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Coaching

Friction. Bottlenecks. Plateaus. Softening. These words describe an executive’s most frustrating issue - tolerating inconsistency. Something that appears to be only a small flaw, unnoticed at an earlier stage, becomes a monumental barrier as one rises toward greater responsibility and visibility. The challenges are subtle and elusive. LTR’s counseling process builds trust empowering clients to leverage their human capital to gain the most significant ROI on the financial capital investment. Our Human Performance model conditions leaders to expose reality and act on it by applying tools and strategies through The Prosperity Trait® and its skills. The most important leadership responsibility is to deliver commitments through people. It starts with adopting a growth-oriented mindset where leaders confront issues, paving the way for growth, innovation, transformation, and consistent performance. Through Coaching, LTR’s clients bridge the gap between intention and action. Tell me more about Coaching

Case Studies

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The Candidate

The board of a middle-market engineering consulting firm charged the outgoing CEO with identifying three internal and three external candidates for a consequential CEO succession plan. One of the candidates selected LTR to help navigate the CEO succession process to lead the company he worked for his entire career. However, this candidate faced uphill challenges. The CHRO was not in favor of his candidacy, nor was the majority of the board — the very people who were making the decision. And for good reason. Behavioral analyses revealed significant shortcomings in the candidate's leadership abilities confirming their beliefs. Instead of perceiving the results as a negative, the candidate viewed them as a roadmap for career development. He converted those shortcomings into strengths — some in real-time in front of the board — and was selected as the CEO. The board made the right choice. The Candidate as the CEO then grew the company by over 25% in a relatively mature market while expanding the brand from a national firm to a multinational company with offices across North America, Europe, and the Pacific Rim.
“We initiated a comprehensive CEO Succession Process and selected three internal candidates and three external candidates to participate. Through our internal evaluation of candidate needs, we identified several areas of improvement and the need for executive transition. One of the candidates selected Dr. Stephen Long to help him transition to the CEO level. By the end of the succession process, we recognized improvement in three areas. First, where this person previously demonstrated a consistent pattern of setting the bar too low, he now establishes appropriate higher performance expectations and has improved in holding people accountable to those expectations. Second, prior to the succession process, this candidate took too much time to make a decision and was too flexible. He now makes decisions in a timely manner and adheres to decision-making premises. Third, many people inside and outside our organization weren’t convinced this candidate conveyed the 'Executive Presence' to be the next CEO. Today, he demonstrates an improved stature as a leader. This candidate has recently been named our next CEO and we’re confident in our company’s future. With Steve’s help, this candidate improved his leadership skills in those key areas and is better prepared to lead our organization to continued success.”
Gerry Solantai — Outgoing CEO, current CEO, Verdantas
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The Firm

An executive search firm was performing adequately, but the CEO believed the firm was missing out on market opportunities. He assumed helping the lowest 10% of his producers improve their performance would significantly impact the firm’s revenue. LTR provided coaching services to overcome the slumps for those low producers. With that in hand, the CEO then asked LTR to work with the highest 10% of the production force. The results were significant as the firm set monthly, quarterly, and yearly revenue records.
"We originally brought in Dr. Long to improve the performance of several of our people who were at one point high producers, but for one reason or another regressed to the bottom of the organization. They all responded very well to Steve's coaching and quickly got back on track. Once that cycle was completed we asked Steve to coach our highest producers. The results exceeded any of our expectations. Our firm set monthly, quarterly, and yearly revenue records! We put our firm's most valuable resources into Steve's hands and we could not have made a better decision. Steve taught us that it's a lot easier to pull the mean than to push it.”
Ray Bedingfield, CEO - Retired, The Woodmoor Group
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The Acquisition

A senior executive signed a three-year contract upon the acquisition of his company. However, revenue decreased for 18 months, with only six months remaining before his contract expired. The CEO wanted to retain The Acquisition due to his intellectual capital but could not justify his contract to the board. The company asked LTR to improve his performance through coaching. The results of The Prosperity Trait Index© and other behavioral analyses revealed significant deficiencies. Through coaching, The Acquisition improved his performance, enabling the CEO to offer him an additional contract where he was promoted, allowing him to leverage his intellectual capital fully.
“Most successful people gain a healthy level of confidence as we advance through our careers. We become more comfortable with our subject matter knowledge and our decisions. Success breeds confidence, however having the 'right confidence' complemented by our personal attributes is very important. Over the past year, I have worked with Dr. Steve Long through a process of discovery. I learned to have a better handle toward pressures, and my reactions to various conditions, and manage the relationships comprising of vast personalities that exist in the business world. I admit that my initial reaction to coaching was 'I don’t have time in my schedule. I really am doing fine. This is not a good use of our company money.' My expectations for improving performance were minimal. However, the results have been wonderful. Through my coaching experience with Steve, I now understand my weaknesses and how to compensate for them. I also better understand my strengths, the strengths of others, and how to develop win-win relationships for top performance. I have always been a hard worker, yet now my productivity has dramatically increased. The results are great for me and my firm. Thanks, Steve!”
Richard McCain, Vice President, Corporate Real Estate, Kleinfelder
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The Founder

Launching a startup is hard work, but a nonprofit is almost impossible. Especially when The Founder is an immigrant graduate student in America, and the nonprofit is based in Cambodia. The Founder was raised by his single mother, who encouraged him to sit outside a monastery to listen in on the classes taught by the monks. His love of learning brought him to America, where he studied at a prestigious university. He wanted to give back to his country by providing educational tools and opportunities to Cambodian children. After several attempts, The Founder couldn't secure the funding to launch his nonprofit. A learning plan was devised to help The Founder launch through the Prosperity Trait Index© results. Within six months, he secured funding and moved back to Cambodia, where he grew his nonprofit to over 120 volunteers providing books, backpacks, notepads, and pens, and built schoolhouses where there used to be grass huts. The Founder believes education is the path to freedom and prosperity. Cambodian government officials learned of the achievements of this young man and asked him to launch two other enterprises, including a television show and a marketing agency.
“I could not have done what I have accomplished without you, Steve. Not only Steve is a great consultant, but he's also an amazing coach. Just about one year after Steve coached me, I am able to do a lot more than I could ever imagine.”
Thomith Chin, CEO - iDEN Agency, Founder - International Youth for Better World, Host and Creator - The Thomith Show

Testimonials

"l have used Stephen as a career coach and now as an executive advisor, and have found his help invaluable. He is able to cut to the main issues, and to efficiently work with me to maximize my performance potential."

Bill Siegel, Managing Director - McMahon/Siegel Group

"You get a strong sense that Dr. Long is a winner; that he has achieved his goals and speaks from experience. Initially, my performance increased 100% within three months, and my productivity increased threefold by nine months. I see no downside in working with Steve. In my terms, I would say the risk is dead money and there's just upside potential."

Ken Morris, Managing Director - Imperial Capital

"Essentially, Dr. Long is about maximizing potential through The Prosperity Trait. His model - the ability to trust yourself in stressful situations when it really matters - separates professionals with otherwise similar natural abilities. This has to do with specific principles that govern preparation (learning) and execution (doing). Dr. Long has been instrumental in helping maximize my potential as well as with others I know. From a high school athlete with only one scholarship offer to AP All-American and 10th in the Heisman Trophy balloting and from getting fired as a professional to being the top producer for four years running in my previous company, Dr. Long's methods produce results. Now that I run my own company, Dr. Long's principles are even more important. As a consultant and coach for high performers, Dr. Long is the best. He has my highest endorsement and utmost respect."

Beau Morgan, Founder and President - Roscoe Martin

"Dr. Long is a valuable resource for ANY organization that hires people or manages a team. Whether managing change, improving communication skills, identifying and coaching A Players, or facilitating behavioral or performance improvement, Dr. Long has a strong and diverse list of experience to face any need. He is personable yet firm and he pushes hard to yield results. Dr. Long will unlock potential and provide value. I would definitely consider Dr. Long in the future and I strongly urge Board Members, Owners, Principles, Coaches, etc to consult with him. He is worth every penny and any skeptics regarding his services should definitely contact him to discuss what he can do for you."

Ryan Venable, Senior VP - Raba Kistner

"Steve has a keen sense of what the issues are. He put himself in my shoes and saw what my barriers were. He then showed me how to affect the things I could control and drop the rest. As a result, my production improved by 140%. It's worth the money and I strongly endorse Dr. Long to anyone who is committed to taking their career to the next level."

Matt Hubbell, Managing Director - Maverick Wealth Management

"I began working with Dr. Long on a career path and development plan in the area of executive leadership. What I like about working with Steve, was his approach to using an innovative toolset that looked at personality and behavioral competencies. Dr. Long met with me for a series of conversations getting to know me, and what I wanted out of the program, and then gave me a series of assessments to better understand me through a quantifiable approach, where I really was. After a period of meeting regularly over the next several months, he was able to provide a set of tools that I could use to become the leader I was meant to be. He then conducted a post-coaching assessment, where I not only felt like I made progress but was able to quantifiably see where I made progress. I highly recommend Dr. Long to work with anyone who seeks to become a better leader that likes to see results and appreciates a no-nonsense type of coaching."

Ryan Dunham, COO - Come and See Foundation

"Most successful people gain a healthy level of confidence as we advance through our careers. We become more comfortable with our subject matter knowledge and our decisions. Success breeds confidence, however having the 'right confidence' complemented by our personal attributes is very important. Over the past year, I have worked with Dr. Stephen Long through a process of discovery. I learned to have a better handle toward pressures, and my reactions to various conditions and managing the relationships comprising of vast personalities that exist in the business world. I admit that my initial reaction to coaching was 'I don’t have time in my schedule. I really am doing fine. This is not a good use of our company money.' My expectations for improving performance were minimal. However, the results have been wonderful. Through my coaching experience with Steve, I now understand my weaknesses and how to compensate for them. I also better understand my strengths, the strengths of others, and how to develop win-win relationships for top performance. I have always been a hard worker, yet now my productivity has dramatically increased. The results are great for me and my firm. Thanks, Steve!"

Richard McCain, VP - Kleinfelder

​"Steve is a man of high integrity, in-depth knowledge, and he's an interesting and engaging person to work with. Steve coached me through a period of my career and worked with me to refine my approach to the competitive aspect of my business. I found Steve's research and ideas to be practical, focused on both strategy and tactical aspects, and most importantly, beneficial for me in increasing my business and my productivity. I would highly recommend Steve's consulting and coaching services to either individuals or corporations in need of organization development training or creativity training to compete at a high level."

Chris Petrucelli, Senior Recruiter - Dignity Health

"It is my pleasure and privilege to recommend Dr. Stephen Long. Personally, references usually do not carry much weight in my opinion because they are almost always all positive. I rarely give a reference for this reason and the services I receive are seldom above satisfactory. However, I must make an exception in Steve’s case. Steve not only assisted me with how to be more efficient at work but with my entire life. He showed me how to take the stress out of work, be disciplined, and be a well-rounded individual. Today, I feel less pressure, have more energy, and overall have a better-balanced life. It was not just about making more income — although I achieved goals that I believed to be impossible before I met Steve. His coaching taught me how to do the hard thing, reward myself, work less, increase my current income, and be happier so I do not get burned out, especially in my high-turnover career. I’d recommend Steve to any individual or organization who is looking to improve their performance and lifestyle. You’ll make more money and have more time off!"

Drew Ducklow, Regional Director - Select Industry

​"Dr. Steve Long has been a positive influence and I greatly enjoyed the chance to work personally with him. Unlike other performance coaches, Steve uses plain language and real-world examples and is not full of himself. He is also confident enough to let me apply his concepts in my own way, and not try to force a cookie-cutter solution that will not work for me and result in dissatisfaction. It was a privilege to partner with Steve and I highly recommend his work — I’ve seen the positive results firsthand."

Susan Perkins-Powell, Operating Partner - Proven Reserves International

"My company hired Stephen to diagnose why I was having a slump in performance. Through his counsel, I was able to dramatically improve my performance and sustain that performance during a very trying time for companies in general. He taught me it is not about what happens to you, but your response to both failure and success that drives high performance. It is a lesson I continue to relearn."

Carol Remington, Founder and President - Aspenglow Executive Search

"We originally brought in Dr. Long to improve the performance of several of our people who were at one point high producers, but for one reason or another regressed to the bottom of the organization. They all responded very well to Steve's coaching and quickly got back on track. Once that cycle was completed we asked Steve to coach our highest producers. The results exceeded any of our expectations. Our firm set monthly, quarterly, and yearly revenue records! We put our firm's most valuable resources into Steve's hands and we could not have made a better decision. Steve taught us that it's a lot easier to pull the mean than to push it."

Ray Bedingfield, Retired CEO - The Woodmoor Group

“We initiated a comprehensive CEO Succession Process and selected three internal candidates and three external candidates to participate. Through our internal evaluation of candidate needs, we identified several areas of improvement and the need for executive transition. One of the candidates selected Dr. Stephen Long to help him transition to the CEO level. By the end of the succession process, we recognized improvement in three areas. First, where this person previously demonstrated a consistent pattern of setting the bar too low, he now establishes appropriate higher performance expectations and has improved in holding people accountable to those expectations. Second, prior to the succession process, this candidate took too much time to make a decision and was too flexible. He now makes decisions in a timely manner and adheres to decision-making premises. Third, many people inside and outside our organization weren’t convinced this candidate conveyed the 'Executive Presence' to be the next CEO. Today, he demonstrates an improved stature as a leader. This candidate has recently been named our next CEO and we’re confident in our company’s future. With Steve’s help, this candidate improved his leadership skills in those key areas and is better prepared to lead our organization to continued success.”

Gerry Salontai, CEO - Verdantas