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Kimberly Eakin Earns TED Certification to Elevate Client Success with Cortex < Back Kathlynn Stone Dec 16, 2024 Kimberly Eakin, a valued Mentor and Coach on the Cortex team, has achieved certification in The Empowerment Dynamic (TED*) Cortex Leadership Consulting is proud to announce that Kimberly Eakin , a valued Mentor and Coach on the Cortex team, has achieved certification in The Empowerment Dynamic (TED*) framework. Completing an intensive 10-week course with The Center for The Empowerment Dynamic, Kimberly is now certified to guide leaders and teams from reactive behaviors to intentional, empowering actions using this proven methodology. At Cortex, we are dedicated to staying at the forefront of leadership and team development. This certification underscores our commitment to investing in the professional growth of our team members, ensuring every coaching engagement is impactful, tailored, and results-driven. Kimberly’s achievement further strengthens Cortex’s ability to help clients thrive in dynamic and challenging environments. Lynda Foster, Founder and CEO of Cortex Leadership Consulting, highlighted Kimberly's exceptional commitment to professional growth and the impact it has on clients, stating: “Kimberly, a cornerstone of Cortex for nearly 14 years, continues to elevate client success through her dedication to continuous learning—this certification adds yet another tool to her coaching toolkit to drive even faster results." The Coaching with TED Foundations course emphasizes integrating key principles of The Empowerment Dynamic into coaching practices. Participants learn to embody the roles of Creator, Challenger, and Coach, enabling clients to transform drama into empowerment and achieve sustainable growth. Kimberly described the program as transformative, sharing: "This impactful training equipped me with the tools to help leaders and teams shift from reactive behaviors to intentional, empowering actions. By mastering the 5-step process of Awareness, Pause, Focus, Respond, and Sustain, I am prepared to guide our clients in navigating challenges with clarity and fostering stronger, more effective relationships." Through Kimberly's certification, Cortex further deepens its commitment to empowering leaders and teams, fostering a culture of growth, respect, and resilience. For more information on how Cortex Leadership Consulting can support your organization’s development through innovative coaching strategies, please visit cortexleadershipconsulting.com . Previous Next

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< Back The Productivity Myth Why Overloaded Leaders Lose Their Edge The Productivity Myth That's Stealing Your Leadership Edge Busy leaders often feel the least effective. Here's why. Leadership isn't about how much you do - it's about how much you impact. If you're constantly... Multitasking instead of deep working Saying yes to everything instead of focusing on key priorities Feeling exhausted but seeing little progress ... then you're trapped in The Productivity Myth. How to fix it: Prioritize impact over effort. Not every task deserves your time. Use time-blocking & batching. Protect deep work time like your calendar depends on it (because it does). Cut what's unnecessary. If a task doesn't drive results, it's a distraction. Want to shift from busy to impactful? Watch this quick breakdown. [insert clip] [insert time mastery 2.0 assessment link] Previous Next

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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