Too many companies are losing great people not because of pay or perks, but because the culture isn’t doing its job.
Even the most talented leaders can’t outrun a system that tolerates disengagement, rewards mediocrity, or treats recognition as an afterthought. That’s why developing leadership isn’t enough. You have to build a workplace people want to stay for.
That’s where my work begins.
As a keynote speaker and culture consultant, I don’t coach individuals, I work with entire organizations to shift the daily behaviors, rituals, and leadership practices that shape how people feel at work. I help companies go beyond feel-good gestures and build appreciation into their strategy.
At the center of that approach is a framework I call the Six Gears of Grategy®, a practical roadmap for creating retention-driving cultures through intentional leadership and actionable gratitude.
Here’s how organizations are using it to do more than just train leaders—they’re transforming their culture.
1. Attitude: The Culture Mirror
Culture begins with what leadership believes about the people they lead.
Before anything changes externally, organizations need to challenge outdated narratives. For example: “No one wants to work anymore,” or “This generation doesn’t get it.” These stories do more than alienate your workforce, they sabotage progress.
Attitude is not a motivational poster. It’s a decision to stay curious, adaptable, and human.
Appreciation: Rewiring Your Brain, Not Just Your Culture
Before leaders can authentically appreciate others, they need to shift how they see the world, especially when it’s not going their way.
The Appreciation gear focuses on building a personal gratitude practice, a mental habit of finding the good, even when everything feels like it’s falling apart. It’s not about toxic positivity. It’s about retraining your brain to spot what’s working, so you’re not always leading from a place of frustration or fear.
Gratitude creates psychological resilience. It interrupts reactive thinking. And in high-pressure environments, that shift can change everything – from how a leader gives feedback to how they show up during a crisis.
This isn’t about journaling for journaling’s sake. It’s about rewiring default patterns to make space for clarity, patience, and connection, because culture doesn’t change unless leaders do.
3. Access: Tools, Support, and Leadership Visibility
People need access to succeed: access to the tools, training, and support systems that make them effective in their roles. But they also need access to leadership.
Too often, communication is filtered, top-down, and sporadic. Employees never hear how their work connects to the bigger picture. And when they do speak up, they’re not heard.
Access means removing the barriers between people and decision-makers. It’s about building trust by being visible, approachable, and real.
4. Acts of Service: Make the Mission Matter
Every job matters, but not every employee knows that.
This gear helps organizations bring purpose back into the conversation. I’ve worked with manufacturers, utilities, and even long-term care facilities that made simple changes: sharing customer impact stories in team meetings, spotlighting how someone’s behind-the-scenes effort made a real difference.
When people connect their work to a larger mission, they’re more resilient, more loyal, and more invested.
5. Applause: Celebrate Progress, Not Just Perfection
Here’s what too many companies miss: it’s not just about hitting the goal, it’s about seeing momentum along the way.
If your people only feel acknowledged once a year, you’ve already lost them. Recognition must evolve from a reward-based system into a culture-building tool.
Celebrate small wins. Applaud resilience. Make growth visible. You’ll create a culture where feedback feels energizing, not intimidating.
6. Accountability: Gratitude Meets Follow-Through
This is where it all locks into place.
Gratitude without accountability feels hollow. Accountability without gratitude feels harsh. But together? They create trust.
The organizations I consult with implement simple, trackable habits: like end-of-week “pulse checks” or peer accountability pairings, not as performance watchdogs, but as culture builders. When people know what’s expected and know they’re appreciated, they rise.
Organizational Coaching ≠ Executive Coaching
This might surprise people, but I don’t position myself as an executive coach. I work with organizations as systems. The biggest shifts I’ve seen don’t come from a single leader having a breakthrough, they come from teams changing how they operate.
From manufacturing plants to government agencies to national associations, my clients use the Six Gears to transform vague values into daily habits. Not because it’s trendy. Because it works.
Retention improves. Engagement rises. And leadership finally feels like something people want to follow, not escape.
Final Thought: Culture Is the Strategy
We often hear: “People don’t leave bad jobs; they leave bad bosses.” But the truth runs deeper.
People leave cultures where they don’t feel safe, seen, or supported. No amount of coaching can fix that if the organizational environment stays the same.
That’s why the future of leadership isn’t about charisma or technique; it’s about consistency. About building systems where recognition is expected, access is available, and alignment is real.
You can’t outsource culture. But you can build it, one intentional habit at a time.
The question isn’t: Are we coaching our executives well enough?
The question is: Does our workplace reflect the kind of leader we want them to be?
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