Developing executive intelligence
at all levels of leadership.
This is for the “45% of CEOs who believe their company will not be viable in ten years if it stays on its current path”
(PWC 27th Annual Global CEO Report, April 2024)​
For leaders and managers, the inner capabilities of stance and attitude … what we stand for, how we approach challenges, how we think … are the superpowers of great leadership. Leadership that inspires the heart, focusses the mind and ‘reads the tea leaves’ with skill and wisdom.
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Facing complexity and uncertainty with resolve and determination. Calm, centred and grounded. Drawing on insight and intelligence, creativity and imagination and strengthening the resolve of others to grow and thrive together.
These are the qualities of our true nature, the inner world of beliefs we have about ourselves and others, the reserves we can draw on, the as-yet-unknown capabilities that are waiting to show up, coupled with our innate human desire to get on with each other, work together and bring out the best in each other and in the working communities we build.
Being a leader right now depends more on character and ‘being’, on who you are, than on what you know how to do.
Next:
REFLECT . ACCEPT . CONNECT
EXECUTIVE INTELLIGENCE
The inner world of the leader is a path of self-mastery, training attention to hold steady, ground thinking in reality and regulate the physical and emotional reactions that are part of dealing with the huge amount of ‘stuff’ that has to be dealt with.
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We can learn to be more aware, more conscious, and tuned in; we can notice our internal triggers, include ‘all of what’s happening’ and then take action that is informed, appropriate and creative … at any time and in any moment. And even when we’re not able to accomplish that perfectly, we can build that ‘failure’ in too, ‘cause that’s the way we grow.
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We can become more real with each other in our ability to speak and act from the heart and that heartens others ... cœur, heart … the core of our courage.
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The ‘ship in the storm’ is our metaphor for ‘the leader not denying the storm but being totally aware of all aspects of it, trusting the ship and the crew ... without losing sight of where it’s going’.
RAPID TRANSFORMATION
For decades we have designed and delivered large-scale transformation programs for national and global organisations. In the process, we have accumulated practical and realistic change leadership capability and the critical 'get right’ checklists which have resulted in measurable and sustainable benefits.
In embedding wide-scale change capability into organisations we build the skills and attitudes essential for ongoing change and future fit performance into the organisation’s DNA.​
REVIEW . REIMAGINE . REGENERATE
RESPECT . COLLABORATION . LEARNING
We have developed a particular capability in large-scale behavioural change across whole organisations. Essentially, behavioural change is personal and large-scale change is collective personal change, achieved one person at a time.
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Our approach is to have our project ‘special ops’ teams work within the organisation for a time and work closely with in-house, cross-functional subject matter experts to diagnose, design and plan whilst supporting, coaching and mentoring change leaders to deliver the specific benefits of the transformation effort. And then we leave.
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Building that change capability into organisations via skilled culture change leaders is a more effective and manageable way of delivering a transformation program in-house, with significantly lower cost and disruption than outsourcing to external providers.
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IN A NUTSHELL
Corporate Spirit utilises deep background knowledge of emotional and social intelligence and mature adult learning to resolve people and systems roadblocks.
Using research and insight into how the human brain works, how group dynamics play out and how people are influenced by bias, blindspots, emotional needs and fears and what motivates them to learn and work productively in groups, facilitation smooths out the rough spots, unleashes creative problem solving and enables an efficient and collaborative workflow.
+ Next-level executive leadership masterclasses & retreats
+ Individual and group behavioural change
+ Whole system alignment: Human and financial capital aligned to strategic intention
+ Assessment, design and implementation of future-fit culture change programmes
+ Adoption of human-centred values for sustainable development
Transformational change
ADAPT . CHANGE . RENEW
SIMPLER . FASTER
HOW?
There is a business parable about an ‘elder’ engineer and an unexpectedly large repair bill. He had been hired to repair a ship’s engine which regularly failed. None of the ‘experts’ consulted had been able to solve the problem.
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With many, many years of experience, the elder engineer inspected the engine for a minute or two, then gently tapped a particular spot and the engine sprang to life. He followed up with an invoice for $10,000 that was queried by the business owners. His response? Tapping with the hammer … $100. Knowing where to tap … $9,900.
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‘Knowing where to tap’, and when, is the key to shifting the dynamics for producing better outcomes from the whole system, whether organisational or personal.​​
The core of our work is managing the AND, working with the system that is the organisation and the individuals, the groups and social dynamics.
Understanding how these elements interact and influence performance and outcomes makes change leadership just that bit easier and more effective. Simpler, faster and at a significantly lower cost.
Corporate Spirit works in partnership with the team responsible for transformation to make the plan work in real time, with real people, in real daily situations - at all levels of the organisation.
EXPERIENCE . KNOWLEDGE
Our core team
Tried and tested in the field, delivering innovative, effective learning and change programs across multiple fields of endeavour. That broad experience provides a firm foundation of people knowledge but also of business principles … strategy, performance, governance and integrated processes.
They hold many certifications in business diagnostics, particularly in the emerging field of vertical development and integral thinking.
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​There is a shared background in advanced personal and spiritual development, developmental psychology and leading-edge interpersonal skills and techniques.
Academic research
We have translated what we have learned into several research projects:
‘Navigating the Complexity of Culture Change’, Christina Kirk. Two case studies and a proprietary, whole-system framework formed the foundation of a PhD.
‘Radical Change: A Study of the Transformation of Human Consciousness’, Gai Roper. The process of personal development in group situations was examined in a thesis for a Graduate Diploma Social Ecology.
‘Power, Change & Social Dynamics’, Gai Roper.
A study of group dynamics contributed to a Masters Of Applied Science (Social Ecology).
GAI STEPHANIE ROPER Her insight into personal motivation, into what is moving a person and therefore their behaviours makes radical change possible. She creates enduring learning communities and facilitates healthy group dynamics.
​“Gai brought a very tangible and intuitive skill to decoding current behaviour and navigating people through to new ways of seeing old problems and new ways of behaving to effect change to a new way of working. This may sound simple but it is a highly complex task and takes great interpersonal and facilitating skills and insight.”
KIM DUTTON Creative and quick-witted with an inquiring mind, Kim helps executive and senior management become the leaders they need to be, to create the culture they need, to achieve the results they want. She uses leading-edge transformational tools to create resourceful states and mindsets that underlie real change.
“With a deep understanding of the way people think and feel, Kim creates powerful and safe learning spaces to facilitate real understanding and skill.”
DR CHRIS KIRK Chris grounds change in real benefits and genuine leadership commitment.
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She uncompromisingly holds fast to where we’re going and how we’re going to get there.
“Chris is a brilliant analyst of the issues and architect of the change program needed. She showed a remarkable capacity to stay in the large picture, map the dimensions of the culture and the changes needed and then devise an approach and tools to take the organisation to a new era.”
KEVIN WREN Patient, deep listening and responsiveness to what is needed; brings equanimity (with challenge) to the environment which enables constructive learning .. application of consulting frameworks
“Kevin … uses common sense and empathy to soothe the feathers that inevitably become ruffled for people in all kinds of groups. He approaches projects with intelligence and comprehends the challenges faced by contemporary Australian businesses.”
CASE STUDY
01
Over 14 months, a conservative national firm regenerated itself into an innovative, human-centred and future-focussed global business … through the GFC.
How? An overarching culture change program, integrating initiatives with 100% engagement and collaboration with executive management, alignment of strategy, values and focus on significant shifts in behaviours and performance.
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Future performance was built in through leadership training, embedding change management and creating blueprints for addressing essential structural and business model change.
“The program was awarded Australia’s top culture transformation. Within 3 years the firm topped the ‘most innovative’ list, held for 5 years in a row.”
CASE STUDY
02
CASE STUDY
03
Over two years, the agency transitioned from a public sector organisation to a commercially competitive entity, remaining true to its inherent service values and delivering better healthcare outcomes, especially for Indigenous and remote populations.
Key aspects involved deliberately shifting mindsets in all levels of management (including Ministerial and Board), redesigning operational practices and behaviours to support a modern, tight-knit, primarily scientific workplace changing the way they delivered their services.
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Post-program analysis identified tangible benefits demonstrating 68% to 78% productivity enhancement over the life of the program.
“I worked closely with the Corporate Spirit team, to grow and develop a new culture and new ways of doing things resulting in revenue growth of 50%. I strongly recommend them as a very experienced and effective change consultancy.
ACADEMIC TEACHING
Undertaking a radical change program over seven years, the organisation transitioned from an engineering to market-focussed business. We partnered with the ‘people team’ to build a regional leadership program, encompassing deep personal development, strategy and performance, coaching, communication, leadership skills and change management with a values-based organisation.
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The culture shift fueled immediate performance outcomes, unexpected staff bonuses and significantly reduced employee turnover. The business returned first-ever profits, halved capex and opex, increased significant market share, hence positioning itself as a major player in the A/NZ telco market.
“… Thank you ... I have learnt an incredible amount about myself, but also now feel I have the courage/clarity to act on things I have been consciously thinking about, particularly over the past year or so.”
For five years, as part of an innovative executive leadership program, Master of Change, Innovation and Leadership from Victoria University, we delivered a week-long immersive and experiential change leadership program with one of our case studies as the core of the learning.
LEADERSHIP COACHING
For the last 7 years, our team have been coaches on Homeward Bound: STEMM Women in Leadership, supporting the unique contribution women make to leadership and science.
ASSOCIATES
As a networked organisation with a long-standing in the field, we draw on the incredible skills and deep experience of many truly remarkable professionals.
Over decades we have collaborated with industry-leading partners who share our commitment to personal and professional development and who bring creative and innovative solutions to organisational strategy & performance, brand & communication, executive development and workplace engagement.
All of them share our passion for their own learning and development and a deep faith in the potential of people and teams.
WE CAN SCALE UP...
WE CAN SPECIALISE...
THOUGHT STARTERS
Whole system management utilises potential (and actual) opposing elements of the organisation to resolve conflicting processes and outcomes, takes advantage of underutilised resources, reduces costs and encourages innovation and creative problem-solving.
What does an AND solution look like?
Compliance & Right Action
Performance or Integrity
“The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and retain the ability to function.” F. Scott Fitzgerald
