A celebrated leadership expert, speaker, author, and coach, Mike Staver is known for his transformative work in leadership development and beyond.
With over three decades of experience, Mike has influenced thousands of individuals through his creative and practical approach to leadership. He is the author of the acclaimed book “Leadership Isn’t for Cowards” and has been recognized multiple times for his impactful presentations and coaching methodologies.
Mike’s unique ability to distill complex leadership concepts into actionable insights has earned him a place in the Speaker Hall of Fame and a reputation as a trusted advisor to leading organizations worldwide, including Federal Express, Mayo Clinic, and Allstate. His work at The Staver Group focuses on helping leaders bridge the gap between their intentions and results, fostering clarity, accountability, and effective execution in business environments.
Featuring as Exeleon’s Most Transformational Coach to Follow in 2024, we look into the story of Mike Staver – the leader’s leader.
Early Life and Education
As the eldest of three boys, Mike grew up in a family where close bonds and strong values were strongly emphasized. With a strict corporate executive father and a mother, he describes as “the only convincing evidence that God exists,” Mike’s childhood was a blend of discipline and unconditional love.
His initial aspiration was to become a Navy fighter pilot, specifically a member of the Blue Angels. Despite taking flying lessons and being accepted into universities with flight programs, his career path shifted dramatically.
Mike ended up pursuing a degree in Business Administration and later obtained a Master’s in Counseling Psychology. This educational background, combined with his life experiences, significantly shaped his understanding of leadership and coaching.
“At the time, it seemed as if my education was a series of reactions. But it has shaped my worldview, my business, and how I work with people,” Mike notes. He points out that real education extends beyond academic success; it involves understanding the complexities of life and navigating them with values and intention.
“Our life’s work is about navigating with values and intention. I learned that lesson the hard way. It took failure, loss, and no short supply of hard knocks,” he says. For Mike, leadership and learning are inseparable: “If you are a leader, you’re a learner. If you’re not a learner, you’re not a leader. I don’t care what your title is.” This philosophy underpins his approach to leadership development and coaching, making his guidance both deeply personal and broadly applicable.
The Professional Journey
Mike’s professional journey is marked by significant achievements and contributions to the field of leadership development.
Over the past 30 years of his professional journey, Mike has impacted over 200,000 individuals through his engaging and practical approach to leadership. Moreover, he is a Certified Speaking Professional and was inducted into the Speaker Hall of Fame in 2022, further underscoring his influence and excellence.
Mike’s approach to leadership focuses on clarity, accountability, and action. He believes that leaders must have a clear understanding of their values and consistently pursue outcomes rather than getting bogged down by daily tasks. “For us, leadership is about influencing a person or group of people to achieve results beyond which they believe themselves able,” he explains.
This philosophy has been central to his work at The Staver Group, where he helps leaders close the gap between their intentions and actual results.
Bridging the Gap Between Intention and Results
With Staver Group, Mike helps leaders bridge the gap between their intentions and actual results through a multi-faceted approach. “We help leaders bridge gaps by doing several things.”
The organization focuses on helping leaders gain clarity, overcome obstacles, and develop conviction and commitment. This approach ensures long-term success for businesses by improving leadership performance and execution.
He emphasizes that many organizations are over managed and under led, highlighting the importance of leadership in achieving results beyond what individuals believe possible.
To lead effectively, there must be a relentless pursuit of outcomes. Mike and his team help leaders achieve this by:
- Clarifying Values: Leaders need a solid understanding of their core values to guide their decisions and actions.
- Focusing on Outcomes: Prioritizing results over daily tasks and distractions is crucial for effective leadership.
- Understanding Accountability: Building a culture of accountability is essential. Leaders must comprehend the true meaning of accountability and integrate it into their organizational culture.
- Evaluating Resources: It’s important to assess whether the resources available to their team are sufficient to meet desired outcomes.
- Ensuring Execution: Mike stresses the importance of evaluating the intersection of responsibility and authority. Leaders must ensure they have effectively delegated both to their teams to facilitate successful execution.
The Staver Group Approach
The Staver Group works with leaders to help them perform better, confront problems, and make a cultural difference by applying a structured approach.
The core methodology of The Staver Group is grounded in a straightforward yet profound principle: acceptance. “We work with leaders’ performance through a filter,” Mike explains. “The filter is simply acceptance.”
In his book, Leadership Isn’t for Cowards, he outlines six essential steps that all leaders should follow to improve their performance:
- Acceptance of Circumstances: Mike emphasizes the importance of accepting situations as they are without making them better or worse. “Acceptance does not equal approval,” he clarifies. A rigorous, non-judgmental look at reality is crucial for leaders to perform better. The moment leaders add qualifiers like good/bad or right/wrong, it triggers judgment, leading to emotional reactions or rationalizations that can hinder performance. “To perform better, leaders need to see reality for what it is.”
- Taking Responsibility: In a world where people often avoid responsibility, leaders must create a culture based on repair rather than blame. “Responsibility leads to repair. Blame leads to punishment. Blame cultures usually build compliance. Responsibility cultures drive commitment,” Mike explains. Leaders who take responsibility and instill personal responsibility within their culture see better performance.
- Action Orientation: Mike highlights the need for leaders to develop an action-oriented mindset. “Most people spend too much time getting ready and not enough time getting busy,” he observes. Effective leaders bridge the gap between intention and execution by focusing on action, even when faced with insufficient information or resources. “A leader that closes the gap between intention and execution is focused on action.”
- Acknowledging Progress: Recognizing and celebrating incremental progress is vital for maintaining motivation and focus. While traditional approaches may underline achieving the big goal, Mike believes that celebrating benchmarks is equally important. “Leaders that build a culture of celebrating incremental wins tend to get more accomplished,” he says. This practice helps maintain commitment to the overall outcome while acknowledging the steps taken along the way.
- Commitment to Success Habits: Developing and maintaining success habits is crucial for leaders. Mike identifies gratitude as one of the most important success habits. “The research is clear, experiencing gratitude in a concentrated way has an impact on decision-making and creativity,” he explains. Unlike thankfulness, which is cognitive, gratitude is a deeper, spiritual, and emotional experience. Mike recommends dedicating 2-3 minutes each morning to dwell on things you are grateful for. “Abiding in gratitude impacts us on a deeper transformational level,”
Through these principles, The Staver Group assists leaders in not only improving their performance but also in making meaningful cultural changes within their organizations. By focusing on acceptance, responsibility, action, progress acknowledgment, and success habits, Mike’s approach creates leaders who are clear, committed, and capable of executing their visions effectively. This methodology ensures long-term success and transformation for both the leaders and their businesses.
Balancing Productivity and Focus
Maintaining productivity and focus while managing a successful business and coaching others is no small feat. For Mike Staver, the key lies in rejecting the traditional notion of work-life balance. “I start with surrendering the idea of work-life balance,” he explains.
Instead of striving for a perfect equilibrium, Mike talks about the importance of living in alignment with one’s core values. “Overall, it all balances out, but in the short run, I have found it difficult to balance,” he acknowledges.
Mike challenges the common expectations of balancing time, work, life, and energy. For him, the true essence of balance comes from aligning actions and decisions with deeply held values. His top three core values are Authenticity, Excellence, and Freedom. “I filter my life through those three values,” he says. These values act as a compass, guiding his decisions and ensuring that his actions are meaningful and fulfilling. “When I am authentic, living in excellence, and feeling freedom, what I am doing feels alive,” Mike shares.
A practical aspect of Mike’s approach to managing his busy schedule is his reliance on a meticulously planned calendar. “On a practical level, my life is managed by my calendar. So much so that during the week, if it’s not on my calendar, it doesn’t happen,” he states. This disciplined approach allows him to handle the demands of his coaching practice efficiently. He builds his calendar around his values, ensuring that his time is spent on activities that align with his principles.
Mike also credits his success to having a strong support system. “I am blessed with an outstanding team that keeps me sane,” he says. His team plays a crucial role in helping him maintain focus and productivity, allowing him to dedicate his energy to the areas that matter most.
Future Plans
Looking ahead, Mike is excited about several new initiatives for The Staver Group, particularly their Coaching Certification program. This rigorous program is designed to equip individuals with the foundational principles of effective coaching, ensuring they are well-prepared to help others improve their performance and quality of life.
“We are committed to helping people help people. We have a rigorous coaching certification program that teaches people the core foundational principles of being a great coach,” he asserts. The program includes eight three-hour sessions with homework and a written and oral exam, ensuring that participants are professionally prepared to excel in their roles.
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