Innovative Leadership

Meet Bryan Schaefer; a leadership coach and Certified Alignment Practitioner (CAP). Bryan has over 30 years experience as a leader, speaker & business owner. He is passionate about helping others make the world a better place, one leader at a time. He is a compelling storyteller and takes what he has learned by doing and presents it in a way that is fun and easy to understand and apply.

As an Alignment Practitioner Bryan helps leaders and teams Master the Art of Alignment. Alignment is what you need to become a Rock Star Leader. Alignment ensures everyones voices are heard so the best ideas are implemented. It also creates a truth-telling culture where all team members feel valued and a positive contributor to the process. Alignment evokes a common passion that helps you achieve your mission, vision, and goals.

Bryan offers coaching, team building, online courses and keynote speaking through his company Rock Star Leadership Training.

Q & A with Bryan Schaefer

Why did you start Rock Star Leadership Training?

I had been in corporate learning and development for over 25 years. I changed directions to open a School of Rock Franchise, which I owned. I owned it for 8 years. We grew it to be the #1 Franchise in Canada and one of the top in the world. I used many of the previous training and leadership skills and experience to build a great business and a high performing team. That is where the branding Rock Star Leadership Training came from. Running my own business, I learned what type of leadership approach is required to get your team aligned, focused, engaged and all moving in the same direction. I successfully proved in my own business what works and how to do it, and now want to share this with the world. My mission is to change the world, one leader at a time.

What makes you different from other leadership coaches?

I do not focus on all aspects of your business. I focus strictly on team alignment and help you become an inclusive leader. Getting your teams aligned to your mission, vision and values and getting them committed to get things done. Guess what happens when you do this? The positive business results will follow. I have run several successful businesses and have applied what I teach in my own businesses. I am a CAP (Certified Alignment Practitioner). I have studied and gained knowledge as well as have practical experience. I also have over 25years as a trainer.

What is change management?

We all know as a business we must constantly evolve to stay competitive, so change is inevitable. When is a leader at their best? When things stay the same and during the status quo? No, leaders are at their best, or required to be their best when things are changing. When your business is facing challenges, when you must change direction, implement new systems, policies, programs, new goals and targets, growth or expansion, COVID, increased competition, new KPIs, whatever it is, that is when as a leader you must be at your best. You also need to get everyone who is required to execute on these changes to be their best. How you manage your staff through these challenges and changes and how you introduce new ideas, that is change management. I teach leaders a systematic approach to introducing new ideas to your employees, getting them to agree on a path forward, and commit to carrying their weight in getting ideas across the finish line. It helps leaders get things done!

Why do organizations need to switch their style from change management to a leader who can facilitate alignment?

I recently co-authored a book with Brian Tracy where I talk about this very thing. I give examples of the millions of dollars wasted on projects that did not meet the goals, or failed because they did not align their teams properly. Two of the top 5 reasons projects fail are poor collaboration with all parts of the organization and lack of a shared vision about what we are doing, where we are going, and the WHY we are doing this.

The old way of thinking of Change management is that it is something that happens AFTER a decision has been made on the direction we are going to take. Then you tell your staff what has already been decided and ask them to get to work to implement these changes. This does not work. It makes staff feel, unappreciated, and "victims" of change, rather than part of the solution. They will push back, not commit to the project, not execute on the changes, and become disengaged and frustrated. This is why: projects fail, not because of poor planning.

"People do not tear down what they build".

As a leader you will see issues, problems, and challenges in your company that need to be solved. BEFORE you make any decisions on how you want to solve the problem, you must engage with your teams, and use the simple approach I teach in my Mastering the Art of Alignment course. Everyone gets a voice, everyone can share ideas, everyone can contribute to the solution. You create psychological safety where people feel safe to speak up, even if they oppose your ideas. By inviting all parts of the organization, and especially those who are most affected by the proposed change into the planning process, you get 2 benefits:

1) Better ideas and solutions

2) Buy-in, commitment and support for those ideas. Because the people you need to deliver on the plan were part of building the plan.

This is how you facilitate alignment, and how you approach change and become an inclusive leader. The alternative is the top-down, command and control, carrot and stick, micromanaging approach to leadership, which nobody wants.

Advice to leaders who are just starting out and building their teams?

I was asked this question recently in an interview I did with Brian Tracy. He asked what the 2 most important traits of a good leader are. (My answer to that question also answers this question on advice to give a new leader.) Here are 2 things:

#1 Be an Inclusive Leader.

Being an inclusive leader means every voice matters (not just yours). You spend more time listening than talking. You care about and include your team in decisions. You create a culture that is a safe place to share ideas and take interpersonal risks.

When you become an inclusive leader, you are seen as a “Rock Star”, and you will create a committed and engaged workforce who will work hard for the success of the company.

#2 Be humble.

In the book I talk about a quote from The Rock “Check Your Ego at The Door”. Your Ego can be a success inhibitor. Your Ego is attached to ownership of ideas. If you are the only one that can have good ideas, and you always need to be right and in charge, you will not create an aligned team. I have seen bad leadership because the leader was insecure and unable to let go of their power and control. You must share the spotlight. Let others have and take credit for ideas. Surround yourself with people that are smarter than you, then let them do their jobs. Everyone on your team will feel safe to share ideas and do great things for you and the company. Part of being humble also means saying thank you and showing your appreciation to your staff.

One of the principles taught in our course is bringing SHUVA into your culture. SHUVA is an acronym that describes a basic universal need all humans have to be: SEEN, HEARD, UNDERSTOOD, VALUED and APPRECIATED When your employees feel SHUVA they feel terrific, and this is your path to alignment. If you do nothing else but make your employees feel: seen, heard, understood, valued, and appreciated, you will become a great leader.

Learn more about me, purchase my book or book an appointment to chat about your leadership goals visit my website:

https://www.rockstarleadershiptraining.com/