Leadership starts with you, and your story matters
I work with individuals and organizations who are willing to slow down, focus on the fundamentals, and take on the unseen work that shapes how we live, lead, and experience the journey.
The power in the unseen
I live with chronic pain, fatigue, and depression. Most of that is unseen unless I choose to share it, yet it shapes how I think, how I show up, and how I lead every day. Living with that reality taught me something I believe deeply. What happens in the unseen has a direct impact on everything we experience and see.
That understanding has been reinforced through the opportunity I have had to walk alongside individuals, families, leaders, and organizations as they face their own challenges. Even when stories may look similar, each one is experienced differently. They are not meant to be compared. They are meant to be shared so learning and growth can happen for everyone involved.
That belief is what led me to build a leadership framework that uses the stories of individuals and organizations to unlock the power in the unseen, build from the foundation, and move toward the unknown with purpose and intentionality.
More About Me
The problem I care about
We live in a culture where leadership is shaped by learned behaviors.
People learn to lead themselves through social norms, the environments they grow up in, the circumstances they experience and the behaviors modeled around them.
When leading others, people often follow the same patterns they have experienced themselves. They lead the way they were led, rely on personality or natural talent, or are expected to figure leadership out as they take on roles, titles and responsibility.
When self leadership is ignored and leading of others becomes something people are expected to figure out along the way, what lives beneath the surface shows up everywhere.
At home. At work. In relationships.
Anxiety increases. Overwhelm builds. Exhaustion sets in. Cultures at home and in the workplace struggle to stay healthy and aligned.
This is when leadership becomes about surviving day to day, instead of supporting how people live, lead and experience life.
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What I believe about Leadership
I believe leadership starts with self, meaning we are all called to lead. And that is the hardest work there is.
In a world that that constantly pressures us to move faster, do more and keep moving forward, learning how to lead yourself requires intention. When that work is ignored, emotions, negative experiences and internal pain begin to compound beneath the surface and eventually show up in every area of life.
When it comes to leading others, the work beneath the surface matters even more. If you are not leading yourself well, leadership becomes reactive, self serving or controlling. And the moment you step in front to lead others, one truth maters most: It is no longer about you.
Strong leadership of others requires investing time, effort and energy into the never ending work of developing who you are. A true commitment to the foundation. Without that investment in yourself, leading others quickly becomes heavy, complex and difficult to sustain.
This belief directly takes on the problem I care about, and is why I created The Leadership Commitment.
The Leadership Commitment
Through my own experiences and the adversity I've been blessed with, I've created The Leadership Commitment framework to walk with individuals and organizations through real challenges and the brokenness within the systems we live and work in.
This framework helps individuals and organizations to see what often goes unseen and guides them to do the foundational work that is consistently overlooked by:
- Understanding the power of their story, the uniqueness of who they are and how it connects to their purpose (their why)
- Focusing on the fundamentals and aligning to the mission
- Taking intentional action that improves how they lead, live and work
I believe The Leadership Commitment holistically equips individuals and organizations to grow by addressing the how behind leadership: how people think, decide, respond and show up, not just what they do.
How this work shows up
This work has been built to be creative, dynamic and versatile. It shows up in different ways depending on the person, the team or the organization, but is always rooted in The Leadership Commitment. Today, that work shows up through:
Leadership coaching and development
Working with individuals, entrepreneurs, teams, and organizations to strengthen self leadership, improve communication, and build sustainable leadership from the inside out.Â
Keynote speaking, events, and workshops
Engaging audiences through storytelling, lived experience, and practical frameworks that challenge how leadership is understood and applied in everyday life.
Athletics through the Leadership Sports Academy
Applying the Leadership Commitment framework within sports to develop athletes, coaches, parents, and organizations by focusing on character, mindset, and leadership development alongside performance.
Where to go next
The Leadership Commitment
If you’re interested in leadership coaching or organizational work, this is where the framework comes to life. This is where individuals and organizations slow down, focus on the fundamentals and go to work on the unseen in order to perform consistently and experience true fulfillment.
The Leadership CommitmentSpeaking and Events
If you're looing for a keynote speaker, leadership conversation or event experience for your organization, team or audience, you can learn more about my speaking here.
Speaking and EventsThe Brad Dempsey Leadership Show
If you're looking for thoughtful, challenging conversations around leadership, identity, faith, performance and the unseen work beneath the surface, you can explore the show here.
The ShowLeadership Sports Academy
Applies The Leadership Commitment framework to athletics, helping athletes, families, coaches and organizations focus on the fundamentals that shape character, performance and the overall experience of sport.
Leadership Sports AcademyTestimonials
“Brad Dempsey gave me the faith to pursue a dream that became a reality eight months later. I am forever thankful to know him and call him a friend. Brad's vision will inspire you, his passion will ignite you, and with his help you will accomplish things that seemed impossible.”
-Sharla H.-
“My life has forever been impacted by Brad Dempsey. The compassion, understanding, and support he showed during the most difficult time of my life motivated me to keep fighting and believe that I have what it takes to succeed in all I do. A phrase he often said was, “Have faith in the process,” and this continues to be helpful for me in all aspects of my life. He helped me realize just how powerful I am, and that believing in myself, trusting others, and asking for help is the most courageous thing you can do.”
-Julie H.-
“Simply put, Brad Dempsey is an incredible man. His genuineness, willingness to help others and drive cannot be matched. He has instilled confidence in me that has allowed me to reach goals I never could have imagined. He always thinks of others and always makes sure his hard work benefits the greater good”
-Dalton G.-
