to drive his passion for continuous learning and professional growth. Contact: darryl@cortexleadership.com Kimberly Kolb Eakin Professional Mentor/Coach Kimberly Kolb Eakin is a seasoned leadership consultant and founding leader at Cortex Leadership Consulting, where she has over 12 years of experience guiding organizations in leadership development, strategic growth, and organizational effectiveness. A retired U.S. Army Sergeant First Class, Kimberly has an extensive background as an instructor in the military, training soldiers, cadets, and peers in marksmanship, tactical operations, and leadership skills. Her military career instilled a commitment to resilience and precision, which she now channels into helping global clients cultivate strong, cohesive teams and foster collaborative cultures. Beyond her work with Cortex, Kimberly was instrumental in the creation and direction of The Gauntlet, Virginia’s largest business program and competition, showcasing her commitment to supporting small businesses and innovation. Known for her strategic insight, creativity, and ability to inspire growth, Kimberly’s experience spans from empowering emerging entrepreneurs to coaching established leaders on a global scale. Through a blend of DISC assessments, mindfulness techniques, and tailored consulting practices, she equips her clients with the tools to navigate complex challenges while building trust and driving impact within their organizations. Contact: kimberly@cortexleadership.com Jenna Miilu Client & Operations Coordinator Jenna is a strategic thinker who brings a unique blend of operational excellence, team dynamics, and customer satisfaction to every project. With a deep commitment to lifelong learning, her passions span emotional intelligence, AI, and musicology—each enriching her ability to approach challenges with creativity and insight. Jenna thrives on fostering trust and collaboration, valuing direct communication and empathy as the foundation for solving complex problems. She is driven by opportunities to connect with like-minded professionals and continuously grow through shared experiences and innovative projects. Jenna supports the CEO and coaches/consultants through personalized service to the clients we serve. She is extraordinary at driving projects to deadlines with excellent results like our EPIC Leadership Program, Leading a Winning Team, and workshops. Jenna has worked alongside our CEO to develop innovative solutions that help support our coaching clients to get what they want, faster. Contact: jenna@cortexleadership.com

EPIC Library - Technical Orientation and Lunch with a Leader Recordings EPIC Library - Technical Orientation and Lunch with a Leader Recordings EPIC Library - Technical Orientation and Lunch with a Leader Recordings EPIC Library - Technical Orientation and Lunch with a Leader Recordings Technical Orientation Program Overview What to Expect Calendar Invites Who to Contact Structure and Format Lunch with Ryan Hollister Vice President Construction Services The Haskell Company July 30, 2025 Lunch with Denise Muth Senior Project Director The Haskell Company August 27, 2025 Lunch with Mandy Brawley VP of Economic Development The Haskell Company September 24, 2025 Lunch with Shannon Koeninger VP of Civil Infrastructure Design The Haskell Company October 22, 2025 Lunch with David Reaves VP of Construction & Manufacturing The Haskell Company November 19, 2025 Graduation EPIC Haskell Cohort 10 Graduation The Haskell Company Cortex Leadership Consulting December 10, 2025

EPIC Library - Technical Orientation and Lunch with a Leader Recordings EPIC Library - Technical Orientation and Lunch with a Leader Recordings EPIC Library - Technical Orientation and Lunch with a Leader Recordings EPIC Library - Technical Orientation and Lunch with a Leader Recordings Cohort 10 Graduation Cohort 11 Orientation Program Overview What to Expect Who to Contact Structure and Format

Cortex Leadership Consulting transforms businesses, people, and processes. 1 AI Strategic Leader Program Designed for executives to lead AI transformation with clarity and confidence. Participants learn collaborative AI with tools like ChatGPT and CoPilot in context of real-world business goals while sharpening leadership skills and communication strategies. Leaders learn to scale their thinking, align with compliance needs, and drive meaningful change - without getting left behind. More Info 2 EPIC 2.0 Equipping your high-potential managers, supervisors, and employees with confidence - combining timeless leadership practices with next-generation tools for measurable results. Move from reacting to leading. More Info 3 Strategic Leadership Empowering leaders to strategically navigate today's challenges while seizing tomorrow's opportunities with confidence and clarity. Our newest services for AI Strategic Leadership are practical and immediately implementable. More Info 4 Coaching Unlock your potential with our customized coaching program, tailored specifically to your needs. We utilize scientifically validated assessments and evidence-based tools to personalize your experience, ensuring immediate and impactful change. Elevate your thinking, strategize with precision, and boost your confidence, influence, and overall impact. Join us on this transformative journey today! 5 More Info Facilitated Training Each session is uniquely tailored to meet the specific needs of your team and organization and facilitated by experts in interactivity. We understand that no two teams are the same, which is why we utilize assessment tools, research, and surveys to deliver customized experiences. Our goal is to ensure that every session effectively drives your team toward the desired outcomes. Experience the difference of a personalized approach that truly resonates with your challenges. More Info AI Leader Brief Executive Coaching Training

Menu of Services 2025 Menu of Services for Cortex Leadership Consulting This Menu of Services outlines our comprehensive suite of services, designed to accelerate leadership effectiveness, enhance organizational performance, and support talent acquisition. Each service package is tailored to meet the unique needs of leaders, teams, and organizations, ensuring measurable results and sustainable growth. Meet Our Coaches Table of Contents: Executive, One-on-One Coaching Packages Executive Level Coaching 360 Degree Survey Manager/Supervisor Coaching Small Group Coaching Leadership Team Assessment/Training/Facilitation Packages Team Team Alignment Survey Culture Kits for Trust Building & Team Cohesion Half-Day Targeted Training Sessions Full-Day Targeted Training Sessions Cortex Signature Leadership Programs EPIC Leadership Leading a Winning Team Succeeding Through Others De-escalation/Conflict Resolution Package Talent Acquisition/Executive Search Package Talent Acquisition/Executive Search Comprehensive Package Benchmarking Package: stand-alone Onboarding Package: stand-alone HR Consulting Strategy Sessions for Leaders Add ons Assessments Debriefs Follow-Up Coaching Monti, Cortex “Coach in Your Pocket” 1. Executive One-on-One Coaching Packages & 360 Assessment Survey Annual Executive Coaching Transformative leadership development tailored to individual goals. Features: Conducted by Cortex Certified Executive Leadership Coach, lead researcher, with more than 20 years of experience getting results for leaders and their teams Annual assessments: DISC, MOT, EQ Leadership Competency assessments to be completed by client and discussed with their supervisor Tailored Leadership Development Plan based on assessment results and goals Tailored Coaching Guide for their supervisor to ensure alignment and engaging monthly one-on-ones that support the client in achieving peak performance Customized learning modules that match the client’s development plan with the competency they are focused on for that Phase of their development plan Personalized deep conversation podcasts that match their development phase learning module with the strengths and unique challenges that the client faces in their role and with the behavioral styles and motivators to ensure targeted, relevant, and immediate application of the learning Full access to their private Cortex Portal for all suggested learning, all assessments completed and information relevant to their coaching and development Monti, "Coach in Your Pocket" support deployed through interactive questions 3x a week via text for length of coaching package along with accompanying journals and insights 5 Laser, On the Spot, Coaching Sessions provided within 48 hours of their request 3 Check-ins with their direct supervisor or leader that requests these sessions 10 one-on-one coaching sessions 360 Degree Assessment Survey Advanced, anonymous feedback integrating assessments and Monti insights to deliver targeted recommendations for continuous leadership improvement. Features: Personalized Feedback Design: Collaboration to develop tailored questions/statements for 5-7 rater types Collaboration to determine selection of 12-18 raters that will participate in the survey Deployment to identified raters Comprehensive Data Collection: Ratings and detailed comments from raters Self-assessment by the leader Integration with DISC, Driving Forces, EQ, and/or other assessments and Monti journal insights Advanced Analysis and Synthesis Final Report of Findings: Anonymity ensured through cutting-edge technology In-depth analysis of feedback, synthesizing ratings, comments, and assessments Identification of targeted improvement areas and recommendations for action Strategic Debriefs: Individual debrief with the leader to review results and action plan Tailored, personalized, deep dive conversation podcast to further explain and discuss the findings and provide support and implementation of the findings Follow-up debrief with the leader and their supervisor for alignment This service ensures a data-driven, personalized approach to leadership development, facilitating continuous improvement and actionable growth strategies. Manager/Supervisor One-on-One Coaching Transformative leadership development tailored to individual manager/supervisor goals. Features: Conducted by Cortex Certified Leadership Coach with more than 6-10 years of experience getting results for managers/supervisors organizations Assessments: DISC, MOT, EQ, and Leadership Competencies, Specific Competencies ie- Time Mastery, Conflict Tolerance, Mindset Focus, Trust Building, etc. Tailored, personalized Management Development Plan based on assessment results and desired competencies necessary to reach peak performance Tailored, personalized deep dive conversation podcast produced just for them to explain and further discuss the key components of the development plan to ensure retention and motivate to action Tailored, personalized Coaching Guide for their supervisor to ensure alignment and optimal one-on-one monthly conversations that works in alignment with their clients goals to further support their peak performance goals Monti, "Coach in Your Pocket" support deployed through interactive questions 3x a week via text for length of coaching package along with accompanying journals and insights 6 one-on-one coaching sessions 2 Laser, On the Spot, Coaching Sessions provided within 48 hours of their request 2 Check-ins with supervisor or leader that requests it Small Group Coaching Focused development for cohorts of 3-6 leaders Virtual. In-person – add travel expenses Features: Three-month program Monthly group coaching sessions (90 minutes each) DISC and Leadership Competency Assessments for each participant as applicable to focused topic of development Group and Individual Leadership Development Plans Coaching Guide for those they report to in order to support the lessons they are applying at work Access to Monti – Cortex’s proprietary "Coach in Your Pocket" for the duration of the program, 3x a week along with a Monti journal of all their entries and any applicable insights gained from those 2. Leadership Team Alignment Survey/Assessment, Training, & Facilitation Packages Team Alignment Surveys This powerful, turn-key survey ensures that every voice on the team is heard and understood and feels a part of the growth and development of a peak performing team. Features: 4-15 member teams 100% of all team members is desirable to ensure accurate results and achievable based on Cortex’s experience with this type of team targeted method Measures key areas for team alignment and cohesion in the areas of Culture, Clarity, Structure and Execution Tailored results that utilize the survey, DISC/DF for all team members and goals of the team. Insights on level of trust of the leader, alignment of leader’s perspective in each area vs their team Specific celebrations where team is doing well and tailored suggestions for areas for improvement with prescriptive, actionable next steps for the leader and team to take One-on-One debrief with the leader Tailored deep dive conversation podcast to explain high-level results to the leader and their team or Creation of PP of select, high-level, results of survey and next steps presented to team in 30-minute virtual session Team Culture Kits Everything a leader needs to conduct tailored, relevant, meaningful, and impactful, 1-hour team experiences that build trust and cohesion for their team. Features: Team Alignment Survey is conducted Tailored Leader’s Guide that suggests content for their team’s monthly meetings One hour training and available virtual labs to improve the leaders skills in facilitating transformation conversations with their teams Cortex Culture Kits provide the leader and their team with everything they need to have a one-hour team experience that ensures the team connects, builds empathy to create a continuing culture of cooperation and collaboration Each kit includes: Announcement email content for upcoming team session, article regarding topic chosen, deep dive conversation podcast or short video with author of topic to further explain topic and preview the upcoming session, an opening team connection exercise like conversation cards or thumb balls or other provide tools that ensure trust is being built, facilitator instructions for leading the conversation, all materials needed for the session, follow up email or survey to know how each team member is utilizing what they learned in the session. Access to their own Cortex Portal which contains their team’s alignment survey results and any other assessments the team has complete along with their Cortex Culture Kit library that include: 12 different modules to choose from each session. Half-Day Targeted Training Sessions Each Cortex training is customized for each team utilizing the team’s DISC/DF or other assessments along with the Team Alignment Survey if either are available. Features: 3 - 4 hours of Training conducted by Cortex Certified Trainer/Facilitator Customized content tailored to organizational needs conducted in a flipped classroom method to optimize engagement, retention, and application of what participants are learning Pre-session planning meeting Materials provided for pre-work and homework Access to Cortex Learning Platform for Digital Training Modules applicable to targeted training Follow up assessment/surveys to ensure application of what participants learned and practiced Full-Day Targeted Training Session Comprehensive and immersive leadership development. Features: 5-7 hours of Training conducted by Cortex Certified Trainer/Facilitator Customized content tailored to organizational needs conducted in a flipped classroom method to optimize engagement, retention, and application of what participants are learning Pre-session planning meeting Materials provided for pre-work and homework Access to Cortex Learning Platform for Digital Training Modules applicable to targeted training Follow up assessment/surveys to ensure application of what participants learned and practice Signature Leadership Programs Structured programs for high-potential leaders. EPIC Leadership Training: $1,250-$1,500 per participant depending on size of cohort (see details in EPIC section of our website ) Leading a Winning Team: $3,000 per participant per participant depending on size of cohort (see details in the Leading a Winning Team section of our website ) Succeeding Through Others Targeted, customizable skill-building series for supervisors and managers to enhance essential leadership capabilities. Comprehensive Training Modules: Programs include Managing Multiple Priorities, Interviewing, Onboarding, Giving and Receiving Feedback, Coaching for Peak Performance, and more. Flipped Classroom Style: Pre-learning modules via the Cortex Leadership Learning Platform. 3-4 hour live or virtual/live sessions focused on practice and comprehension. Application and Follow-Up: Post-training surveys to ensure skills are applied effectively. Practical exercises for real-world implementation. Equip your supervisors and managers with the skills they need to lead confidently, enhance team performance, and drive organizational success. 3. De-escalation/Conflict Resolution Packages Conflict Resolution Facilitation Resolve workplace disputes with expert guidance and actionable outcomes. Features: Individual assessments for all parties (DISC, Driving Forces, and EQ) Cortex Conflict Tolerance Assessment Three structured resolution sessions with a Cortex Certified Facilitator Materials provided for pre-work and homework along with access to their personal Cortex Portal Post-resolution debrief and action plan for sustained harmony Follow up assessments/surveys to ensure that progress is being made that was committed to during the final resolution session 4. Talent Acquisition/Executive Search Comprehensive Packages Comprehensive Talent Acquisition Services End-to-end recruitment and onboarding for high-level roles. Features: Custom Benchmarking for each role that includes engaging job posting (see full detail under Custom Benchmarking ection) Tailored and Specific Executive Search Extensive candidate screening that includes initial outreach and follow-up for interest, assessments, targeted conversations with who they will report to, coaching conversations with candidate to ensure they are prepared for the interview and verification of assessment results Assessments that may include DISC, Driving Forces, EQ, Leadership Competency Assessments, and Caliper for final 3 candidates Final candidate comparison reports so leader can determine the strengths, abilities to contribute, and how the candidate will work with who they will report to Onboarding support for 3 months, including coaching for the new hire and their manager (see full detail under Onboarding section) Comprehensive final report and placement guarantee (3 months) Benchmarking Custom Benchmarking for Each Essential Role and Executive Search Comprehensive benchmarking of individual roles or Executive Search to effectively attract right candidate Features: Session to interview leader about role they need filled Clearly define roles, responsibilities, accountabilities and measurables Define what qualifications and preferences a candidate would have Define what behavioral characteristics would be most valuable and least valuable in the perfect candidate Create a benchmark profile of what DISC and Motivators scores the ideal candidate might have. Creation of job post based on target hire’s behavioral characteristics, motivations, and culture of organization designed to attract the role’s best fit. Comparison Report of final candidates to benchmark profile, with strengths and gaps that may exist compared to the role. 90-Day Transition Coaching Custom Transition Coaching for Leadership Positions, New Managers or Supervisors or Promotions Comprehensive analysis and support services for team member and their manager Features: Analysis of new hire and manager using DISC/Driving Forces Session with Manager to determine expectations of Team Member and confirm competencies as determined by analysis of their job description Comprehensive, Tailored and Personalized Transition Guide for client Comprehensive, Tailored and Personalized Transition Guide for supervisor Coaching Session with Team Member to debrief their DISC/Driving Forces report and match it to the role and competencies they are expected to execute in their new role Coaching Session with Manager and Team Member to create desired outcomes for the first 90 days Coaching Session with Team Member to ensure that goals are clear and are being met 90-days of special Monti, Coach in Your Pocket, interactive questions designed to provide insights into the new hires sense of belonging on the team, what challenges they may be facing, what support they may need, etc. Coaching Session with Manager to determine what types of communication and behaviors will most engage and motivate the Team Member towards peak performance. Final coaching session with Team Member to ensure clarity of further goals past the 90 days and provide any coaching needed for conversations needed with other team members or their manager Final Onboarding Reports to Manager and Team Member with outline of process that was followed, engagement of new hire, along with any applicable insights that will ensure their continued success. 5. HR Consulting Expert HR Consulting/Strategy Expert guidance for organizational effectiveness and compliance. Services include: Policy design and implementation Culture assessments and action planning Succession planning and role alignment Facilitation of Leadership level and other supporting Strategy Sessions Customized services based on HR needs of organization as outlined in the Cortex HR assessment and conversations with leaders 6. Strategy Sessions for Leaders Custom Strategy Facilitation Empower your leadership team with actionable insights and direction. Features: Pre-session discovery and stakeholder interviews Customized strategy development sessions conducted by a Cortex Certified Facilitation specialist Materials provided for pre-work and session and access to any relevant materials or content on the Cortex Digital Learning Platform Comprehensive session report with actionable recommendations Add-Ons: Assessments/Debriefs: Individual DISC/Driving Forces/Cortex Team Strengths Assessment Package EQ Assessment as part of DISC/DF/Cortex Team Strengths assessment package Cortex Certified Coach Debrief of DISC/DF/Cortex Strengths/EQ assessment Caliper Assessment used for Role Match and Professional Debrief Cortex Targeted Competency Assessments: Added Value for any package Follow-Up Coaching Coaching Executive Level Coaching Follow-Up Session (55 minutes) Coaching, Manager/Supervisor Follow-Up Session (55 minutes) Monti, Cortex’s “Coach in Your Pocket” Monti, "Coach in Your Pocket" Access (Monthly) Why Choose Cortex Leadership Consulting? Proven Track Record of Success For over a decade, we’ve partnered with top executives, HR professionals, and leadership teams to drive measurable, sustainable results. Our clients experience increased productivity, improved team dynamics, and enhanced leadership effectiveness due to our targeted, customized approach. Cutting-Edge Technology Integration We leverage innovative tools like Monti, the “Coach in Your Pocket”, providing 24/7 personalized support and insights. Our advanced platforms ensure feedback, assessments, and development processes are seamless, confidential, and actionable, giving leaders the continuous support they need to excel. Tailored Solutions for Every Need No two organizations are alike. That’s why we customize each program, training session, and coaching engagement to your unique goals and challenges. From leadership development to conflict resolution and talent acquisition, our services adapt as your organization evolves. Data-Driven Insights Our approach integrates DISC, Driving Forces, EQ, and 360-degree feedback with Monti journals and targeted surveys, providing leaders and teams with comprehensive, actionable data. This ensures development efforts are focused, relevant, and effective. Engaging, Practical Learning Experiences We use a flipped classroom methodology and interactive, real-world exercises to maximize engagement, retention, and application. Pre-learning modules, live sessions, and follow-up assessments ensure participants not only learn but also apply new skills in their daily roles. Expert Facilitators and Coaches Our team of certified coaches and facilitators brings decades of experience in leadership development, executive coaching, and facilitation. Each engagement is delivered with professionalism, empathy, and a commitment to excellence. Partnership Mindset We see ourselves as an extension of your team. Our long-term partnerships are built on trust, transparency, and a shared commitment to your success. We offer flexibility in pricing, customization of services, and ongoing support to meet your evolving needs. Comprehensive, End-to-End Services From executive coaching and leadership training to conflict resolution, talent acquisition, and strategy facilitation, Cortex offers a holistic suite of services designed to elevate leadership at every level. Our add-on services and assessments ensure you have all the tools necessary for continuous improvement. Results You Can Trust We are dedicated to delivering tangible outcomes. Our process-driven approach, backed by technology and behavioral science, ensures that leaders and teams experience meaningful growth and measurable performance improvements. Transform your leadership and organizational capabilities with Cortex Leadership Consulting. Let’s create a customized plan to unlock the full potential of your leaders and teams. Contact us today to get started at info@cortexleadership.com .

New Study: 58% of leader’s and their teams actively avoid listening to new ideas May 6, 2020 Lynda McNutt Foster and Richard Hammer Issue: Teams back in the office. What if they don’t feel safe coming back in, someone says in the meeting. Ok, why don’t we ask employees what they think. No, we don’t have time for that. Sure we do. Yeah, right, like we have time to talk to every employee right now? No, we don’t have to time talk to every person. Maybe we could use our text system or google forms or something to take a for sort of pulse survey on what they’re thinking right now. What? No. That would take too much time. We’ve never done that. Let’s just stick to the plan we have. And there it is. BAM! Death of an idea in less than 30 seconds. Maybe it was a bad one. Maybe it wouldn’t have worked, and who knows if there was a better one that could quickly be built on from that one. No. Yes, but. There’s no time for that. You need to understand how things work around here. Sometimes the death of a new idea comes from people in the meeting simply ignoring the suggestion or other times by someone in authority just not responding to the email that it was sent in. These were the key types words and exchanges in small, micro-conversations we studied that occur when people try to share a thought or different perspective in meetings at work, and that occur between managers and their team members during a crisis like the one we’re in right now. These words and phrases seem to quickly shut down exactly what 94% of senior leaders say they want more of – fresh, new ideas to solve the biggest issues that their organizations are facing, especially during a crisis and transition of the type all organizations are going through right now. These are 4 main conclusions from the newest research just released by Cortex: A Leader’s Guide to Getting More, Fresh, High Quality Ideas from Their Teams Right Now A wake up call to any leader that needs to innovate to thrive , released in partnership with the Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Council about how to get teams to work more collaboratively together to more effectively problem solve: Micro interactions and conversations are the key factors in creating a high trust working environment that leads to team members being willing to co-create and share their new ideas and for others to experiment with them. A high emphasis on organizational values, mission, or goals don’t create engagement or an agile work environment unless the senior leadership team, along with their managers on the frontlines, are held accountable to practicing them. The ability of senior leaders and their managers to remain curious by actively seeking different perspectives from all levels of the organization is a key factor in the volume and quality of idea generation that leads to profitable innovation. Specific types of team training, coaching, reinforcement, and individual support that is designed to build trust and accountability in adhering to the new behaviors, can make almost any team capable of generating more and higher quality ideas. Cortex has spent the greater part of the last 5 years tracking the impact of almost unnoticeable interactions between team members during meetings. We collected more than 100,000 pieces of data from assessments of leaders and their teams and mapping conversations in meetings they were having while also tracking the evolution of leader’s thought process in solving problems at work over long periods of time. The studies found that it doesn’t take long for new team members to learn that sharing fresh ideas and perspectives came with a label of being a waste of time, resources, and could result in being seen as not a good cultural fit. We found the results counter to what leaders say they want in Leadership and Innovation by McKinsey and Company which stated that: 70% of senior executives said that innovation was going to be the main driver in their companies, yet 65% of them were “somewhat”, “a little”, or “not at all” confident about the decisions they make in that area, According to the McKinsey & Company report Leadership and Innovation . The report went on to say: The structures and processes that many leaders reflexively use to encourage innovation are important, we find, but not sufficient. On the contrary, senior executives almost unanimously—94 percent—say that people and corporate culture are the most important drivers of innovation. From McKinsey’s report regarding what leaders need to do in order to create agile transformation for their organizations, they stated that leaders should learn to help teams work in new ways and to do that they needed learn how to build enterprise agility into the design and culture of the whole organization. It needed to start with the leader adopting new mindsets and behaviors. What Cortex found was that changing those behaviors had a significant impact on the ability for the leader and their teams to quickly adapt to marketplace and other significant fluctuations. One of the data points pointed to the root of what may be blocking established organizations from being able to shift to a culture comfortable with experimentation that is at the heart of agility. The number was 58. Idea avoidance. 58% of leaders and team members actively avoided the generating of ideas and those people with a strength in ideation were often avoided as well. This avoidance of the brainstorming of new ways and perspectives of looking at problems lead to a stagnation of forward progress necessary for maintaining a competitive advantage. Sometimes the people on teams in the study that did had new ideas were ostracized by their fellow team members. This avoidance to the generation of new ideas and of the ideators themselves isn’t recognized by some leaders. When this type of culture persists on a team or becomes the corporate culture, innovation becomes almost non-existent except at smaller tactical levels. In some cases, when an executive leader or even a manager with authority is strong in idea generation, there seems to become a learned helplessness type of response by team members. It appears that the team expects their leader to generate the ideas and they believe there job is to plan what they are told to execute. Assess Your Ideation Tolerance As a leader, ask yourself these questions to determine the ideation tolerance level in your organization: How many new ideas to solve your toughest challenges have each of your leaders considered from their team members in the last month, 3 months, 6 months? Do the consultants you use work directly with senior leaders and their teams to generate new ideas? If polled, what percentage of meetings would people in your organization think are a waste of their time? Measure your failure tolerance by finding out how many experiments do you actively support in a year and how many have failed? Do you budget for and provide the resources of time and support for experimentation? You can find useful information that can increase your team’s and organization’s ability to creatively problem solve and be more agile in the full report that you can download for free here. In the FULL report, A Leader’s Guide to Getting More, Fresh, High Quality Ideas from Their Teams Right Now you will be given the following tools you can put into use right now: An Idea Generation one sheet you can use to start generating ideas with your teams right now. An example of rules of inclusion that can be used by any team. Instructions for a Team On! Exercise that teams can use to creatively problem solve. An Idea Generation one sheet you can use to start generating ideas with your teams right now. You’ll discover solutions like: What leaders can do to get their teams in an idea generation state of mind What type of leadership behaviors build trust and which types jeopardize it What leaders can do immediately to create more effective meetings The types of pivots a leader can make in their behavior that have the biggest impact in the creative problem solving results from their teams And so much more! To receive a FREE DOWNLOAD of the entire report of findings for The Case for Ideation in a Work World That is Obsessed with Planning A wake up call to leaders that need to innovate to thrive in today’s marketplace Click the below:

One of Your Best Employees Just Left March 24, 2019 Lynda McNutt Foster About a year ago I got a call from someone who was struggling to keep one of their best employees from leaving their organization. “Lynda,” he said, “we really want to keep Sarah – she has some killer skills and a great attitude. She works really hard. She just got a job offer that will pay her more than we are able to match right now. She’s been flexible and adaptive, learned on her feet, and was really dedicated to the organization, and not just to a given role she was in so it’s going to be really hard to replace her. What should we do to try and keep her?” The short answer is you most likely can’t. Matching the money probably won’t do it because employees quit months before they actually quit and sometimes when you are the perfect employer the result is your best employees leave anyway. The problem isn’t always about whether some of your best employees are leaving as much as it is why aren’t you constantly cultivating more of them? Why You Are Losing Your Best Employees – The Reality of Constant Recruiting According to Gallup research, 51% of all employees are actively looking for another job. The average worker, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, currently holds 10 different jobs before age forty, and this number is projected to grow. Forrester Research predicts that today’s youngest workers will hold 12-15 jobs in their lifetime. That means that before someone is 40 they are likely to change jobs every couple of years. Business people tend to quote this statistic in a negative way and blame workers for “constantly changing jobs” which is why they fear investing in developing their skillsets. They argue, “why would I invest money in someone’s development when they are probably going to leave in the next couple of years”. Indeed, that is clearly one way to look at it. Another way to look at it is this way: If you don’t invest in your team member’s growth and development you are surely going to lose them because 45% of young professionals (don’t call them millennials – they hate that and will hate you for using that stereotyped word… especially if they are smart and hard working) say that it is “very important” to them that they take a job that accelerates their professional or career development. ABC’s are now the ABR’s of Recruiting There was an acronym made famous in a crude speech given by a foul talking, brutal sales manager in Glengarry, Glen Ross, from a 1992 film that was ABC… “Always Be Closing”. If you were on his sales team and weren’t following that rule, the results would be dire. For today’s leaders when it comes to getting and retaining the highest potential employees, that slogan may be “Always be Recruiting.” If you’re not, the results could be dire indeed to the future growth of your organization. With a national unemployment average hovering at or below 4%, your best employees will leave and you need to be constantly thinking about how you will replace them, the same way you think about always attracting new customers or clients. As the baby boomers leave the workforce and there are less Gen Xers to replace them, you are going to be creating a work environment that young professionals feel like they can grow within. As long as they’re growing, your high potentials are more likely to stick with the organization. When there are no positions for them to move up and into or their pay is capped, they feel they have no choice except to leave. To fight the current reality of today’s workforce will result in your organization not effectively planning for the future. Your job, as an organization, then becomes coaching your best employees to discover their professional potential and work with them to develop their skills and abilities to get them there, whether they stay with you or not. The Good News About Losing Your Best Employee There’s some really good news to come from all of this so stay with me for another couple of minutes. As a leader in authority, you still have the power. You are not being held hostage by social media or Glassdoor ® ratings. If you accept the current reality of today’s workforce and proactively plan for constant shifts in your own, you can create a place where the best people want to work and refer their high potential friends to work for, too. Your best employees can help you find their replacements. It is happening in companies right now. Here’s an excerpt from a current employee at a company called Fast Enterprises that my daughter Melody went to work for because of the reviews posted on their Glassdoor® account like this one: I have been working at Fast Enterprises full-time (More than 5 years) Pros Fast, even at the 1000+ size it is, still cares deeply about each and every employee. Their benefits, even the way they help people move, the way they bring individuals AND their spouses/families into the culture, it super impressive and I love that about Fast. The work we do is serious in terms of being important work – our clients are generally very positive to work with and welcoming, so it is a pleasant place to work. Cons Any con I can think of is also a pro depending on how you look at it. Occasional relocation is also an opportunity to experience a new place and city. Occasional overtime is also an opportunity to make $. Advice to Management Employees love the partner interaction – everyone enjoys having a partner on their project or visiting their project. Keep that up!! Stop thinking the workforce is going to change and start changing the way you go about retaining and recruiting them. Many of the best HR professionals today know what needs to be done and many times are not given the support and resources to execute the most contemporary methods. Leaders like you have the authority and ability to create the future workforce at your organization that will propel you to 2025 and beyond. Antiquated want ads will not attract star players that desire to be on your team. Realizing that star players are being recruited by great companies and can choose to work anywhere they want to right now, will. Update the recruitment ads to attract star players so they will want to choose your company to work for. Use social media and YouTube to tell your story and connect with people regardless of where they currently work or are living. The new tactics are actually much cheaper than the old ones. The real question is, are you ready to use them? Create a place people love to come to work to each day. Allow us to help you. info@cortexleadership.com

A Leader's Time Metabolism - It's Not the What, It's the When September 19, 2019 Lynda McNutt Foster It’s not the what, it could be the when. In my ebook, Time Mastery: 7 Simple Steps to Richer Outcome , in our Leading a Winning Team coursework, we provide an assessment that allows leaders to determine what I have termed as their time metabolism. Simply stated, your time metabolism is a measurement of your physical and mental energy throughout your day. To master your time, as a leader, you can optimize your strengths by measuring when your energy is highest throughout the day and when the low points are. Completing your most difficult tasks, for your behavioral style and skillset level, at times when you have the most energy can be key to being in your “flow” zone more of the time (a state where you are working within your strength zones that bring you the most amount of creative and strategic output as a leader). The more time you spend in your flow zone, the higher level contributions to your team and organizations you can make. Some leaders love to get to work by 6am and knock out lots of tasks that any other time of the day would be difficult to complete due to distractions and perhaps a low desire to complete them. The higher your energy level, the more chance you have of completing difficult tasks. When your energy is low your willpower to be tenacious wanes. To optimize your time metabolism, try doing the hardest things when you have the most mental and physical energy and the things you like to do, complete when you have the least (because doing those will tend to give you extra energy). If you are a people person, even when you are tired you will find the energy to interact and connect. If you like to complete tasks more than you like talking to people, do those things when your energy isn’t at it’s highest because you will be energized by the quietness and solitude of checking things off a list and knowing they are done! What’s your time metabolism? When are you the most likely to tackle and solve the toughest challenges your team or organization is facing?

DISC, Motivators, Team Strengths DISC, Driving Forces, Cortex Team Strengths, Stress Quotient, Emotional Intelligence Each of these assessments delivers vital information to help you quickly assess the strengths and weaknesses of your team members and leaders. Using a proven Cortex method, these assessments based on real science will move you to a more efficient and effective way to pin point exactly what and who you need to focus on to create optimal performance from your team. TTI Success Insights (TTI SI) believes all people are unique and have talents and skills of which they are often unaware. TTI SI and its network of Value Added Associates, like Cortex Leadership Consulting, exist to reveal and harness these talents, using the Science of Self. Over three decades, TTI SI has researched and applied social and brain science, creating assessment solutions consultants in 90 countries and 40 languages used to hire, develop and retain the best talent in the world. TTI SI assessments are at work in the Fortune 1000 companies and have worked with over 100,000 companies over the years. TTI SI tools are EEOC and OFCCP compliant and are continuously tested and refined to ensure the highest standards of ethics and reliability, which is why Cortex has chosen to use TTI. With a tenacious, innovative culture, TTI SI and Cortex Leadership Consulting transform potential to productivity, performance and profits. TTI Success Insights® believes there are five dimensions of a superior performer that can be measured by our research-based assessments: Behaviors Motivators Acumen Competencies Emotional Intelligence Who you are, what you do and how you do it. The research-based, validated TTI Success Insights assessment we use at Cortex Leadership Consulting measures behaviors in five behavioral dimensions using the DISC theory. DISC measures Dominance, Influence, Steadiness and Compliance and was first developed by William Moulton Marston. Our Behaviors/DISC assessment is key in helping people understand HOW they behave and their ability to interact effectively with others in work and life, as well as how they respond to the following challenges: Problems and challenges Influencing others Pace of environment Rules and procedures To see a sample of our in-depth 23-page DISC Assessment Report, click here . Becoming self aware is the first step on your leadership journal. WHAT MAKES OUR DISC ASSESSMENTS MORE RELIABLE? The provider we use, TTI Insights, were the first DISC providers to guide companies from the prospective employee stage to selection, from on- board training to job-related development. More importantly, TTI SI is the only provider of DISC assessments in the marketplace that generates 384 unique reports, based on both the high and low scores revealed in each individual’s two DISC graphs (natural style graph and adapted style graph). In other words, TTI not only studies the behaviors that come naturally to the respondent — both how they act (Behaviors) and why they act a certain way (Motivators) — but we also analyze and present the less dominant behaviors. Developing these less dominant behaviors presents opportunities for self-improvement and greater understanding. Where other companies only provide a snapshot of an individual, we provide a full picture to gain a greater understanding of self and others. In addition, TTI SI is constantly running internal studies, including the study of adverse impact and is conduct- ing test-retest analysis to validate and to improve our products. These steps allow our suite of assessments to remain at the forefront of innovation and stand the test of time. MOTIVATORS Whereas Behaviors illustrate the HOW of our actions and decision-making, Motivators explain the WHY behind your actions and passions. Motivators, based on Eduard Spranger’s theory of human motivation, are the windows through which an individual views the world. These intrinsic motivations explain the key driving forces about someone’s on-the-job performance and why they act a certain way. Theoretical — the discovery of truth Utilitarian — money and what is useful; ROI Aesthetic — form and harmony Social — an inherent caring for people; helping others Individualistic — personal power, influence and renown Traditional — a system for living To see a sample of our in-depth 23-page Motivators Assessment Report, click here . Contact Cortex Leadership Consulting to learn more. Contact Us!

The Cortex Library is an online repository of articles, videos, books, and other resources. Cortex Library The Cortex Leadership Library is a multi-media treasure trove of information for anyone. Below you'll find our YouTube Channel, our CEO Lynda McNutt Foster's e-Book, as well our prolific blog. The Blog Check out some of the blogs you can read in our prolific library of blog articles. A Leader’s Time Metabolism – it’s not the what, it’s when It’s not the what, it could be the when. In my ebook, Time Mastery: 7 Simple Steps to Richer Outcome, in our Leading a Winning Team coursework, we provide an assessment that allows... Make Shift Happen – From Drama to Empowerment – Reference Guide Try these 6 questions to start making shift happen – move from drama to empowerment... Tips on Finding the Right Words During a Confrontation at Work What do you say at work when it’s hard to find the right words. There is no shortage of information out there on how we should do things... Embracing The Pressure, When the Pressure is On! Quick, easy, stress management techniques for the busy professional. Stress can have some serious physical effects. 75-90% of doctor visits can be directly linked to stress... Video Library Below you can sift through a few of what you'll find in our Cortex Video Library on YouTube. A Leader's Guide to Getting More FREE DOWNLOAD of the new study: A Leader’s Guide to Getting More, Fresh, High Quality Ideas from Their Teams Right Now: A wake up call to any leader that needs to innovate to thrive Register Here

Are You Ready to Lose Your Leaders? November 19, 2017 Lynda McNutt Foster 86% of companies surveyed by Deloitte University Press say the need is urgent to develop new leaders. Only 13% of organizations say they do an excellent job developing leaders at all levels. The Global Leadership Forecast reported that 85% of executives are not confident in their leadership pipelines. Perhaps organizations have been asking the question: How many people in our organization will we train to be leaders this year? When a better question might be, how many leaders do we need to train this year? The number of leadership positions that need to be filled as the baby boomers and silver generation retire in the next 10 years, can not be filled by Gen Xers . There’s not enough of them to fill those vacant positions. It’s estimated that 24 million new jobs will be created by 2020 as a result of baby boomers retiring. The Director for Georgetown’s Center on Education and the Workforce, Anthony P. Carnevale says, “The cognitive skills that will be most in demand for the jobs available in 2020 are leadership, communication, analytics and administration,” Also important research from Gallup discovered that 50% of the workers who had left organizations did so because of their manager . We’re going to need to train a ton of new leaders and the ones we have may not have the skills necessary to retain them. It is clear that succession planning through leadership and employee development, at every level of organizations, is an imperative. To be prepared, we need to consider that the previous models for training and development are not adequate for the tsunami that is ahead of us. The old model for training and development was an event. Each year, a select group of leaders from an organization were sent away in hope that they would come back to their teams and inspire and coach their team member’s to be more engaged and productive in order to reach the corporate goals that the leader wanted to meet. The training was expensive, which was why only a small number from the organization could go, and the programs took the leader away to a fantasy island where the lessons were set in a perfect scenario that was supposed to result in their team easily embracing the new lessons the leader had learned. If the leadership teams went as a group, their team members often felt like their boss, and his/her peers had learned a new and special “language” that was hard to understand and was never fully explained or understood by them. There was a separateness that was created that led to a “them vs us” mentality and resentment sometimes was felt towards the leaders. Even worse was the idea that the leaders being trained separately from their teams somehow had the skill of facilitation in order to “cascade” what they learned to each team member. This was supposed to happen in a seamless way with no continuing, or meaningful, support from the programs that trained the leaders. If support was given, it was usually done in an impersonal way through digital files or for those with a sizeable enough budget, one-on-one coaching. The old system of leadership training was not designed for today’s rapidly changing workplace that requires practical instruction for immediate challenges that face leaders and their teams daily. Leaders must demonstrate agility and so should the sources that help train them. For organizations to be competitive in attracting today’s workforce, they need to adopt a methodology of continuous development for their leaders with the teams they serve. Today, succession planning can be “baked into” the training. In the new model training is not one event, but instead, it is a series of group experiences that continual development and support leaders. By conducting the training this way, there is no loss of investment if a leader or one person on the team leaves, because the development is cascading to all members of the team. By doing this, you are developing your leaders of tomorrow while supporting the ones you have today. Through short, scheduled group sessions, teams, and their leaders learn to listen for understanding, have the difficult or sweaty conversations (as we call them) most people avoid that leads to their ability to work through and past the toughest challenges. The only way to make leadership development and skill building of your highest potentials affordable is to make it an imperative. It must be something that the current leadership in the organization believes to be one of its highest priorities. Saying it is “urgent and important” yet placing it in the “important but not urgent” quadrant will not create solutions that net results for your culture that reflect positively through your brand. When something is urgent and important it gets done. Creative solutions are found to solve it. The best minds in the company come together to collaborate on ideas and how to implement them. The solutions that are created are committed to and executed from the very top – they are not pushed up. When something is urgent and important it gets done and everyone sees the effect on the organization if it doesn’t. Where do you start if you know you need to train your leaders? 1. Determine if your commitment to developing your future leaders and to your succession plan will be in the urgent and important category in 2018. It’s fine if it isn’t, just please don’t say it is when it is not. Your mangers will notice the misalignment and more harm than good will come from it. To identify whether it truly is in the “urgent and important” category take a look at the budget you have set for it and the time you have made to create a vision, brainstorm ideas, develop a plan, and execute it. If you haven’t set money and time aside for these things, it’s either not in the urgent and important category now or you are throwing spaghetti at the wall and expecting it to stick. 2. Discover the answer to these questions: How many leaders do we need to have trained in 2018 and why to ensure we are ready for our changing workforce in 2019, 2020 and beyond? What are the leadership competencies they need to be trained in? How will we determine which competencies individual leaders are weak in? What are the best ways to be sure any training those leaders receive will be practiced? What are some of the modern methods of training that we can use that will have an immediate effect on the productivity of the leaders and their teams? How will we make performance development a continuous practice for our leaders and the teams they serve? How dated are the models we are using to train our contemporary workforce? What will success look like from the training that we are going to do? What type of support will be necessary, after the training, to ensure that it sticks? How will we measure the success of the training? Can the training stick without our (meaning the top tier leadership group) participation in it? Would it be most effective to train the leaders with their teams or have them trained separately? Does the brand image of the products or services we offer support the type of culture we are building within our leadership teams? Would you recommend to your best friend, if they are qualified, that they come to work for your company or organization? Make the time to consider these questions and have the sweaty conversations necessary to answer them this week, rather than next. Before the end of this year, instead of next. In 2018 instead of 2019. Your biggest competitors are doing this type of hard work that will lead to changing their corporate culture’s brand in order to reach prosperous outcomes. Cortex is working with organizations, right now, to ensure their profitable outcomes for 2018. We’d like to work with you.

Cortex Culture Kits Cortex Culture Kits Cortex Culture Kits Cortex Culture Kits Everything a leader needs to conduct tailored, relevant, meaningful, and impactful, 1-hour team experiences that build trust and cohesion. How Culture Kits Work How Culture Kits Work How Culture Kits Work How Culture Kits Work All Culture Kits are designed as a six-part series spanning over 12-months. Already been through a series before through a Cortex Workshop? You have the option to mix & match! By mix & matching, you have the opportunity to design a Culture Kit experience for you and your team that addresses your teams needs specifically. Once choosing or mix & matching your Culture Kit follow these steps: 1 Schedule 6 team meetings with your team spanning over 12-months 2 Notify your Cortex Coach on what your Culture Kit includes and that you have scheduled all sessions with your team 3 Two weeks prior to your scheduled meeting, you'll receive an email with the landing page of each month's materials relating to your Culture Kit What We Offer Cortex Culture Kits Grow Your Team! Stressed for Success Stressed for Success is a guided Culture Kit designed to help individuals understand and manage stress and anxiety. It explores the neurological roots of stress, different types of anxiety, and introduces practical tools to "quiet the bully in your brain." Participants engage in short, spaced-out learning modules paired with simple, repeatable exercises aimed at rewiring stress responses. By consistently practicing the techniques, users can expect to reduce anxiety triggers, improve sleep, gain emotional control, and experience a greater sense of calm and clarity. This Culture Kit is available as a six-part series spanning over 12 months. The DISC Culture Kit series guides teams through a dynamic journey of self-awareness, communication mastery, and collaboration using the DISC behavioral model. Over six one-hour sessions, participants learn to identify their own DISC style, understand and adapt to others, and use this awareness to improve teamwork, manage conflict, and give effective feedback. Each session builds on the last through interactive activities, guided discussions, and practical application tools. By the end of the series, team members will be equipped to leverage their behavioral strengths, flex for better connection, and lead with greater emotional intelligence. *Already been through a couple of these? You can mix and match between all culture kits to best fit your teams needs!* Appreciation The 6-part Appreciation Culture Kit is designed to help teams build a stronger, more connected workplace by practicing meaningful, personalized appreciation. Through the lens of the 5 Languages of Appreciation, participants learn how to recognize and express gratitude in ways that truly resonate with their teammates. Each one-hour session blends science-backed insights with practical tools and guided discussions that deepen trust, increase engagement, and reduce turnover. By the end of the series, teams walk away with a shared understanding of how to make appreciation a natural, everyday part of their culture. Conflict Resolution The 6-part Conflict Resolution Culture Kit helps teams develop the skills to navigate tension with clarity, compassion, and confidence. Each session guides participants through a progression—from recognizing personal conflict styles and emotional triggers, to mastering active listening, respectful expression, and behavioral adaptation using DISC. Teams will learn how to transform difficult conversations into growth opportunities and strengthen trust through accountability and repair. This practical, interactive series creates a psychologically safe environment where healthy conflict leads to stronger collaboration and better results. Want More? Check back periodically to see updates to the Culture Kits we offer! Have questions? Feel free to email info@cortexleadership.com