𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗕𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗳𝘂𝗹
For over 30 years, I’ve helped organizations worldwide solve their toughest challenges. I’ve worked with companies ranging from midsize businesses and associations to the Fortune 10. My approach focuses on transforming complex business concepts into simple, actionable solutions.

𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀
• Executive Coaching: I work with senior leaders to sharpen leadership skills, build stronger teams, and tackle key business priorities.
• Keynote Speaking: My presentations deliver fast-paced, practical insights tailored to your audience and designed for real-world action.
• Leadership Development: My training programs provide clear frameworks and tools to help leaders lead with purpose and confidence.
• Strategy Creation: I guide teams through focused conversations to create strategies that drive alignment and competitive advantage.
• Consultative Sales Training: I help teams master client-centered dialogue and create tailored solutions through high-integrity selling that positions them as trusted advisors and long-term partners.

𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
At 26, I became CEO of an international Rockefeller foundation, leading projects in 20 countries. Since then, I’ve owned or led four companies and received awards recognizing my work in leadership and business excellence.

I’ve been named a Top Global Thought Leader in Business Strategy, Coaching, and Culture by Thinkers360 and one of the Top Leadership Voices by LeadersHum, alongside Simon Sinek and Brené Brown.

Inc. Magazine listed me among the Top 100 Leadership Speakers, along with Jim Collins, Patrick Lencioni, and Seth Godin.

Thinkers50 honored me on its Distinguished Achievement shortlist for outstanding contributions to leadership thinking. The American Management Association also named me one of America’s Top Leaders to Watch, alongside visionaries like Sergey Brin and Jeff Bezos.

I’d love to use this experience to support your success.

I have witnessed many leaders who lead with love. It is clear that they genuinely care about their people. 

These leaders insist that employees go home when they have a sick child. They buy a birthday present for a team member they know will be especially meaningful. They show up to cheer on an employee running their first marathon. They do small things that carry weight.

Their leadership is not about status or control. It is about how they choose to treat people, every day. 

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Not every initiative deserves equal energy. This outlines where I believe leadership attention belongs right now: https://lnkd.in/eXc9vewZ 

#Business #ExecutiveCoaching #Kindness #LeadershipDevelopment

John Spence

Business success isn't supposed to be complicated. You just need an experienced guide to help you.

Our clients come from a broad cross-section of industries and countries, but they all share a determination to achieve excellence. In our work with these companies, we have noticed a few critical areas where even the best organizations want to improve.

DO YOU STRUGGLE IN ANY OF THESE AREAS?

Defining a Clear and Compelling Strategy 
Building and Maintaining High-Performing Teams 
Growing Leadership Capabilities
Enhancing Communication Effectiveness and Delegation Skills 
Creating a Culture of Accountability and Ownership 
Developing a More Customer-Focused Approach 
Identifying, Attracting, and Retaining Exceptional Talent

I want to help your business overcome these challenges and be more successful. I do this by partnering with you to address your most critical issues and opportunities through custom-tailored training programs, executive coaching, strategy consulting, and keynote speeches. I have over 30 years of experience assisting companies worldwide, from small and medium-sized businesses to the Fortune 10. So, I know what it takes to help you.

Background

At 26, John was the CEO of an international Rockefeller Foundation, overseeing projects in 20 countries. Two years later, Inc. Magazine named him one of America's Up and Coming Young Business Leaders. John has been recognized as one of the Top 100 Business Thought Leaders in America, one of the Top 100 Small Business Influencers in America, one of the Top 50 Small Business Experts in America, and one of the Top 500 Leadership Development Experts in the World. He was also recognized on the global list of the Top 100 Thought Leaders in Trustworthy Business Behavior. Other recipients of this award include Richard Branson and Howard Schultz. 

The American Management Association named John one of America's Top 50 Leaders to Watch, along with Sergey Brin and Larry Page of Google and Jeff Bezos of Amazon. The prestigious Thinkers50, the definitive global ranking of management thinkers, shortlisted him as one of the top eight in the World for their Distinguished Achievement Award, and Thinkers 360 named John on the Power List of the 200 Biggest Voices in Leadership. Others on the list include Simon Sinek, Gary Vaynerchuk, Adam Grant, and Marshall Goldsmith.

Leadership & Disciplined Execution | Clarity and Accountability that Drive Results | Keynote Speaker & Executive Leadership Development

In this Business in a Minute video, I share two short questions that can change the tone of your conversations and reduce a surprising amount of unnecessary conflict.

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Clarify your leadership priorities for 2026 and pressure-test whether your culture and AI choices support them: https://lnkd.in/eXc9vewZ

#Business #ExecutiveCoaching #ProfessionalDevelopment #LeadershipDevelopment

Many experts encourage leaders to embrace mindfulness. However, for some executives I coach, the term elicits a mental image of them sitting quietly and meditating. Ideas that feel removed from the demands of leadership. However, when I use the term thoughtfulness instead, their attitude shifts.

Thoughtfulness feels more proactive and action-oriented. It points to making better decisions and leading more strategically. Skills every leader needs. This infographic outlines practical ways to bring thoughtfulness into your leadership style.

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Not every initiative deserves equal energy. This outlines where I believe leadership attention belongs right now: https://lnkd.in/eXc9vewZ

#Business #ExecutiveCoaching #Leadership #ProfessionalDevelopment

When we first started, this area was nothing but plain dirt. Nearly twenty years later, our yard has transformed into something amazing. Growth does not respond to intensity. It responds to consistency. Gardens are built the same way teams are. Small, consistent actions. Repeated. Over time.

Most people want results fast. Real growth takes seasons.

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If you are setting priorities for 2026, this will help you decide what deserves attention and what does not: https://lnkd.in/ex2itaGQ

#Business #ExecutiveCoaching #ProfessionalDevelopment

Last week I wrote about focusing on the process instead of the scoreboard. This week I want to talk about the harder part: what happens when you follow the process and nothing seems to change.

In this blog, I explain why mastery requires long stretches of work that feel invisible, and why many capable people walk away before the accumulation has time to show up.

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If you are setting priorities for 2026, this will help you decide what deserves attention and what does not: https://lnkd.in/ex2itaGQ 

#Business #ExecutiveCoaching #ProfessionalDevelopment #LeadershipDiscipline

In this Business in a Minute video, I share a lesson from Nick Saban, a seven-time national championship coach, on why consistent execution matters more than obsessing over metrics.

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Are your culture and AI investments reinforcing your 2026 priorities and goals? https://lnkd.in/ex2itaGQ

#Business #ExecutiveCoaching #ProfessionalDevelopment #Leadership

Trust usually gets treated like something people have to earn slowly over time. That instinct makes sense, but it also carries a hidden cost.

In this week’s blog, I explain why starting from trust can actually accelerate relationships and how I decide when to adjust. This is about being open without being naive and intentional without being guarded.

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If you are setting priorities for 2026, this will help you decide what deserves attention and what does not: https://lnkd.in/ex2itaGQ

#Business #ExecutiveCoaching #ProfessionalDevelopment #Trust

Most people start new relationships cautiously and earn others' trust over time. I have learned that beginning with trust often speeds up the relationship and reveals character more quickly.

In Wednesday’s blog, I explain why this approach works and how it has shaped my leadership decisions over time.

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Clarify your leadership priorities for 2026 and pressure-test whether your culture and AI choices support them: https://lnkd.in/eXc9vewZ

#Business #ExecutiveCoaching #ProfessionalDevelopment #Trust

Creating that kind of environment is a leadership choice.

You see it in the small reactions. The pause after someone admits a mistake. The expression on your face when a teammate disagrees. The tone in the room when hard news arrives.

People are always studying those moments.

If you stay curious instead of defensive, candor increases. Conversations get more direct. Problems come forward while they are still manageable.
High standards still apply. In fact, they become easier to uphold when people are not guarding themselves.
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Clarify your leadership priorities for 2026 and pressure-test whether your culture and AI choices support them: https://lnkd.in/eXc9vewZ
 
#Business #ExecutiveCoaching #Leadership #LeadershipDevelopment

Making good decisions is a responsibility to the people in your organization. Those choices shape budgets and priorities. They also determine what your teams are expected to deliver.

In this week’s blog, I share a practical framework that helps executives evaluate choices more thoroughly before committing resources and setting direction, reducing avoidable strain on the people expected to execute.

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If you are setting priorities for 2026, this will help you decide what deserves attention and what does not: https://lnkd.in/eqPS4xzb

#Business #ExecutiveCoaching #LeadershipDevelopment #StrategicRisk

In this Business in a Minute video, I share a story from Olympic rowing and a simple question that helps leaders evaluate decisions and focus their teams on what truly improves performance.

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Are your culture and AI investments reinforcing your 2026 priorities and goals? https://lnkd.in/eGTR4xYg

#Business #ExecutiveCoaching #ProfessionalDevelopment #Leadership

The environment is not settling down. Leaders across industries are being asked to decide faster, adjust faster, and recover faster. Customer and member expectations are shifting. Technology is changing how work gets done. Economic pressure hasn’t eased.

Adaptability is no longer just “nice to have.” It is what keeps execution aligned when conditions shift.

Thank you to CUInsight.com for publishing my latest article on what adaptability actually requires in practice.

If you are navigating overlapping change right now, this may be worth your time. https://lnkd.in/eeMhtAxV

#Business #ExecutiveCoaching #Leadership #ProfessionalDevelopment

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John Spence's Linkedin Analytics

John Spence

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John Spence

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}John Spence's LinkedIn Performance

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John Spence's Linkedin Analytics

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John Spence's Best Posts (last 30 days)