Leadership Resources

Our monthly newsletter, The Ascent Compass, is designed to provide practical leadership insights, encouragement, and tools for healthier teams and organizations. Past topics have included navigating difficult conversations, creating organizational clarity, accountability, team alignment, feedback, trust, and preventing leadership burnout. Each edition is brief, actionable, and focused on helping leaders grow in ways that are immediately useful in their work and relationships.

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Realty Check for Leaders Inventory

Our free Realty Check for Leaders is an inventory designed to provide leaders and teams with a clear, personalized snapshot of how they are currently working, communicating, and leading. Through a series of targeted questions, individuals receive tailored insights that highlight strengths, uncover potential gaps, and offer practical next steps for growth.

This inventory delivers meaningful feedback—serving as a valuable starting point for deeper conversations, greater alignment, and healthier, more effective teamwork and leadership.

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No Stress Guide to Effective 1:1 Meetings

Our free, practical, and easy-to-use guide is designed to help leaders create more meaningful, productive, and consistent one-on-one meetings with their teams. This resource walks leaders through a simple framework focused on building trust, increasing clarity, coaching effectively, and driving results through intentional conversations. Complete with meeting structure, preparation tips, and helpful coaching questions, it equips leaders with actionable tools to strengthen communication, accountability, and team development.

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The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni – A leadership fable that explores the root causes of team frustration and how to build trust, embrace conflict, and achieve collective results.

The Ideal Team Player by Patrick Lencioni – A practical guide to identifying and developing people who embody humble, hungry, and smart traits essential for strong team cultures.

Dare to Lead by Brené Brown – Brown applies her research on courage and vulnerability to leadership, showing how empathy and brave conversations transform culture.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey – A foundational read on personal leadership and effectiveness.

Speed of Trust by Stephen M. R. Covey – Explores how trust impacts the speed and cost of doing business, offering practical ways leaders can build credibility, strengthen relationships, and accelerate results.

Managing Transitions by William Bridges – A thoughtful look at the human side of change, helping leaders guide individuals and teams through uncertainty, endings, and new beginnings.

The Thin Book of Trust by Charles Feltman – A simple, practical framework for understanding trust and building it intentionally through reliability, openness, competence, and care.

The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership by Jim Dethmer, Diana Chapman, and Kaley Klemp – Outlines the mindset shifts and behaviors that help leaders move from reactive, fear-based patterns to intentional, above-the-line leadership.

Crucial Conversations by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler – Provides practical tools for navigating high-stakes conversations with clarity and respect, especially when opinions differ and emotions run strong.

The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni – A practical guide to building organizational health by creating clarity, strengthening leadership teams, and reinforcing alignment across an organization.

The Truth About Employee Engagement by Patrick Lencioni – A concise fable that highlights the three key drivers of engagement—meaning, measurement, and recognition—and how leaders can create more fulfilling work environments.

Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin – A practical leadership book built on lessons from Navy SEAL training and combat, emphasizing personal responsibility, accountability, clear communication, and leading teams effectively through ownership at every level.

Trust and Inspire by Stephen M. R. Covey – Explores a modern leadership approach built on trust, empowerment, and inspiration rather than command and control, encouraging leaders to bring out the best in their people through belief, connection, and development.

Thanks for the Feedback by Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen – A thoughtful guide to receiving feedback well, helping readers navigate criticism, coaching, and praise with greater self-awareness, resilience, and openness to growth.

The Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay Stanier – A highly practical resource that teaches leaders how to ask better questions, listen more effectively, and create coaching conversations that build stronger teams and encourage independent thinking.

Good to Great by Jim Collins – Based on extensive research into high-performing companies, this influential book examines the habits, leadership principles, and organizational disciplines that help good companies become truly exceptional.

The Habit of Passionate Teaching: Reflections on Teaching FOR Learning by Deborah Rickey and Randall Wisehart – A reflective and encouraging book that explores how passionate, student-centered teaching can transform learning experiences, offering practical insights and inspiration for educators committed to growth, connection, and meaningful learning.

The Relentless Pursuit of Excellence: Lessons From a Transformational Leader by Richard D. Sagor and Deborah L. Rickey – Shares leadership lessons and real-world experiences focused on creating lasting organizational improvement, emphasizing vision, collaboration, continuous growth, and the intentional leadership practices that drive excellence.

The Working Genius Podcast by Patrick Lencioni – Explores the six types of working genius and how individuals and teams can better understand their strengths to improve collaboration, productivity, and job satisfaction.

At the Table by Patrick Lencioni – A conversational podcast where Lencioni and his team discuss real-world leadership challenges and offer practical, relatable insights for building healthier organizations.

The Organizational Health Advantage by James Felton and Keith Hadley – Focuses on the principles of organizational health, offering actionable ideas and encouragement for leaders seeking to create clarity, alignment, and strong team cultures.

The Curiosity Shop by Brené Brown and Adam Grant – A thoughtful and engaging podcast exploring human behavior, leadership, work, and relationships through honest conversations, curiosity, and research-backed insights that challenge listeners to think differently.

Wisdom From The Top by Guy Raz – Features conversations with influential CEOs, founders, and leaders sharing candid lessons on leadership, decision-making, resilience, company culture, and what they’ve learned throughout their careers.

Embracing Conflict: Navigating Difficult Conversations– A practical and encouraging webinar designed to help leaders approach difficult conversations with greater confidence, clarity, and purpose. Participants will learn tools for preparing well, navigating emotional or challenging moments constructively, and creating healthier communication within their teams and organizations. Whether conflict feels uncomfortable or unavoidable, this webinar provides actionable strategies to handle it in a productive and people-focused way.

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