LEADERSHIP LAB
Where leadership teams strengthen how they communicate, collaborate, and lead strategically through complexity and change
Your organization can only grow to the level at which your people can effectively lead and communicate.
Are your leaders struggling to keep up with the pace of change?
Is reactive and rushed communication causing more problems that its solving?
Is everyone constantly putting out fires instead of shaping an exciting vision for the future of the organization?
Has trust between teams or leaders eroded to the point that collaboration has been compromised?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, know that you, your team, and your organization are not alone. These are common challenges facing organizations that have to constantly adapt in our rapidly changing world.
These struggles are so common that recent Gallup data show that only:
20% of employees strongly agree they trust organizational leadership.
27% strongly agree communication from their manager is effective.
32% strongly agree they work in a trusting, open environment.
Your organization can only grow to the level at which your people can effectively lead and communicate.
Are your leaders struggling to keep up with the pace of change?
Is reactive and rushed communication causing more problems that its solving?
Is everyone constantly putting out fires instead of shaping an exciting vision for the future of the organization?
Has trust between teams or leaders eroded to the point that collaboration has been compromised?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, know that you, your team, and your organization are not alone. These are common challenges facing organizations that have to constantly adapt in our rapidly changing world.
These struggles are so common that recent Gallup data show that only:
20% of employees strongly agree they trust organizational leadership.
27% strongly agree communication from their manager is effective.
32% strongly agree they work in a trusting, open environment.
I’m guessing your leaders are smart, thoughtful, and caring people. They want what is best for their team members, other leaders, and for the organization. They want to be part of your organization’s growth and success. But, they are likely lacking some of the tools, resources, and skills needed to lead and communicate as effectively as possible. McKinsey’s research on top-performing leadership teams found that the highest-performing executive teams consistently demonstrate:
strong communication
psychological safety
clear role definition
innovative thinking
healthy team dynamics
These are the skills we work on inside this Leadership Lab.
Your leaders want to build and lead high-performing teams. This Leadership Lab will help them do just that
I’m guessing your leaders are smart, thoughtful, and caring people. They want what is best for their team members, other leaders, and for the organization. They want to be part of your organization’s growth and success. But, they are likely lacking some of the tools, resources, and skills needed to lead and communicate as effectively as possible. McKinsey’s research on top-performing leadership teams found that the highest-performing executive teams consistently demonstrate:
strong communication
psychological safety
clear role definition
innovative thinking
healthy team dynamics
These are the skills we work on inside this Leadership Lab.
Your leaders want to build and lead high-performing teams. This Leadership Lab will help them do just that
Why the Leadership Lab?
Why the Leadership Lab?
The Leadership Lab is a 6-12 month program, tailored to meet the current needs of your leadership team.
This program is specifically designed for teams that operate in high-stakes, complex environments where high operational interdependency creates unique pressures on leaders. With a focus on leadership effectiveness, communication, and collaboration of leadership teams, Sara helps your team develop new skills that drive positive organizational outcomes.
Inside the Leadership Lab, leaders will:
- Clarify and strengthen individual leadership styles and personal leadership brands to bring greater intention, integrity, and consistency to how leaders communicate and lead.
- Improve intra-team communication by developing trust, alignment, and shared norms within the executive leadership team.
- Strengthen interteam communication by breaking down silos, developing new communication habits, and strengthening collaboration through dialogic learning and activities.
- Increase each leader’s capacity to empower their team, model healthy communication, and build more autonomous, self-resourced teams.
- Develop each leader’s ability to engage in difficult conversations.
- Improve executive presence and emotional intelligence while expanding capacity to build trust and psychological safety within their teams as a means of advancing inclusive leadership practices.
The Leadership Lab targets 5 core competencies to expand each leader’s skills and leadership capacity.
Emotional Intelligence & Leadership PresenceÂ
Leaders will develop the self-awareness, emotional regulation, and executive presence needed to lead with intention, resilience, and authenticity during times of complexity and change. They will become more aware of how their emotions, behaviors, and communication affect others, allowing them to respond thoughtfully rather than reactively under pressure.
Emotional Intelligence & Leadership PresenceÂ
Leaders will develop the self-awareness, emotional regulation, and executive presence needed to lead with intention, resilience, and authenticity during times of complexity and change. They will become more aware of how their emotions, behaviors, and communication affect others, allowing them to respond thoughtfully rather than reactively under pressure.
Courageous Communication
 Leaders will strengthen their ability to communicate with clarity, confidence, and compassion to navigate difficult conversations, foster accountability, repair harm, and create cultures where people feel safe to speak up. They will gain practical tools for addressing tension earlier, disagreeing productively, and moving conversations toward meaningful action.
Courageous Communication
 Leaders will strengthen their ability to communicate with clarity, confidence, and compassion to navigate difficult conversations, foster accountability, repair harm, and create cultures where people feel safe to speak up. They will gain practical tools for addressing tension earlier, disagreeing productively, and moving conversations toward meaningful action.
Trust-Centered Leadership
Leaders will learn to cultivate high-trust relationships by embracing vulnerability, deep listening, shared learning, and collective ownership—allowing them to strengthen collaboration within and across teams. They will develop everyday leadership behaviors and habits that build psychological safety, deepen connection, and encourage honest dialogue.
Trust-Centered Leadership
Leaders will learn to cultivate high-trust relationships by embracing vulnerability, deep listening, shared learning, and collective ownership—allowing them to strengthen collaboration within and across teams. They will develop everyday leadership behaviors and habits that build psychological safety, deepen connection, and encourage honest dialogue.
Strategic Impact
 Leaders will improve how they think systemically, lead through complexity and change, and make decisions that advance organizational priorities while empowering others to succeed. They will learn to look beyond immediate tasks and challenges to anticipate downstream impacts, align competing priorities, and guide their teams toward what matters most.
Strategic Impact
 Leaders will improve how they think systemically, lead through complexity and change, and make decisions that advance organizational priorities while empowering others to succeed. They will learn to look beyond immediate tasks and challenges to anticipate downstream impacts, align competing priorities, and guide their teams toward what matters most.
Leadership InfluenceÂ
Leaders will develop their ability to inspire action by communicating purpose, using storytelling to connect with both the head and the heart, and cultivating a leadership legacy that strengthens their team and the organization. They will increase their ability to build buy-in, influence across roles and levels, and turn ideas into shared commitment and action.
Leadership InfluenceÂ
Leaders will develop their ability to inspire action by communicating purpose, using storytelling to connect with both the head and the heart, and cultivating a leadership legacy that strengthens their team and the organization. They will increase their ability to build buy-in, influence across roles and levels, and turn ideas into shared commitment and action.
What Does the Leadership Lab Include
Through a blend of experiential team training days, targeted intra-team and inter-team communication activities, and individualized executive coaching sessions, The Leadership Lab strengthens leadership capacity while improving how teams collaborate to drive organizational outcomes.
While we customize the program to meet your team where they are at, all programs include the following elements:
Team Training Days:
The program includes three team training days led by Sara, typically scheduled at the beginning, midpoint, and near the end of the Leadership Lab. These training days are designed for deep team learning and skill development. Leaders practice new skills in live time in order to apply new learnings in future high stakes situations. Activities include self reflective exercises, role play exercises, and small group and large group discussions. Sample curriculum components can be found below. Sample Training Day Curriculum
Training Day 1
Lead Yourself – Building the Foundation for Trust, Emotional Intelligence, and Courageous Communication
Curriculum includes:Â Foundations of Vocal Empowerment, Development of Healthy Leadership Communication Habits, Creating a Speak Up Culture, Foundations of Emotional Intelligence, Reactive vs Regulated Leadership, and Building Trust and Psychological Safety
Training Day 2
Lead Together – Strengthening Relationships Through Vulnerability, Conflict, and Honest Conversations
Curriculum includes: Navigating and Leading Daring Conversations, How to Disagree, Releasing Armored Leadership Habits, Leading with Vulnerability, Testing and Reframing Negative Assumptions, Admitting Mistakes and Repairing Harm, Advancing Trust in Trying Times
Training Day 3
Lead Into the Future – Inspiring Action, Shaping Culture, and Leaving a Leadership Legacy
Curriculum includes: Using Storytelling to Call People to Take Action, Centering Your Team Members as Heroes, Speaking to the Head and the Heart, Developing Your Leadership Legacy for Influence & Impact
Strategic Leadership Advising:
Sara partners closely with the program sponsor to ensure the engagement is customized, adaptable, and aligned with the organization’s most important leadership priorities. This high-touch support includes assessing team needs, monitoring progress, adapting the program as needed, and providing actionable recommendations to sustain growth beyond the engagement.
Leadership Needs Assessment & Customized Program Strategy
Sara will meet with the program sponsor and any other key stakeholders to clarify organizational priorities, identify program goals, and customize the program around the team’s unique needs. Sara will use confidential pre-program surveys to gain deeper insight into the team’s strengths, communication patterns, and opportunities for growth.
Ongoing Strategic Consultation & Program Calibration
Sara will meet with the key stakeholders at multiple points throughout the engagement to assess progress, identify emerging needs, and strategically adapt the training and coaching experiences.
Results Analysis & Strategic Recommendations
At the conclusion of the program, Sara will analyze pre- and post-program survey data to assess meaningful progress, persistent challenges, and remaining opportunities for continued growth. Key stakeholders will receive a customized report summarizing key outcomes and providing strategic recommendations for sustaining momentum and results beyond the program.
Executive Coaching
Leaders meet with Sara for private one-on-one coaching sessions. Leaders will set individual leadership goals, outline their own Leadership Brand Values, and strategize how to best lead their current team while also working collaboratively with other leaders.
Three primary focuses of individual coaching:
Big Leadership Goal Setting
Leaders will set three primary goals to develop their leadership, grow the leaders they serve, and strengthen their inter and intra team communication.
Personality and Leadership Assessments
Sara uses multiple assessment tools to help leaders better understand their strengths, talents, top skills, and areas for growth. These tools support important foundation work around self-awareness and emotional intelligence development during the program.
Accountability & Strategic Action Planning
Each coaching session will include dedicated time to share progress toward goals and determine subsequent action steps to build and maintain momentum in leadership skill development.
Companies Sara has worked with
What Leaders are Saying About Working With Sara
“I am leading with more grace and patience, meeting the team where they are while continuing to empower and develop people rather than simply driving tasks to completion.”
“Our leadership team has grown stronger and closer, with improved collaboration, more open communication, and increased trust among one another.”
“Now we are better communicators within the department.”
“We are having daring conversations more often and it has led to better results.”
“As other teams recognize our alignment, they are beginning to make small changes within their own teams and groups.”
About Sara
Sara Dean is a keynote speaker, executive coach, facilitator, and leadership development consultant who helps leaders and teams strengthen how they communicate, collaborate, and lead.
Blending behavioral science, emotional intelligence, and practical leadership strategy, Sara helps leaders build self-awareness, navigate challenging conversations, strengthen trust, and communicate with greater confidence and clarity.
Her work goes beyond traditional training. Through facilitated team development and executive coaching, Sara creates opportunities for leaders to examine patterns, challenge assumptions, practice new skills, and turn insight into meaningful behavior change.
Sara has a 95% speaker approval rating and holds a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga University and hosts the Shameless Leadership podcast, with more than 1,000 episodes reaching millions of listeners across 140+ countries.