Why choose such an unusual leadership role model as pirates?

People are more receptive to new ideas when they are having some fun while discovering ideas for themselves. The Pirate Leadership approach offers lots of opportunities for fun and a sense of adventure, while participants discover new ideas.

How did you discover pirates as a role model for leaders?

I reviewed my twenty plus years of working with organizational leaders and identified some timeless leadership principles. I then researched a number of potential leadership role models before choosing pirates. I chose pirates for two reasons:
First, pirates demonstrated the timeless leadership principles that I had identified from successful modern day leaders.
Second, my clients and business associates responded most positively to the pirate leadership model.

I then wrote my book entitled Ahoy Mates! Leadership Lessons from Successful Pirates.

Why do organizations do strategic planning?

Properly done, strategic thinking and planning sessions give the leaders in an organization the opportunity to set aside their day to day concerns to focus exclusively on strategic issues and how to create their desired future rather than just accepting what 'Lady Luck' dumps at their door step. The outcome is a more focused, committed and successful organization.

What is the role of the strategic planning facilitator?

A great facilitator:

• Provides and manages a structured decision making process.
• Crystallizes issues at each step of the process.
• Stimulates innovative thinking to generate new perspectives.
• Challenges complacency.
  
• Cascades responsibilities throughout the organization.
• Identifies specific action steps to implement all decisions made

What kinds of situations have you helped and how?

I have worked frequently with businesses that were:

• stagnating and needing to stimulate their growth;
• rapidly growing and needing to better manage their growth;
• needing to find new market place opportunities to avoid shutting down;
• needing to enhance their leadership culture and skills; and
• needing to prepare succession plans.

What kinds of clients have you worked with?

I have worked with high tech, low tech and no tech businesses. My clients have included a global software developer, a leading edge medical products firm, a specialty steel manufacturer, an auto dealer, a global charter airline, logging operators, manufacturers, sales organizations, financial planners, consultants, printing firms, a church, a theological college, an Aboriginal air crew training organization and an Aboriginal post secondary educational organization, a number of charities and some government departments.

To be of value to a client, does a strategic planner have to be experienced in the client's type of business or industry sector?

When an organization has a team of people experienced in its own business, it does not need a strategic planner who has a lot of experience in that particular industry. In such instances, the most valuable strategic planning facilitator is one who has lots of experience in other industries and who can bring new perspectives to the sessions.

What does Strategic Planning Cost?

Time and dollar amounts involved will vary with the size and complexity of the client's organization, and the nature of the key strategic issues that an organization's leaders face. Strategic planning should be viewed as an investment and should pay for itself many times over.