Guide, Don’t Drive™ - The Leadership Framework Leaders Actually Use

Develop leaders people want to follow. If you’re still pushing, pulling, or micromanaging, you’re bleeding performance. Guide, Don’t Drive™ flips the script fast.

Leaders Trained

Reduction in Turn Over

Increase in Manager Confidence

Trusted by these and many other organizations.

What is Guide, Don't Drive™?

A practical, complete leadership system that replaces pressure and micromanagement with trust, ownership, and results. Built from 30 years in the trenches - not a classroom.
The 3 Shifts Leaders Make:

From Command → Coaching

Stop giving answers; start growing thinkers.

From Pressure → Purpose

Ditch manipulation; build commitment that lasts.

From Control → Ownership

Swap micromanagement for trust and accountability.

The 12 Pillars of Guide, Don't Drive™

These are the behaviors that turn managers into leaders people actually want to follow.

Give Trust First

  • Promise: Ownership starts where trust starts.
  • Practice: Lead with transparency, follow-through, and respectful candor.

Lead Through the 5 Levels

  • Promise: Grow influence beyond title.
  • Practice: Coach leaders from Position → Permission → Production → People Development → Pinnacle.

Know the Person (Drivers & Data)

  • Promise: Coach what truly motivates.
  • Practice: Use purposeful 1:1s and behavioral insights to align work with personal drivers. 

Grow Capability (GROWTH Habit)

  • Promise: Development that sticks.
  • Practice: Short, repeatable experiments and stretch goals that compound skill.

Coach Problem-Solving 

  • Promise: Build thinkers, not dependence.
  • Practice: Guide with questions, weekly solution check-ins, and no-blame retros.

Clarity & Commitments

  • Promise: Expectations no one can misunderstand.
  • Practice: Crisp roles, agreements, and “done” definitions leaders actually uphold.

Scoreboards & Operating Rhythm 

  • Promise: What gets measured gets improved.
  • Practice: Simple OKRs/KPIs and a weekly cadence (WBRs) to course-correct fast.

Team as Shared Fate

  • Promise: From silos to “we win or we don’t.”
  • Practice: Cross-function goals, handoff rituals, and clear decision rights.

Difficult→Learning Conversations

  • Promise: Less drama, more growth.
  • Practice: A repeatable conversation model for high-stakes feedback and repair.

EQ & Resilience Under Pressure

  • Promise: Calm, credible leadership, especially when it’s hard.
  • Practice: Self-awareness, regulation, and empathy tools for tough moments.

Hire & Onboard for Fit

  • Promise: The right people, ready faster.
  • Practice: Results Based™ interviewing, success profiles, and a 30/60/90 onboarding playbook.

Decide & Lead Through Change

  • Promise: Speed with confidence.
  • Practice: Lightweight decision frameworks, change-readiness checks, and clear comms cadence.
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Why Most Training Fails

(and How We Make it Stick)

The usual story:
  • It’s all talk, no tools - inspiring, but nothing changes on Monday.
  • It’s too long and too theoretical - managers can’t (or won’t) use it.
  • There’s no follow-through - no rhythm, no scoreboards, no accountability. 
Our approach fixes all three.

The Guide, Don't Drive™ Delivery System

IGNITE - Keynote that starts the shift

A bold, practical message that moves leaders from driving to guiding - and sets the language your org will use going forward.
Leaders leave with: the Three Shifts and one action to take this week.

EQUIP - Hands-on workshop with real tools

We practice the Pillars, not just discuss them: 7-Step Learning Conversations, Baker’s Dozen coaching questions, Clarity & Commitments, OKR mini-canvas.
Leaders leave with: scripts, scorecards, and micro-habits they can use in their very next 1:1.

EMBED - Microlearning that fits real work

5–7 minute videos with “Do-This-Now” actions. Learn on the fly; apply in the next meeting.
Leaders leave with: quick wins that compound into behavior change.

SUSTAIN - Coaching + operating rhythm

Bi-weekly check-ins, simple OKRs/KPIs, and leader huddles keep the change alive.
Leaders leave with: a repeatable cadence (not a one-off event).

ASSIST - Steve Lowisz's Digital Mind (24/7)

An always-on, interactive coach trained on the Guide, Don’t Drive™ framework - available by text, voice, or video whenever a leader gets stuck.

Ready to Transform Your Leaders?

Tell us a bit about your goals and our team will reply within one business day.




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