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Stop Throwing 7% of Your Revenue Down the Drain!

Cathie Leimbach • March 26, 2024

There is a lot of evidence that the biggest potential for growing your organization’s top line, bottom line, or mission impact this year is through leadership development!


Lack of strong leadership skills and behaviors impacts the bottom line.

  • “For every year a company delays leadership development, it costs 7% of their annual sales.” - Blanchard – “Making the Business Case” Report


Lack of strong leadership skills and behaviors impacts retention.

  • “1 in 2 people state that they’ve left a job at some point to get away from a bad manager.” - Gallup


Lack of strong leadership skills and behaviors impacts engagement and productivity.

  • “Managers control 70% of the factors that impact employee engagement.”  -  Gallup


In 2024, for the first time, managers and supervisors are more disengaged than frontline workers. - Gallup

  • “There aren’t a lot of tools that promote leadership development.” -  Bravely


The need for leadership development has never been greater. With few people applying to your job postings, you don’t want a right-fit hire to become disenchanted and leave in 3 to 6 months. Managers of remote workers have to be more intentional about communicating with their employees because they can’t touch base in the break room or drop in as they are walking past their office.


Today’s employees want a positive workplace culture but 90% of leaders aren’t focusing on building rapport, increasing engagement, and providing the various types of support team members need to become high performers.  

Yet, there is very good news in the leadership development space! Culture Impact has developed a stellar management training course which helps leaders:

  • realize the need for trusting and inspiring employees,
  • learn about effective leadership practices,
  • develop the foundational skills for engaging and empowering team members, and
  • build confidence to regularly use these effective leadership practices to support employee and organizational success.


If you have been losing sleep at night, or pulling your hair out, over low employee morale and productivity, it will be well worth your time to investigate the highly effective Conversational Management training. Click here for more information and to register for a 2-hour interactive workshop experience. Attending a remote Test Run of this highly effective leadership development program could transform your work and personal life – and the workplace reality for everyone on your team!  When you decide to offer Conversational Management to your people leaders, the training can be delivered in-person or via Zoom. 



I look forward to seeing you at one of the upcoming Test Drives! Register Now!

Please reach out with any and all questions about leadership development or Conversational Management. Contact  Cathie Leimbach of Agon Leadership at 440-320-3113 or cathie@agonleadership.com.

The Four Cs of Effective Conversation

By Cathie Leimbach • February 18, 2025
Based on “Four Cs of Effective Conversation” - The Ohio State University Leadership Center. Ever walked out of a meeting thinking everything was settled, only to realize later that key actions didn’t happen, or alignment was off? That’s because effective conversations require four key elements: clarity, candor, commitment, and completion. Clarity: Make Sure Everyone’s on the Same Page Miscommunication is one of the biggest productivity killers. It’s easy to assume people understand what’s being said, but without clear expectations, mistakes happen. Take the time to check for understanding—what’s obvious to you might not be obvious to everyone else. Candor: Say What You Mean, Mean What You Say Honest, direct conversations build strong teams. When people hold back their real thoughts or concerns, issues fester, and progress stalls. Creating a culture of candor—where people feel safe to speak openly—makes teams more effective and relationships stronger. Commitment: Get Specific About Next Steps A vague “I’ll handle it” often leads to dropped balls. When commitments are specific—who will do what by when—things actually get done. Leaders sometimes hesitate to ask for deadlines, fearing it feels like micromanagement, but clear commitments drive accountability without overstepping. Completion: Don’t Move On Too Soon Before wrapping up a discussion, check that everything’s been addressed. Did we answer all key questions? Does everyone know what happens next? Ensuring a topic is fully covered prevents confusion later and keeps teams aligned.  Mastering these four Cs can turn routine workplace conversations into powerful tools for productivity and collaboration.

Improve Leadership to Boost Workplace Productivity

By Cathie Leimbach • February 11, 2025
Today's workplaces are changing, and managers play a key role in increasing workplace morale and productivity. Research shows that managers impact 70% of what affects how engaged and effective employees are. Surveys show many employees are dissatisfied. They say that expectations are unclear, they don’t feel respected by management, they don’t get enough training, and they don't see how their work matters. With the increasing number of seniors and fewer people in the workforce, increased productivity is essential. Strong leadership is more important than ever. Managers need to develop skills to help their teams succeed. This includes: • Setting clear goals, • Showing appreciation, • Providing good training, and • Helping employees see the purpose of their work. The innovative Conversational Management program helps managers build these leadership skills. It focuses on the leadership practices which boost engagement and productivity. Managers can participate in a virtual Test Drive to see how these strategies can improve teamwork and performance. If you want better results and productivity, REGISTER HERE to join a Test Drive and learn about this highly effective leadership approach! 
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