What is just one thing that would really make the world better?

If we asked you, what would you say? 

For us, the answer is more authentic leaders. 

We believe organizations and communities need more leaders who speak from their own voice, think outside their old habits, feel clear in their purpose and aligned in their values, and act in ways that inspire and empower those they lead.

This kind of leadership isn’t something that can be copied. It must be developed from within.

Developing authentic leadership isn’t easy, but it’s necessary, now more than ever. The world is complex and our circumstances can feel overwhelming. Lately many of us feel in over our heads navigating changes that never seem to end. Too often we don’t even have time to pause and consider new ways of acting because we are too busy putting out fires. It feels easier to go along with the same strategies that have worked for us so far rather than asking the hard questions about what we need to do differently.

The noise of what we should do often drowns out our voice of what we must do. 

Frankly, we were inauthentic leaders for a while. We led by following others’ examples rather than our own. We followed the career path laid out in front of us. We adopted the proven strategies to lead according to a certain standard— a standard that was externally defined. We were successful at playing a game according to rules that had been written for us. We were leading as we “should.”

Eventually, something felt a little off. When we would allow ourselves to think about it, our ways of leading just didn’t feel like us anymore. We knew there was a better way, a more authentic way, but it would require authoring our own rules. It would require defining our own values and leadership purpose. It would require admitting to ourselves that up until this point…

We were performing leadership rather than being leaders.

Ouch. So now what? Fortunately, we weren’t alone. 

Based on conversations with mentors and friends, interviews with colleagues, our extensive professional networks, and our growing body of research, we knew many, many other leaders felt this misalignment, too. In community with other leaders, we began to deepen our purpose, make more meaningful contributions, have bigger influence and impact, and lead more skillfully and strategically, for greater and more mutual benefit.

You aren’t alone, either. 

You don’t need more instruction on how to lead. You already know what to do. You need expert support in unlocking your leadership identity and exercising your voice so you can lead more authentically– so you can lead as a way of being, rather than performing.

Be, don’t do.

At CGE, this is our calling. We help leaders unlock their authentic leadership identity so they can make their fullest contributions in their lives and careers.

Armed with 40 years of experience and deep expertise in leadership development, we know leaders learn and grow best in community. We leverage executive coaching and the collective wisdom of other leaders in our signature program. We blend high support with high challenge so leaders can find and meet their next growing edge. We move beyond technical training to shift and expand mindsets while also developing leadership skillsets.

We bring our deep knowledge of leadership and our passion for developing people to our practice. 

This is an endeavor of the heart, one we don’t want to take alone. We continually grow and develop alongside our clients. We are a community dedicated to developing authentic leaders. Our name reflects our aim. We are Collective Growth Endeavors.