Teaching leadership is my passion.

My Dad was the Deputy Chief of Protocol for the U.S. State Department. Over family dinners, he would recount evenings spent hosting presidents and prime ministers. I hung on every detail. Somewhere between the main course and dessert, a quiet conviction took hold: I wanted to lead - but with a mission. As a high school freshman, I won the race for school Treasurer. I discovered that fundraising wasn’t about money at all. It was about turning other people’s ideas into realities.

That drive took me to a fast-growing tech startup, where I led international marketing. The highs were thrilling; the work was relentless. And I learned the lesson that’s shaped me ever since: leaders don’t just hit targets, they build places where people and ideas can thrive.

After years of leading and studying leadership, I can tell you two things. First, effective leaders share clear patterns in how they learn, act, and communicate. Second, no two are alike. My work lives in the space between those truths, which is why every engagement is built around the individual leader, never a template or formula. It’s what sets my work apart today.

These days, home is Manhattan Beach, a sunny oasis just beyond the hustle of Los Angeles, where I treasure time with my family and our doodle, Kona. My wife, Nadège, and I are forever plotting our next adventure. Most mornings start with weight training or mindfulness practice; one builds strength, the other builds stillness. I’ve found leaders need both. And I’m already at work on my next book, which takes on a question that’s nagged me for years: if inspiration is the most powerful force in leadership, why do we treat it as a gift some people are simply born with?