Do you realize how much stress and anxiety impacts high-potential leaders – and corporate profits?

It's a costly problem to ignore.

So many top performers, in high pressure careers, ignore painful emotions at work — like stress, anxiety, shame, fear, and frustration — because they don't want to be secretly ridiculed or stigmatized as 'imperfect'.

Left unattended, personal problems escalate to corporate problems like burnout, turnover, and a toxic culture.

We are a leadership development institute focused on helping organizations mentally prepare their elite talent for long-term success.

The Imperfect Leaders institute:

Collaborates with top thought leaders;
Contributes unique perspectives in respected journals, like the Harvard Business Review;
Interviews the country's most admired leaders on our podcast; and,
Creates truly remarkable leadership development programs.

Guiding Pillars of Our Leadership Programs

01 A Team of Experts Focused on You. Our programs fill gaps in leadership development among high-potential talent in high-pressure careers. No one doubts they feel pain. But, traditional short-term executive education programs have not solved the problem. Our reimagined programs assemble teams of experts – coaches, psychologists, and leadership assessment experts – who work together and focus on the unique challenges of individuals in high-pressure careers.

02 Original Case Studies. A cornerstone of our approach is the opportunity for participants to learn from new leadership case studies created by our team of former Harvard Business School case writers. Unlike most top business schools that use stale, outdated case studies, our content inspires truly meaningful group discussions that feel real and relevant... because they are!

03 Expert Advice. We share with participants exclusive interviews with extraordianry professionals who work in unusually intense careers – including heart transplant surgeons, World Series champions, elected politicians, and CEOs in high-velocity industries – each of whom share deeply personal experiences that helped shape their core values and leadership style.

04 A Focus on Imperfections. No one is perfect. Stress and anxiety are rampant among professionals in high pressure careers – like investment banking, law, media, technology, venture capital, and private equity. Yet most top performers hide their true feelings and are fearful of sharing with work colleagues any perceived "imperfections." Sadly, top performers rarely get the opportunity to be vulnerable, let off steam, or develop into more self-aware, reflective leaders.

LEARN MORE

Featured Guest

Jason Karp gets real about his impefections

Co-founder of Hu and HumanCo

Jason is a former elite college athlete, Wharton grad (summa cum laude), and hedge fund star who has helped launch several food and health companies, including Hu, True Foods, and Oura. Less well known about Jason, he has suffered from panic attacks, ADHD, insomnia, depression, and hair loss. Jason reflected on his crucible moments, and was completely vulnerable with our community.

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A few more invited guests – all of whom share wisdom and deeply personal, crucible moments.

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01 Guest: Dr. Rakesh Suri

Dr. Rakesh Suri knows about chronic stress. He is one of the top heart transplant surgeons in the world – having held high level positions at both the Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic, and showcased by Harvard Business School – spoke to our community about how to manage stress during high-pressure, high-stakes moments.

02 Guest: Professor Amy Edmondson

Harvard Business School Professor Amy Edmonsdson is ranked the #1 Thought Leader in the world and coined the term, "psychological safety." She shared with our community the importance of reducing anxiety and learning from intelligent failure.

03 Guest: John Tyson

John Tyson is the billionaire Chairman of the Board of Tyson Foods, but he's made some bad choices in his life. Some, like denying his alcohol addiction, almost ruined his career. But John eventually realized the ramifications of his choices – poor health, poor decision making, inauthentic relationships, and low self-esteem. John talked openly about his journey and offered practical advice to those considering alcohol or drugs.

04 Guest: Dansby Swanson

Dansby is a World Series champion baseball player, who now starts for the Chicago Cubs. Less known, he also suffers from severe anxiety, which can be debilitating as a professional athlete who works in the public spotlight under extreme pressure. Dansby explained how it feels when he is in a slump or overcome with self-doubt – and how keeping a journal helps relieve stress.