Leading Others to Peak Performance Strengthening Your Skillsets in Leading Others The Cortex Strengthening Your Skillsets in Leading Others is designed to help you assess your leadership skills, identify key areas for growth, and develop an actionable plan for improvement. You will engage in a self-assessment, pinpoint your two lowest-scoring skillsets, and set SMART goals to enhance your leadership effectiveness. This will empower you to build stronger teams, improve communication, and drive performance. By the end, you will have a clear roadmap for growth and a commitment to continuous leadership development. Steps 1 - 2 Step 1: Fill out the Cortex Coaching Intake Form Intake Form Step 2: Take the Leading Others Skillset Assessment Assessment Step 3: Read the accompanying article Article Step 4: Submit your Skillset Assessment below Submit Your Skillset Assessment Submit Your Skillset Assessment First Name* Last Name* Email* Company* Position* Who is your Cortex Coach?* Lynda McNutt Foster Allen Foster Kim Levings Upload Skillset Assessment Below Upload File Submit You've Completed the Pre-Coaching Steps! Thank you for following the steps in your Coaching Track. You will recieve an email from your coach with their scheduling link so you can schedule your first session. If you have questions in the meantime, feel free to reach out to info@cortexleader.com or email your coach directly.

Contact Cortex Leadership Consulting's office and executives Contact Us Roanoke, VA Phone: (540) 776-9219 Contact Tech

What We Provide The types of challenges we have helped leaders tackle include: Leadership Teams Creating leadership teams that communicate effectively with coworkers, clients and customers. Time Management Training leaders to map, measure, and design their time for maximum results. Succession Planning Executing a strong succession plan that evenly distributes the strengths and experience of senior and emerging leadership for continued success. Culture Kits Recognizing and stopping the lack of accountability within teams, departments, and divisions and creating a culture of ownership and proactivity. Employee Retention Creating a culture of coaching within your organization to develop and retain you best and brightest employees. Keynote Speeches Here are just a few organizations Lynda Foster, CEO of Cortex Leadership Consulting and her team members, have recently given keynote or customized workshops for Agility Training Developing more agile project teams that can innovate, plan, and execute important initiatives. Hiring Identifying and hiring the best talent to fill the right seats on your organizational bus to ensure desired outcomes are achieved. Conflict Mastery Managing and mitigating organizational crises as they arise to reduce their short and long term impact. What We Use 01. Assessments Learn more 02. Virtual Self-Learning 03. Workshops, Training, and Coaching Learn more 04. Leadership Programs Learn more

Cortex Leadership Consulting uses proven methods and individual consultation to make lasting hiring choices. Talent Acquisition Talent Acquisition Talent Acquisition Talent Acquisition assess We assess your team and the available talent pool to learn what you need and what's available. advertise Google, LinkedIn, Indeed - you name it, we're on it to find and attract the right candidates. interview We screen and interview candidates, then work with you to identify the cream of the crop. onboard From day 1 through 90, we're there to help. Iterative check ins and coaching help us smooth out those onboarding bumps. Follow up Continuous improvement takes communication. We wrap up each engagement before switching back into gear for the next challenge. Our unique blend of advanced behavioral assessments, scientific rigor, and innovative interviewing techniques ensures we match the right talent to the right roles, driving success and growth in your organization. Our iterative, five-prong process ensures that we fully support your hiring needs. Cortex works to identify your team's unique dynamic and find the right person to fit the culture, not just the posting. Tools We Use Programs We Run Problems We Solve

Our Clients - Their Words "I've always, always hated conflict. Until I found DISC and found Lynda's training. " Tools We Use Programs We Run Problems We Solve

Executive Coaching Executive Coaching can be one of the most powerfully effective tools for reaching your desired outcomes. These power packed sessions can quickly transform any size challenge. There is only one goal of an executive coach during a session, to help move you forward in the direction you want to go towards the goal and desired outcome you want to achieve. Using proven, researched, and best practices methods that help an executive see a situation from a different perspective and provide the right questions, at the right time, to help unlock their highest-level thinking, Our executive coaching packages include: 1 1-hour Coaching Sessions 1-hour monthly coaching sessions 1:1 with your executive coach either in person at our offices in Roanoke, VA or via Zoom video calls. 2 Monti - The Pocket Coach Monti “coach in your pocket” interactive texting monitored by your coach to support the behavior modifications you wanted to make between sessions. 3 Educational Videos Access to over 200 short length educational videos that further support any executive behavior changes you want to make during your coaching program. 4 Articles and Exercises Access to over 500 articles that provide guidance and exercises to improve your understanding or execution of principles and practices for yourself and your team members. Tools We Use Programs We Run Problems We Solve

Training with Cortex Creating Leadership Teams Creating leadership teams that communicate effectively with coworkers, clients and customers. Mapping and Measuring Results Training leaders to map, measure, and design their time for maximum results. Establishing Proactive Ownership Recognizing and stopping the lack of accountability within teams, departments, and divisions and creating a culture of ownership and proactivity. Identifying Talent Identifying and hiring the best talent to fill the right seats on your organizational bus to ensure desired outcomes are achieved. Developing Agile Teams Developing more agile project teams that can innovate, plan, and execute important initiatives. Closing Skill and Resource Gaps Identifying and closing the gaps in skills and resources to enable your organization to grow at its maximum potential. Tools We Use Programs We Run Problems We Solve

We've been growing so you can, too. Sign up for online self-learning courses in our cortex-courses site. Each contains videos from our coaches, activities, and exercises in bite-sized, achievable chunks. Shift Lynda McNutt Foster is a certified practitioner of TED* The Empowerment Dynamic and can make shifts happen with your team, no matter what type of drama your team is experiencing. 360 surveys are assessment tools that provide leaders and employees with feedback about their performance.  The surveys’ subject is rated in areas such as leadership, communication, productivity, and technical skills. Check it out The Cortex Team Strengths full day session is designed to tackle a leadership team's biggest challenge and give them a model they can use in the future. The session includes a Cortex Team Strengths assessment that will help leaders/managers better understand which of the 4 phases of a project cycle they prefer to work within. Grow EPIC is a turn-key, coaching and mentoring program to build emotional intelligence in the area of self-awareness and leadership skills of highly engaged professionals. Explore If you take your leadership training with a side of ridiculous, we've got just what you ordered. Get untied with Lynda McNutt Foster and Brett Sharp in this groundbreaking podcast. Listen Now Conducted with small groups in a highly interactive format, this program is designed for seasoned leaders and those accepting the role and responsibility of leadership. Lead Tools We Use Programs We Run Problems We Solve

8 Statements That Will Change Everything About Recruiting and Retention at Your Company June 6, 2019 Lynda McNutt Foster “We came to realize what is perhaps the biggest problem of all with the idea of culture: it doesn’t help us understand what to do more of, less of, or differently. For that, we must take you to where the experience lives: to your team, and network of teams, and their leaders. That’s what matters most,” Marcus Buckingham and Ashley Goodall in 9 Lies About Work: A Freethinking Leader’s Guide to the Real World. Two decades worth of research about why and how people perform well at work has culminated in this book. I am convinced about the research and the impact it can have on companies that are struggling to recruit and retain the best workers because Marcus Buckingham is not only an expert in this space, the research mirrors what we have been studying for the last 7 years from our goMonti data sets. The main conclusion that the research in 9 Lies About Work demonstrates is good news. It states that “what people care most about at work is within your team leader’s control.” As they state, a team leader can’t always set corporate policies, but what they can do is: Set clear expectations for their team members Position each person to play to his or her strengths every day Praise the team for excellent work Help people grow their careers Build trust with the people on the team that they serve The focus should be on helping grow the abilities of team leaders to: Give their team member’s a sense of universality – all of us together Recognize each team member’s uniqueness In other words, magnify what we all share and to lift up what is special about each of us. How can you measure how your teams are doing within your organization and determine future sustained or increased performance and retention? There are 8 statements that should be asking and gauging responses for regularly (once a month or at least once a quarter) to measure what matters the most to measure the aspects that drive performance, voluntary turnover, lost work days, accidents on the job, and customer satisfaction. The 8 statements are grouped into two themes. The first is the team member’s communal or “we” share experience at work or rather the “Best of We,” and they are: I am really enthusiastic about the mission of my company. In my team, I am surrounded by people who share my values. My teammates have my back. I have great confidence in my company’s future. The second set of statements are themed as the individual’s experience at work or rather, “Best of Me”. They cover a team member’s internal questions like, “What is unique about me? What is valuable about me? Do I feel challenged to grow? And they are: 5. At work, I clearly understand what is expected of me. 6. I have the chance to use my strengths every day at work. 7. I know I will be recognized for excellent work. 8. In my work, I am always challenged to grow. From Chapter One of 9 Lies at Work, the first lie at work is that people come to work for companies. The research is sound on this, and that statement is not true for most people. What is true is that people care which team they’re on and which company they join. Need help executing these concepts? Find out how your team members would score on the 8 statements. Wondering how your team members would score on these 8 statements? goMonti is currently conducting local research and can issue this employee engagement and team performance survey at no charge for current clients. If you are an existing client, contact us for more information at info@cortexleadership.com . If you are not a current Cortex client, one or more of your teams may qualify to have us issue the survey at no charge. To receive information about our new Employee Engagement Surveys and how they can transform your teams, contact info@cortexleadership.com . Watch this short video from Coffee with a Coach, A Cup of Confidence, about the 8 statements and how team leaders can use them to gain powerful insights.

Coaching Packages Flexible. Personalized. High-Impact Coaching. Cortex Coaching Packages are designed for leaders and professionals who want ongoing, expert guidance without committing to a full-year engagement. Whether you're looking to sustain momentum, navigate new challenges, or prepare for your next level of leadership, our flexible packages offer a high-value option to receive focused, personalized coaching at a rhythm that fits your schedule and goals. Using proven, researched, and best practices methods that help an leader see a situation from a different perspective and provide the right questions, at the right time, to help unlock their highest-level thinking, Our coaching packages include: 1 1-hour Coaching Sessions 1-hour coaching sessions 1:1 with your executive coach either in person at our offices in Roanoke, VA or via Zoom video calls. Best for: Mid-level leaders, rising executives, or alumni of full coaching programs Frequency: Use six 1-hour coaching sessions over a 12-month period Flexibility: Schedule monthly, bi-monthly, or as needed—your coaching, your pace Custom Coaching Package (upon request) Best for: Organizations or leaders needing a unique cadence or specialized support Options: Bundle coaching with team assessments, training, or supervisor check-ins Availability: Customized by scope and goals 2 Monti, Coach in Your Pocket Three text-based coaching prompts per week, including reflective questions, micro-insights, and optional journaling. 3 Cortex Coaching Portal, Pre-Session Development Questionnaires, Tailored Coaching Plan Portal access to view additional learning resources. Pre-Session Development Questionnaire to clarify areas and goals Tailored Coaching Plan aligned to your objectives and leadership development stage Optional: Supervisor Summary to support alignment with your manager or supervisor 4 Targeted Tools & Templates DISC, Driving Forces, EQ, and Leadership Competencies assessments

Level 2: Leading Others to Peak Performance Your leadership impact will be greatly affected by the competencies you are able to build a foundation for and enhance as you adjust to changing working environments and market conditions. Deciding which ones you will need the most in the coming 1-3 years is a critical success factor in achieving the outcomes you want you, your team, and your organization to achieve. Review the following information to ensure an understanding of each competency, complete the spreadsheet provided, and then review it with whom you report to so that you can ensure alignment. This information will be used to create your Cortex Leadership Development Plan that you will utilize during your executive coaching journey. Step 1: Take the Cortex Coaching Intake Form Intake Form Step 2: Review the Leadership Competencies Selection and Instruction Guide Guide Step 3: Take the Leadership Competencies Assessment Assessment Step 4: Review with your Supervisor It is best, when you complete this exercise, to review it with who you report to in order to get their feedback. Step 5: Bring your Assessment results to your upcoming coaching session

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: