Dr. Garland Vance

AdVance Leadership

AdVance Leadership helps high capacity influencers live and lead with greater purpose, productivity, and peace. 

We work with leaders, teams, and organizations to understand the effects of busyness on their lives and systematically drive it out so that they can accomplish their highest priorities.

We guide people to discover their life purpose and arrange their lives so that they carry out their purpose every day.

We help teams discover the unique characteristics and strengths of each individual and work out of their greatest contributions. 

We guide organizations to discover their highest priorities and to create the habits necessary to intentionally and systematically make progress on those priorities every single day.

Founder & CEO

Names by 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘣𝘦𝘴 as one "of the seven books everyone on your team should read."

Everyone is busy. And it’s killing us all.

Hurry is the new normal. When someone asks us how we’re doing, we tell them that we’re “good… but busy.” We want to achieve our dreams and live a significant life, so we cram our calendars with nonstop activities.

Instead of feeling fulfilled, we’re distracted, exhausted, and overwhelmed. We have too much to do and not enough time.

But it doesn’t have to be this way!

Garland Vance knows how you feel. In Gettin’ (un)Busy, he shares how he nearly burned out while leading a nonprofit, having a family, and working on his doctorate in leadership and spiritual formation. He discovered a powerful, proven, and research-driven system that will help you shed stress, accomplish your dreams, and love life. You will learn:

•	the inhibiting beliefs that keep you trapped in busyness 
•	why time management isn’t the solution
•	how to attain your biggest goals 
•	the unwanted commitments that keep you from your priorities 
•	how to take control of your life so that you don’t burn out
•	and much more….

If you’re ready to do less, get more done, and enjoy life, it’s time to get (un)busy!

Author, Gettin' (un)Busy

As an event planner, you have a ton of pressure. The last thing you want to worry about is whether you'll have an engaging presenter. You want a speaker who will keep your audience entertained while simultaneously learn and grow.

I'm an award-winning speaker and have been presenting to groups since I was a teenager (that was a few decades ago).

Here are the topics I speak on:
- Unleash Your Leadership - The 7 Traits that Solve 95% of Your Leadership Challenges
- The 4 Drivers of Retention and Engagement: Clarity, Community, Culture, and Leadership Development
- The 4 Building Blocks to Create a Leadership Culture in Your Business
- Gettin' (un)Busy  - 5 Steps to Kill Busyness and Live with Purpose, Productivity and Peace

Want to see if I'm the right fit for your event? Email me at garland@advanceleadership.live

Keynote Speaker

Are you drowning because you have too much to do and not enough time? Do you feel like your burning out?

The problem is busyness -- an overcommitment to too many good commitments. Almost everyone talks about how busy we are. And, to be honest, it makes us feel significant.

But busyness stops you from accomplishing your biggest dreams. You stay so overwhelmed that you can't make progress on your highest priorities.

It took me years to get (un)busy, but you can do it in 30 days...and it only takes a few minutes each day.

30-Day Gettin' (un)Busy Course 

Unleash Your Leaders

One of the hardest challenges leaders face is figuring out how to develop MORE leaders and BETTER leaders. You're so busy leading the business that it seems impossible to grow other leaders. 

But the longer you wait to develop those leaders, the more problems you have to deal with yourself. 

In the Unleash Your Leaders Team Coaching Program, your current and potential leaders receive video training and group coaching on the 7 traits that solve 95% of leadership challenges:
1.Character 
2.Competence
3.Capacity
4.Clarity 
5.Community 
6.Culture 
7.Consistency 

This leadership training gives your team practical tools to help them 
- Build trust with their direct reports
- Delegate effectively 
- Create clarity that spreads throughout the company
- Make the hard decisions that leaders need to make
- Free up time and energy to get more done in less time
- Develop the competencies they need for their role
- Create a healthy culture that produces engaged employees

If you're interested in learning more, schedule your Strategy Call today: 
https://calendly.com/d/dry-mf7-cy9

Team Coach

As a leader, have you ever felt like you're constantly taking 2 steps forward and 1 step back? If so, you're experiencing 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑑 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑝. I help high-capacity leaders increase their effectiveness and achieve leadership excellence.

HOW I DO IT: During this 10-week one-on-one coaching program, you will:
❗️Implement the 7 traits that will solve ~95% of your leadership challenges
❗️Develop deeper levels of trust with your team than you ever imagined
❗️Create the clarity that your organization needs so that everyone understands where you're going, how you're going to get there, and what their part is in the process
❗️Increase your reservoirs of time, energy, and attention so that you accomplish more in less time

Executive Coach

Swoz Leadership

Creating solutions and content to help leaders create great organizations that generate raving fans.

VP of Strategy

Senior Consultant

Helping catalyze organizations cation all transformation by creating customized solutions for leadership development and customer service.

Consultant

Grace Fellowship

- Responsible to create and implement the leadership development pipeline in both small groups and in conjunction with all ministries to enable the church to carry out its mission.
- Overseeing the assimilation process and team to demonstrate excellent hospitality and to help visitors take the path to become engaged members.

Leadership Development Pastor

West Rome Baptist Church

Part-time contract staff while finishing my doctoral work. I helped research & develop a strategy for leadership development in both staff and volunteers. 
- Led a small team of staff to develop and launch a leadership pipeline for their volunteers.
- Partnered with the Pastor during a Spiritual Gifts sermon series to create a system to help people discover their spiritual gifts and get them plugged into a ministry opportunity that lined up with their interests & passions.
- Trained full-time staff in a Christian-based model of personal and organizational time management. 
- Assisted the staff in communicating vision and celebrating wins.
- Preached on multiple occasions.

Pastor of Staff & Leadership Development (contract)

WinShape College Program

Established and stewarded the mission, vision, and core values for a college-aged Christian program aimed at developing disciples, creating community, and launching leaders.

Led a staff of 9 people (3 full-time; 6 part-time) to design and execute the strategic training and programming to develop Christian leaders. 

Mobilized participants to lead discipleship groups based on curriculum and resources that I developed.

Facilitated training for hundreds of participants that enabled them to discover and articulate their life purpose.

Director

FranklinCovey

Guided customers to identify the best resources to meet their time management needs.

Sales Associate

New Life Community Church

Led a youth ministry for a young church plant utilizing a team of volunteer workers.

Youth Pastor

Biltmore

Arranged group visits for visitors to America's largest privately owned home.

Group Sales Associate

I help Executives retain employees and increase engagement by developing their company's leaders in 6 months or less. | Author of Gettin' (un)Busy | Collector of Cool Hats

Book a free strategy call to explore how to develop leaders who solve 95% of your company’s challenges and accelerate growth.
https://calendly.com/garlandvance/strategy

Who We Help

We work with growing companies in service, manufacturing, and banking sectors that have 500+ employees. Our ideal clients prioritize leadership development as a strategic investment and understand that strong leadership is the key to their company’s success. We typically partner with Heads of Talent Development, HR leaders, and CEOs who are committed to developing leaders at every level of their organization.

Problem We Solve

In today’s fast-paced business environment, companies often face leadership gaps that lead to team misalignment, high turnover, and stalled business growth. Developing in-house leadership programs can be time-consuming and overwhelming, especially when leaders are unprepared to tackle 95% of the challenges their companies face. We alleviate that burden by delivering a proven, comprehensive leadership development solution that addresses these challenges head-on.

Client Results

Increased Employee Morale and Engagement: Companies report higher morale, improved retention, and stronger team dynamics as leaders develop confidence and competence.

Accelerated Leadership Promotions: Talent pipelines are filled with capable leaders, leading to quicker promotions and better succession planning.

Boosted Productivity: Leaders who go through our program are better equipped to drive results, manage teams effectively, and improve overall organizational performance.

Strengthened Company Culture: By focusing on leadership traits such as Character, Competence, and Community, leaders create a more cohesive, productive culture across all levels of the organization.

Our Proprietary Framework

Our Unleashed Leadership framework focuses on seven critical leadership traits: Character, Competence, Capacity, Clarity, Community, Culture, and Consistency. We provide award-winning in-person leadership training, followed by virtual sessions to reinforce learning and help leaders apply their new skills. Our programs are highly customizable, allowing you to develop a strategy that builds leaders at every level.

If you’re ready to solve your company’s leadership challenges and build a more confident, capable team, we invite you to schedule a free strategy call. During this call, we’ll assess your current leadership development needs and explore how our framework can accelerate your company’s growth.

Book your free strategy call today:
https://calendly.com/garlandvance/strategy

I help middle-to-senior managers get unleashed from the seven issues that cause every leadership challenge. | CEO, Top 20 Leadership Development Company | Collector of Cool Hats

Toxic cultures have 1 thing in common:

They dehumanize people:
-they see people as objects rather than as humans.
-they consistently use shame and blame as "motivation."
-they leverage positional power to threaten people and instill fear.

No one deserves to work in a toxic culture.

If you don’t intentionally create a great culture...
you're unintentionally shaping a bad one.

Today is one of my favorite days of the year.
I’m at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center with 31 leaders from Rollins, Inc. I’ve spent the last year guiding them through a leadership development program.  

Today, we’re headed to The Walt Disney Company Magic Kingdom.
But this isn’t a vacation.
It’s a leadership lab.

These men and women will study what makes Disney’s customer experience world-class.
They’ll discover simple lessons they can use every day.
They’ll compete.
They’ll laugh.
They’ll grow.

Sometimes I stop and think, “I get to do this for a living?”
I love helping leaders unleash their potential.
What a gift.

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Humility is the #1 trait I look for in leaders I work with.

Humility is the willingness to admit that:
- you don't know everything
- you need other people
- you make mistakes

If you try to lead others without humility, 
you become a dictator 
or a narcissist.

I am a Thanksgiving curmudgeon.

There. I said it. It’s less than 1 week til Thanksgiving, and I have always dreaded that day.

Not because of the meal or the family time. I love those things.

I dreaded Thanksgiving because of the *cleanup.*

Our kitchen always looked like a food tornado hit it. Pots bubbling on every burner. Bowls stacked up like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Every kitchen tool dirty. And by the time the Dallas Cowboys took the field, I was already in a foul mood.

A few years ago, Dorothy and I finally had enough.

We asked, “How do we make Thanksgiving more enjoyable?”

The answer surprised us.

We delegated it.

We found a restaurant that would prepare the entire meal. Turkey. Dressing. Green beans. Sweet potatoes. Even the pecan pie. We kept two dishes we actually enjoy making, and we handed off the rest.

It was the best Thanksgiving we ever had.

And it taught me something important about leadership:

There are moments when the smartest move is to get something off your plate.

In today’s newsletter, we share three signs it’s time to delegate (and a simple process to help you delegate more quickly. 

https://lnkd.in/eTEHsgjr

Low energy destroys your leadership. 

Leadership is a high-output sport.

And most leaders show up with half a tank.

When energy runs low:
- It hurts your mental engagement
- It affects your decision making
- It leaves your team feeling like you don’t care.

The result?

Apathy replaces urgency.
Disconnection replaces trust.

You don’t fix this with more sleep (though that helps).
You fix it with Life-Giving Habits.

These are the routines that recharge you:
- A bike ride before work
- Reading something that inspires you
- Time in nature

It’s different for everyone.

But if you don’t intentionally replenish, 
leadership will eventually deplete you.

Dear Leaders,

your own development isn’t selfish—it’s foundational. 
If you're burned out, your team will follow.

Invest in your leadership. Read. Reflect. Talk to a coach or mentor. 
You can’t afford not to.

Dear Leader,

You don’t need better employees.

They need a better leader.

Three ways to become the leader your team (and company) wants:

1. Build a leadership community.
You weren’t meant to do this alone. Find mentors. Develop other leaders. 

Surround yourself with people who challenge and support you.

2. Set the right culture.
Your team’s behavior is a reflection of what you tolerate. 
If you tolerate low standards, you’ll get them. 

Define the culture you want—and re-enforce it.

3. Be relentlessly consistent.
Your words and actions should align every single day. 
If you constantly shift expectations, your team will stop listening. 

Consistency builds credibility.

Become the leader your team wants to follow.

I worked with a client recently whose department was struggling. 

Missed deadlines. 
Miscommunication. 

The manager blamed his team.
The team blamed the boss...and each other. 

After a few conversations with the manager, he decided to look in the mirror.

Instead of pointing fingers, 
he asked,  
“What am I doing that's causing these problems?"

He apologized to his team.
Asked them how he could improve.
Implemented some of their suggestions. 

Within a week, every member of the team 
took responsibility for how they contributed to the problems.

Even better, each person identified 
specific ways they would help the team. 

At AdVance Leadership, we call this 125% Responsibility. 
Leaders take responsibility for everything in their scope of control
AND
for the results of their team. 

If your team is struggling, look in the mirror.

A senior executive I coached had a reputation for being 
“the smartest person in the room.” 

His team admired his brilliance… 
but they didn’t feel heard. 

Over time, innovation slowed. 
People stopped offering ideas. 
Turnover quietly increased.

He got frustrated and confused.

During one of our coaching sessions, I asked,

“When was the last time you you asked someone to challenge you??”

The next team meeting, 
he tried something different. 

Instead of leading with a solution, he led with a question:

“What do you think we should do?”

The room lit up.

Ideas flowed. 
The team leaned in. 
And for the first time in a long time, they felt seen and valued.

Arrogance in leaders is like cancer.

My mom died of cancer 13 years ago.

It ate up her organs,
and caused pain for everyone she influenced.

Arrogance in leaders is the same.

It destroys leaders from the inside
and damages every person a leader influences. 

Arrogance starts with small signs:
- brushing off feedback,
- focusing on personal wins,
- silencing others.

If this is left unchecked, 
it erodes trust and weakens team performance.

Here’s how to take practical steps that build humility 
and strengthen your leadership:

1. Ask for feedback
Arrogant leaders avoid critique. Healthy leaders seek it out.
Ask your team regularly: “What’s one thing I could do better?”
Make it safe for people to answer honestly—without fear of backlash.

2. Be prepared to change your mind
Arrogance clings to being right.
But strong leaders let go of ideas when new insights emerge.
Changing your mind isn’t weakness—it’s wisdom.

3. Encourage disagreement
If no one on your team ever pushes back, you might not be as approachable as you think.
Disagreement, when invited and respected, is one of the most powerful tools for better decision-making.

Arrogance isolates leaders.
Humility invites your team to the table.

Stop being a nice leader. 

I grew up in the south, 
where everyone is nice

but few people are kind. 

They’ll say you look handsome
while a piece of broccoli is stuck in your teeth. 

Nice leadership isn’t always kind. 
And it’s definitely not always effective.

Being “nice” often looks like this:
– Letting missed deadlines slide
– Avoiding awkward conversations
– Hoping people will fix themselves without guidance

The result?

A culture where accountability disappears—
and so does performance.

Want to lead more effectively? Replace “nice” with clarity + courage.

- Be clear about expectations
- Be consistent with follow-through
- Be courageous enough to have hard conversations when needed

Most companies are like a crazy billionaire 

(not naming names, of course)

Here's why...

Imagine a billionaire resolving to end world hunger.

He takes his fortune to a mountain peak 
and tosses his money down the slopes.

He hopes that hungry people who live at the 
base will catch the cash and buy food.

The best word to describe this tycoon 

would be “crazy.”

Yet, this is the exact strategy that most executives use 
to develop their company’s leaders.

Companies spend approximately $366 Billion per year 
on leadership development.

But only 5% of companies have a strategy and 
plan for developing leaders.

In other words, 

they – like the crazy billionaire –
throw money at random leadership programs, 
hoping it will help the company develop better leaders.

An amazing first day with Strategic Coach in Chicago. 

Grateful for the opportunity to work with other entrepreneurs like Campbell Gerrish, Brad Adey, Shelita Burns - Hall, CPA CTC, Petar Mandic, and so many others. 

Can’t wait to grow our lives and businesses with these great folks.

A client I worked with inherited a struggling department—
-low morale, 
-missed targets, 
-constant finger-pointing.

Instead of blaming the previous leader, she did something bold.

She gathered her team and said,

“I may not have created these problems, 
but I take full ownership of fixing them.”

The next things that happened: 
• Meetings got clearer.
• Tensions dropped.
• Trust grew.

Why? She took responsibility
for problems she didn’t create.

More is better- this is what leaders believe. 

- More words in a speech.
- More slides in a presentation.
- More strategies in a plan.

It's a lie. 

In reality, complexity diminishes clarity. 

Overloaded messages overwhelm your team. 
They walk away confused, not committed.

The better approach? Simplify to amplify.

That’s one of the reasons my newest book is only 120 pages. 

Dorothy and I could’ve written a much bigger book. We have 25 years worth of more ideas and stories.

But it wouldn’t have made it better, only more confusing.  

Besides that, we saw Amazon research that found that most people only read the first 120 pages of a nonfiction book. So, why waste all that time writing something that people won’t read. 

Whether you’re writing a book or leading people, create clarity.

Dear Leader,

Don't believe this dangerous myth:

”Leadership means control”

True leaders don’t control—they take ownership.

Here’s how control and ownership shape leadership differently.

- Control means micromanaging. | Ownership means guiding.
- Control blames others. | Ownership finds solutions.
- Control limits trust. | Ownership builds it.

The more you control, the less your team grows. 
The more you own, the stronger your leadership becomes.

Take ownership—not control—and watch your team thrive.

The best leaders know confidence 
isn’t about dominating the room. 

It’s about elevating others.

Arrogant leaders:
- Ignore feedback
- Dismiss team ideas
- Focus on self over team

Confident leaders:
- Listen to feedback
- Depend on others
- Focus on the team over self. 

Nobody should have to work for an arrogant leaders.

I dream of a world filled with confident leaders.

Every leader needs 2 kinds of character:

1) Moral character.
-Do what’s right and ethical.
-This type of character expected of every human.

2) Leadership character.
-Take ownership for your team’s results.
-Engage in the difficult decisions, conversations, and actions.
-This type of character is rare.

In 2013, I was faced with severe health challenges. 

I experienced constant 
-exhaustion,
-migraines, and
-even heart palpitations.

I hit a wall. 
I was overwhelmed and constantly busy.
Despite all my accomplishments, I realized I wasn’t functioning at my best.

The problem wasn’t time management.

It was busyness addiction.

Sound familiar?

That moment made me rethink everything. I found five steps to kill busyness before it hurts you.

1. Decided to prioritize my health and well-being.
2. Deconstructed the habits that led to overcommitting.
3. Designed my life to focus on balance, including relationships and rest.
4. Developed new routines to stay unbusy. 
5. Drew others into a slower way of living. 

Busyness doesn’t guarantee success.  

 It’s time to choose. 
What would change if you led from rest—not rush?

taplio