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Join us as our special guest for an exclusive gathering of leaders for a new type of visionary experience. On Thursday, February 19th (5:00 PM – 6:30 PM), we are taking over 'The Eye' planetarium at the Science Museum in Roanoke. What to expect: A 15-minute state-of-the-art visual experience starting at 5:40pm, designed to ignite your highest-level thinking. Chef-created appetizers designed to fuel your body and ignite the visionary part of your brain. Kevin will be there to answer any nutrition questions you may have and even give you some training tips to kick off your new year. Interesting conversations with leaders committed to driving innovation for their organizations. 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm - if you can't make it the whole time, just be sure to be there at 5:40 pm for the visionary experience we've created for you. Sorry, but this form is now closed. RSVP: Leading in the Age of AI First name Last name Email Are you bringing a guest with you? Yes No Maybe If yes, please provide their first name. Their email address Submit RSVP

Leadership Experts Urge Global Business Shift from VUCA to BANI Framework to Navigate Chaos of the 2020s < Back Cortex Leadership Consulting Jun 20, 2025 Roanoke, VA & Cologne, Germany – In a bold and timely call to action, Lynda McNutt Foster, CEO of Cortex Leadership Consulting, and Holger Heinze, Director & Partner at O'Donovan Consulting AG, have co-authored a powerful new thought leadership piece titled “From VUCA to BANI: Leading in Today’s Chaotic World.” The article challenges today’s business leaders to move beyond the now-outdated VUCA framework and embrace a new, more relevant leadership model: BANI – Brittle, Anxious, Nonlinear, and Incomprehensible. For decades, the VUCA framework (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous) has guided executive decision-making amid change. However, Foster and Heinze argue that today’s disruptions – from pandemics and geopolitical instability to climate crises and AI-driven transformation – demand a more honest and actionable map. “VUCA no longer fully captures the intensity or emotional weight of our world,” says Foster. “BANI gives leaders a better language to interpret and respond to the stress fractures showing up across every industry.” Why BANI, Why Now First introduced by futurist Jamais Cascio, BANI captures the emotional and structural instability of modern systems. The article walks readers through how: Brittleness reflects systems that break under pressure. Anxiety is an ever-present emotional state due to constant uncertainty. Nonlinearity means minor events can cause disproportionate impact. Incomprehensibility challenges leaders’ ability to interpret fast-moving, ambiguous data. The authors emphasize that BANI is not just a trend—it’s an urgent leadership imperative. “Our institutions, processes, and mindsets must evolve. We can no longer rely on planning cycles built for stability,” says Heinze. “BANI leadership demands resilience, empathy, improvisation, and intuition.” A New Leadership Playbook The article outlines a modern leadership toolkit suited for the BANI world. Leaders must: Shift from reactive firefighting to resilient foresight . Replace rigid, hierarchical workflows with agile and adaptive systems . Invest in psychological capital (PsyCap) – Hope, Efficacy, Resilience, and Optimism – to sustain teams amid stress and uncertainty. Foster cross-functional collaboration and collective sensemaking as a strategic advantage. “Leaders who thrive in BANI environments don’t seek perfect control—they build cultures prepared to bend without breaking,” says Foster. Global Examples of BANI Leadership Foster and Heinze back their insights with powerful case studies: Home Depot chartered private ships to avoid supply chain chaos. Tesla rewrote software to accommodate chip shortages. GM & Ford pivoted to produce ventilators and PPE during COVID-19. Microsoft focused on emotional intelligence and psychological safety through empathetic policies. These real-world examples show that BANI-ready companies outperform not by avoiding chaos—but by being structurally and culturally prepared to engage with it. Call to Action The article closes with practical steps: forming a “BANI Response Team,” measuring adaptability alongside efficiency, and conducting team conversations about readiness. Leaders are encouraged to ask, “If our world is truly BANI, what’s one thing we should change today?” As Foster notes, “Chaos favors the prepared, the courageous, and the flexible. That can be you and your company.” Contact Information For North America: Lynda McNutt Foster CEO, Cortex Leadership Consulting 📧 lynda@cortexleadership.com 🌐 www.cortexleadership.com For Europe: Holger Heinze Director & Partner, O'Donovan Consulting AG 📧 holger.heinze@odonovan.de 🌐 www.odonovan.de Previous Next

Subscribe Subscribe: AI Leader Brief Developed by Cortex CEO and executive strategist, Lynda McNutt Foster, in response to what she calls “an urgent need for clarity” amid the AI boom. “Leaders are bombarded with noise and buzzwords,” said Foster. “This brief delivers what they actually need—what’s real, what’s working, and what to watch next.” December 2, 2025 November 5, 2025 September 15, 2025 Read the Brief Listen to the Clip Read the Brief Listen to the Clip Listen to the Clip Read the Brief Read the Action Sheet carpe diem article Read the Brief August 25th, 2025 August 11th, 2025 August 4th, 2025 July 27th, 2025 Listen to the Interview Read the Brief Listen to the Brief Read the Brief Read the Brief Listen to the Brief Listen to the Brief July 21st, 2025 July 14th, 2025 July 8th, 2025 June 30th, 2025 Listen to the Brief Read the Brief Read the Brief Read the Brief Read the Brief What Our Clients Say Laura Barody, AVP of Subsidiary Accounting "I’ve been fortunate to have early access to the AI Leader Brief, and it’s quickly become a go-to resource. Each edition offers a concise, strategic view of what’s happening in AI—without the noise. It’s helped me stay current and think more critically about how AI impacts the way we work. Highly recommend for anyone in a leadership or decision-making role."

Intentional Communication with DISC Cortex DISC Training is an interactive workshop designed to equip leaders with a deeper understanding of their strengths, challenges, and communication styles. Using personalized DISC reports, this session will explore behavioral preferences—both yours and those of others—while providing actionable strategies to enhance leadership effectiveness and team dynamics. Step One: Watch "What Is The DISC and Motivators Assessment, and Why Am I Taking It?" Step Two: Take Your DISC and Driving Forces Assessment. You'll get your results immediately after taking the assessment. PRINT & BRING TO CLASS. DISC Assessment Step Three: Review Your DISC Guide DISC Guide Step Four: Take the Cortex Team Strengths (VIPE) Assessment VIPE Assessment VIPE Scorecard

Your Executive Leadership Journey Begins Here 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: Review the Leadership Competencies Selection and Instruction Guide Guide Step 2: Review the Executive Leaders Mission Statement Mission Statement Step 3: Complete the Value Portion You will need this Value List to complete Part one of the Leadership Mission Statement exercise. Values Exercise Step 4: Complete the rest of the Mission Statement Step 5: Leadership Competencies Consider your Top 4 Leadership Competencies and why developing those are the most important in the coming year. Assessment Step 6: 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.

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?

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Professionals Graduate EPIC Leadership Program < Back Kathlynn Stone Feb 7, 2025 More than two dozen professionals from across Virginia gather to celebrate graduating from the EPIC Leadership Program. Roanoke, Va. - The Salem-Roanoke County Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with Cortex Leadership Consulting , recently celebrated the graduation of 25 professionals from the EPIC Leadership Program. This five-month immersive coaching and mentoring experience is designed to build emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and leadership skills in highly engaged professionals. Taylor Hubbard , an EPIC graduate and one of the speakers at the graduation ceremony, shared her experience: "This journey has really taught me a lot. One of my biggest insights was shifting from the Dreaded Drama Triangle (DDT) to the Empowerment Dynamic (TED). Recognizing that you control how you react and assuming people have good intentions helps shift into a solutions mindset." At the graduation ceremony, graduates and leaders shared reflections on the program’s impact. Melissa Glick , another graduate, recalled her introduction to EPIC after starting at Metis : "My fifth day on the job, I found myself at Wilderness Adventure with a group of total strangers. After warm-up activities, we faced the harrowing swing drop. We cheered each other on and completed the challenge. Just when we thought the hardest part was over, we were taken to the Cat Walk—an eight-inch log 60 feet in the air, 100 feet across. A group of strangers came together, connected, encouraged, and cheered each other on." April Woodward , President of the Board of Directors for the Salem-Roanoke County Chamber of Commerce and Vice President of Oncology at LewisGale Medical Center at HCA Healthcare, spoke at graduation about why it was important for the Chamber to partner with Cortex to bring this program to the area, saying : "When this program was presented to the Chamber and Lynda and her team came and presented it, the first thing I thought of was okay, I would love to have a training program where instead of a rules session orientation and the obligatory code of conduct, the first day we go to Wilderness Adventure. I mean, I’m just saying, that’s a pretty cool way to start any leadership session. So, I don’t know of another program out there like EPIC. And when I heard that I thought okay, they offer in-person classes, data-driven information, and one-on-one mentorship with certified leadership coaches. That’s pretty impressive." The EPIC program stands apart as a turn-key leadership development experience that combines in-person learning, data-driven insights, and one-on-one mentorship with certified leadership coaches. This cohort met monthly at the South County Library, tackling key topics essential to leadership growth. Each session began with foundational concepts before diving deeper into practical application. The program’s structured approach focuses on intentional leadership development, with each month dedicated to a core leadership skill: Communicating with Intention – Using the DISC/Driving Forces assessment, participants, known as Adventurers, gained self-awareness in the area of communication. Acting with Intention – Adventurers learned to recognize when they are creating drama and how to shift toward proactive thinking and actions. Thinking with Intention – From decision-making to collaboration for innovation, Adventurers applied a simple but impactful problem-solving framework. Managing Priorities with Intention – Participants assessed time management habits and implemented tools to manage multiple priorities effectively. Building Trust with Intention – Through Conversational Intelligence, Adventurers gained a deeper understanding of how they build and maintain trust in professional relationships. The program’s impact extends beyond personal growth—it prepares participants for leadership roles within their organizations. Chris Carey , President of Metis , emphasized the role EPIC plays in developing future leaders: "We don’t have direct mentorship like we used to when people worked side by side every day. EPIC has helped bridge that gap by developing our people and ensuring they have the skills they need as they progress." Jeanne Newby , a facilitator of the EPIC program , reflecting on the graduates' dedication, shared: "This graduating cohort has set a new standard through their commitment and engagement. It was the first class to be entirely in-person, achieving the highest attendance. Even more impressive is that they embraced every challenge with curiosity and openness. Their willingness to dig deeper and explore new approaches reflects leadership that will strengthen teams and communities." Graduating from EPIC is more than an achievement—it marks a transformational journey for professionals eager to enhance their leadership capabilities. As this cohort moves forward, they carry with them not only new skills but also a strengthened mindset, a network of support, and the confidence to lead with intention. Apply for the EPIC Leadership Training Program here ! Previous Next