The Building Champions Leadership Development Blog
Drawing upon their decades of leadership experience—and the hundreds of conversations they have each week with leaders across the country—our team of coaches deliver insights, strategies, and tips to help you improve how you lead and live.
The 4 AI Strategies You Need
We’re currently living in what has been termed the New New Economy (and no, that’s not a typo). It means that the digital landscape and introduction of artificial intelligence have dramatically shifted and globally impacted the way we all do business, differentiating it from the New Economy launched by the dot com era. And when the way we work changes, the specific functions and skills needed to accomplish a new way of doing business must adapt too. Of course, many are interpreting that to mean that AI is taking away jobs, and in some cases, that will be true, but it’s also going to create new jobs—and it’s important to understand that technology will never replace human-centric skills.
In this article, we share four strategies you need surrounding how your organization embraces and integrates (or sometimes even rejects) artificial intelligence.
The Behaviors of a Stretch Culture
In this Coach Tip Video, COO Dan Foster and Executive Coach Annette Pellinat share how leaders can create a team culture where people are encouraged and expected to stretch beyond what feels comfortable. The result is a high-performing, connected team culture where people thrive, innovation increases, and top talent stays engaged because they feel challenged, supported, and inspired.
The Cost of Comfort: How Discomfort Builds Better Leaders
Most of us like to be comfortable, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing; but the pursuit of comfort can become a negative when chosen over growth. When you postpone the conversation you know you need to have, when you soften expectations to avoid tension, or when you delay a decision you need to make, you’re choosing comfort. And it can feel harmless—because in the moment, comfort looks like peace; but when you learn to lean into the opportunity that comes through discomfort, you grow.
In this article, we share how discomfort can actually be a catalyst for growth and the five leadership benefits that come with it.
The Better Human & Better Leader Mindset
In this month’s Coach Tip Video, COO and Executive Coach Dan Foster sits down with fellow Executive Coach Dr. Drew Lawson to unpack a core belief at Building Champions: better humans make better leaders. Together they explore how your internal leadership operating system shapes the way you show up, and they offer practical, neuroscience-informed practices for grounding yourself, assuming positive intent, and responding more thoughtfully under pressure. You’ll be reminded that transformation isn’t a one-time event but an ongoing journey of courageous, compassionate growth—starting at the head and heart level.
Setting the Course for 2026
A new year always brings fresh goals, ambitious plans, and full calendars. But if the last few years have taught us anything, it’s that circumstances can change—and fast. What endures isn’t just what you do as a leader, but who you are while you’re doing it.
At Building Champions, we believe better humans make better leaders. And that belief isn’t just a catchy tagline for us; it’s how we’ve coached leaders for nearly three decades. So, as you look ahead to 2026, we encourage you to think about not only what you want to accomplish, but also the kind of human and leader you want to become in the process.
In this article, we share four practical ways to set the course for 2026 so you can grow as both a human being and a leader: clarifying your vision, building healthy rhythms and routines, committing to intentional development, and investing in others.
Reframing Your Mindset around Conflict
In this Coach Tip Video, Executive Coaches Dan Foster and Shannon Eckmann unpack how leaders can reframe their mindset around conflict and use it as a catalyst for connection, collaboration, and growth. Drawing from their coaching experience, they explore why conflict feels so uncomfortable, how our default tendency to avoid it holds us back, and what changes when we begin to see conflict as an opportunity rather than a threat. You’ll gain practical perspective on developing healthier models and skills for navigating tension more confidently—at work and in your relationships too.
Turning Conflict into Growth Opportunities
For many, conflict can feel scary, like something to avoid relationally at all costs. And for some, it can feel exciting, like a debate they can’t wait to win. But the reality is that most of us must face conflict (whether we dread it or enjoy it) in order to move forward productively in both life and leadership.
And it doesn’t have to be a battle. In fact, when conflict is engaged by both parties in a healthy way, it can have positive outcomes, allowing for a collaborative resolution. Conflict can even become a catalyst for healing and growth. And in this article, we share three possible growth opportunities that can result from conflict.
Overcoming the Barriers to Strategic Thinking
These days our phones, laptops, tablets, and (for some) watches are constantly buzzing with notifications, reminders, and messages. And even when our devices are silenced, the alerts are still there, awaiting our acknowledgement. When we operate from this state of constant reactivity, it can be hard to focus, get ahead of our to-do lists, and lead strategically.
In this article, we discuss three barriers to strategic thinking and how to address and overcome distractions, urgent requests, and a lack of vision.
Prioritizing Strategic Thinking
In this Coach Tip Video, COO Dan Foster and Executive Coach Annette Pellinat share how carving out space for strategic thinking shifts you from constant reaction to purposeful leadership. Learn simple ways to protect thinking time, use strategy to guide tradeoffs, align your team on what matters most, and build momentum without burnout. This short video tip is perfect for leaders in a busy season who want clarity, focus, and better results.
Strategic Thinking: Become Proactive in a Reactive World
The pace at which we work and live has quickened exponentially over the last decade. We operate in a culture of immediacy with endless opportunity available via the computers in our pockets—and there’s a lot of good that has come with it. But there’s also a cost. And we need to be cognizant of the time and attention we give to algorithms, urgencies, and reactivity.
In this article, we share three actions every leader must regularly take to think strategically and become proactive in a reactive world.