LEADERSHIP FAQ

GrassFire combines personal, health, leadership, and organizational development into a single, customized experience, designed entirely around results, not trends or platitudes. Every program is proprietary, developed by a Leaderologist and Cognitive Behavior Scientist with formal training in leadership, health science, and education. Read the full breakdown on our What Makes GrassFire Different page.

Absolutely, if it’s done correctly. However, leadership development can fail when approached incorrectly. Learn more by reading our research titled A Leadership Development Reality Check.

There are a few elements of Servant Leadership that I will teach, but Servant Leadership is not the emphasis, for a few important reasons.

Servant Leadership Is Not Always Practical

Aside from Servant Leadership (SL) sometimes appearing laissez-faire (Singfiel, 2018), SL is simply not the best approach for all organizations. In organizations where structure and protocols are essential, especially where time is essential and power cannot be shared, Servant Leadership is not the best choice (CAS5184, 2018). Ultimately, that weeds out many industries, though SL might be a decent option for non-profits.

The Validity of Servant Leadership Remains in Question

In my experience, many leadership-educated professionals avoid SL due to its known gaps. Servant Leadership scholars are still trying to hash out the core dimensions of the process and have yet to reach a consensus regarding the framework or universal definition of the approach (Northouse, 2016). Adding to this confusion, many practitioners and advocates of Servant Leadership are not leadership researchers or professionals concerned with its validity (Northouse, 2016), which is likely why so many management professionals have begun to advocate the approach.

Emotions Usually Don’t Fix Problems

Dr. Ken Blanchard stated that “the antidote for fear is love” (Blanchard, 2018). While that sounds nice, it is a scary proposition regarding organizational effectiveness and change. In my experience, emotions do not fix problems, they cause them. Aside from fears related to immediate danger, I tend to agree with Dr. Debasish Mridha: “fear comes from the lack of knowledge and a state of ignorance. The best remedy for fear is to gain knowledge” (Mridha, n.d.). Workers want truthful answers and information that empowers their abilities, not just to be told that you care about them.

My job is to provide science-based, proven, and lasting results. I will not risk your investment, life, career, or organization on an unproven fad.

Blanchard, K. H. (2018). Leading at a Higher Level: Blanchard on Leadership and Creating High Performing Organizations. Pearson Education.

CAS5184. (2018, April 2). Servant Leadership: The Cons of an otherwise ideal Leadership Theory. sites.psu.edu/leadership

Mridha, D. (n.d.). Quote from Debasish Mridha.

Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and Practice. Sage.

Singfiel, J. (2018). When Servant Leaders Appear Laissez-Faire. The Journal of Applied Christian Leadership, 12(1), 64-77.

Strictly speaking, I do not teach a “style” of leadership at all. I teach Reasoned Leadership, a scientifically structured leadership framework built on cognitive science, strategic reasoning, and outcome-based development. It is a mechanistic system that explains how leaders think, decide, and act, then provides tools to deliberately improve those processes.

Reasoned Leadership defines specific cognitive and behavioral variables, clarifies how bias and emotion influence decisions, and uses that structure to produce accurate forecasting and better outcomes. The framework has been stress-tested through repeated simulation and critical review, which separates it from leadership material that is descriptive, inspirational, or personality-driven instead of scientific.

Some readers find it helpful to compare Reasoned Leadership with familiar labels, as translation tools rather than structural influences. It includes the productive aspects of Transformational Leadership, such as developing people and aligning teams to a clear vision, while rejecting the emotional manipulation sometimes associated with that model. It also captures the core of true Strategic Leadership: disciplined reasoning and sound decisions under pressure, instead of shortcuts or buzzwords.

In practice, Reasoned Leadership teaches leaders to reduce cognitive bias, clarify vision, think strategically, and execute under real-world adversity with consistency. If you would like to explore the science behind it, visit the Research section.

There is, and the science is rather clear about their outcomes. Choose wisely: leadership development can either be an amazing investment or a costly waste of time. You might also enjoy reading Ten Reasons To Avoid Group Development.

A Leaderologist is a specialist in the social science of leadership: one who studies how behavior, belief systems, and influence mechanisms shape leadership outcomes in individuals, organizations, and societies. Leaderology draws from psychology, sociology, systems theory, health science, and education to understand how people lead, follow, and develop over time.

A Cognitive Behavior Scientist, by contrast, studies how cognition (thought processes) and behavior interact. This work is domain-flexible and may be applied in clinical, educational, economic, organizational, or technological contexts. The title refers to a methodological orientation, not a professional license or single discipline.

In my case, Leaderology is the social science lens through which I conduct cognitive-behavioral research. My academic background is rooted in Strategic Leadership, Health Science, and Education, fields focused deeply on behavioral change, systemic influence, and performance outcomes. That foundation informs the development of applied frameworks such as the 3B Behavior Modification Model, Epistemic Rigidity, the Adversity Nexus, and Contrastive Inquiry.

A simple way to think about the distinction: Cognitive Behavior Scientist describes method. Leadership Systems Scientist describes application. Leaderologist describes domain ownership.

The leadership industry can be confusing because it is an unregulated field, with many private “accreditation” claims and certifications lacking credibility. I am a verified Leaderologist II with the National Leaderology Association, an association of true leadership professionals dedicated to ensuring integrity in the discipline. With a doctorate, master’s, and undergraduate degree in leadership, along with advanced education in organizational development, health science, and education, I have the knowledge and qualifications to provide the highest level of service to my students.

Countless reasons. Leadership development programs are not just an investment in an individual, they are an investment in your organization. According to Rocki-Lee DeWitt, Ph.D., a Professor of Management at the University of Vermont, leadership development is crucial to your business’s next stage of growth because it helps you and other emerging leaders:

• Develop strategies that give your business a competitive edge.
• Figure out how your company can become more flexible, enabling you to prepare for and quickly adapt to changes in the marketplace.
• Re-examine your business’s priorities, allowing you to pursue new opportunities and drop efforts that aren’t worth the time or money.
• More effectively manage your finances and growing profits, improving your business’s financial performance.
• Implement sales and marketing strategies that help you carve out a niche in the marketplace.
• Attract, motivate, and retain employees who will be deeply engaged in supporting your goals and vision.

Absolutely. Studies show that such development improves employee efficiency, productivity, happiness, and engagement. If leadership development is not right for you, perhaps personal development is; you’re not going to be on your game at work if you’re stressing about things going on at home. Personalized Leadership Development ensures you learn how to really lead your life.

Yes. However, numerous studies demonstrate that group programs are not nearly as effective as individualized programs, because the approach for groups must be generalized and somewhat generic. Organizations should not expect the same results from a group program as they might receive from an individualized program. That said, I have worked with all sorts of groups and have a comfortable classroom available to accommodate.

Leadership development programs are not just for seasoned leadership professionals. They work great for new hires, the recently promoted, or anyone simply on a mission to achieve their goals.

My approach is flexible and customizable to meet the unique needs of any industry. I have served clients across banking and credit unions, aviation, security and investigations, computers and IT, general business, medical, health and wellness, insurance, government, non-profits, faith-based organizations, education, and many more.

Reach out today to find out how I can help you and your organization achieve your goals.

Personal development is a customized program that focuses on helping individuals overcome obstacles and achieve their full potential. It addresses a wide range of issues that may be preventing you from living your best life, including work-related issues, mastering new skills, personal growth, and more. It is tailored to your specific needs and can include topics such as life vision, dealing with loss, career changes and challenges, parental leadership, sales and influence, effective communication, public speaking, relationship leadership, education paths, and many more.

In many ways, it’s learning to navigate life’s unexpected events and apply existing skills in everyday life. Contact me for a free consultation to see if this program is a good fit for you.

When it comes to behavior-related diseases, nutrition, and physical activity, you want accurate information for the best outcomes. You likely will not receive that in most other places.

The root of this systemic problem might be found by examining chronic disease and the leading causes of death. According to the CDC, sixty percent of Americans deal with some kind of chronic ailment (CDC, 2019), and the leading causes of death in the United States result from chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes (CDC, 2019). A study published in PLOS One suggests these diseases are not primarily genetic or communicable; more than 85 percent of chronic disease is caused by lifestyle choices that include diet and exercise (Rappaport, 2016).

Diet is foundational to health, but nutrition is not a focal point in the training of most physicians. Research by Jennifer Abbasi found that many medical students do not receive appropriate nutrition education (Abbasi, 2019), a finding supported by a 2015 survey showing that 71 percent of medical schools provide less than the recommended 25 hours of nutrition education, with over a third providing less than half of that (Adams et al., 2015).

Exercise is similarly essential to health but is not something many physicians are required to learn. A 2015 study of allopathic and osteopathic medical schools found that only 12.2 percent of medical students had a single required course related to physical activity (Devries et al., 2017), and a separate 2015 study found that over half of all American physicians receive zero formal education in physical activity (Cardinal et al., 2015).

This is alarming, especially considering that behavior-related diseases are spiraling out of control. It would be difficult to treat or address something you know very little about. That’s why I chose health science: because it is desperately needed. You should choose me because I understand the problem, went to school to learn about it, and can provide the information that puts you on the path to resolution.

Abbasi, J. (2019). Medical Students Around the World Poorly Trained in Nutrition. JAMA. doi:10.1001/jama.2019.17297

Adams, K. M., Butsch, W. S., & Kohlmeier, M. (2015). The State of Nutrition Education at US Medical Schools. Journal of Biomedical Education, 2015, 1-7.

Cardinal, B. J., Park, E. A., MooSong Kim, & Cardinal, M. K. (2015). If Exercise is Medicine, Where is Exercise in Medicine? Journal of Physical Activity & Health, 12(9), 1336-1343.

CDC. (2019, October 23). About Chronic Diseases. cdc.gov/chronicdisease

Devries, S. et al. (2017). A Deficiency of Nutrition Education and Practice in Cardiology. The American Journal of Medicine, 130(11), 1298-1305.

Rappaport, S. M. (2016). Genetic Factors Are Not the Major Causes of Chronic Diseases. PLOS One, 11(4).

Yes. My programs are not for everyone, but a brief consultation will let us know if we are a match. If this program is not a perfect fit, I am prepared to refer you to other programs that might be.

Payments: Students have the option to pay as they go or to pay for the entire course upfront.

Cancellations: Both GrassFire and the student reserve the right to postpone or cancel any class or course.

Refunds for LEIP: If a LEIP student cancels before our fourth class or within two weeks, whichever comes first, we will promptly refund the paid amount. If a student cancels after the third class or after the initial two weeks, we will promptly refund any prorated or unused amount, if applicable.

All Other Programs: Services are rendered before payments are received and after a free initial consultation. Times and prices are clearly marked and discussed. No refund is necessary.

Accepted forms of payment include cash, Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, ACH, cashier’s check, and business check.

That’s not a problem. Most programs can be conducted online. We can use technology such as Google Meet for face-to-face interaction over the web, as well as phone for support sessions and email for continued communication.

That’s not a problem at all. In-office Leadership Development and Training takes place at our office in Wichita, Kansas; however, some organizations and individuals prefer I come to them. Let me know what you need and where, and I’ll help figure out the details to make it work for you.

Corporate Partnerships: Generous discounts are extended to corporate partners who team up with GrassFire to provide leadership development services for their team members and organizational development services for their organization. Contact me for more information.

The Auxesis Scholarship: A generous partial scholarship offered to members of Auxesis. Part of the proceeds go back to Auxesis to help foster its growth.

Seasonal Specials: Various incentives to boost savings, offered each season. These vary by year and typically range from 3% to 10%. Be sure to ask about them.

No. GrassFire Industries LLC is an independent development firm based in Kansas. We have no connection to Grassfire LLC, which operates in petitioning and political canvassing.