As Jack Welch rightly said, “Before you are a leader, success is about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.”
This means that to become a successful leader, one must acquire all relevant skills and knowledge to develop leadership skills in others. Blanchard focuses on creating great leaders by addressing their pressing leadership challenges with effective leadership solutions. Leaders trained by Blanchard are future-ready to empower and influence a diverse workforce.
Regarding Blanchard’s winning the title of one of the Innovators of the Year 2024, CEO and co-owner Scott Blanchard acknowledges the award’s significance. He believes the award reaffirms his company’s commitment to innovation in making leadership development more accessible. The award also recognizes Blanchard’s efforts in forwarding the legacy and principles of his parents, Ken and Margie Blanchard, and the organization’s ability to demonstrate how innovation with a human touch moves people and organizations forward.
Leading Blanchard
Witnessing the positive impact of legendary leadership while growing up, Scott joined Blanchard to build on this foundation. At the time, Blanchard’s vision was to unleash the power and potential of people and organizations for the greater good. Over the years, that vision has evolved to leaders powered for good to meet the needs of a more digital, global, and diverse workforce.
Blanchard has integrated digital innovations, such as Propel membership and Blanchard Community, to make the leadership models and principles more accessible without compromising the organization’s culture and values. The Leadify App has enabled Blanchard to take a proactive approach to reach and engage with emerging leaders.
Scott Blanchard: The Leader Behind the Leadership Expert
Scott has a bachelor’s degree in hotel administration and hospitality from Cornell University and a master’s degree in organizational development from American University. His background in hospitality taught him the importance of service and adaptability, and his knowledge of organizational development has given him a foundation in change management and adult learning. Scott’s extensive career as a trainer, consultant, and product developer has helped him understand leadership challenges across industries. These experiences shaped his own leadership development, enabling him to drive Blanchard toward digital, scalable, human-centric solutions.
Starting from the Heart of Leadership
“At Blanchard, effective leadership is grounded in authenticity, compassion, and a commitment to the well-being of others,” shares Scott.
To start from the heart of leadership means understanding that leadership is not about titles or authority—it starts with empathy and a dedication to serving people, not just goals. Blanchard’s tagline The Heart of Human Achievement™ reflects this approach.
The firm believes leaders set the tone, build a culture, and create an environment where people feel valued and empowered. Leaders are more likely to drive success by inspiring others, fostering engagement, and building lasting relationships when they start from the heart.
A Human-Powered Learning Experience
From one-on-one and group coaching to in-person and virtual interactive workshops, Blanchard has a range of training experiences to offer. Blanchard experts also excel in designing and leading collaborative learning modules. The firm’s focus on experiential learning, comprising real-world practice, reflection, and application, is what sets it apart from traditional leadership training. In Scott’s words, “We aim to create moments of personal insight and growth that are far more impactful than traditional lecture-based training.”
Platforms like Blanchard Community—which provides a safe, accessible online space with tools, resources, and knowledge to support a global community of diverse perspectives—are perfect examples of a human-centered approach. Blanchard’s highly interactive, adaptable, and relevant leadership programs are designed to develop leaders prepared to face unique challenges with empathy and confidence.
Winning a Competitive Edge with the Power of Content
Blanchard’s content relevancy and resonance are ensured by its dedicated teams, such as the innovation lab, product development, solutions architects, and DEI teams. These teams stay on top of the latest research in leadership, psychology, and organizational behavior to craft content that resonates with leadership needs. Blanchard empowers its content through continuous client and user feedback for valuable insights to adapt and evolve. The Leadify app allows the company to tailor learning experiences to meet leaders’ needs while keeping the content practical and research-backed.
The company’s competitive edge lies in its commitment to accessible, human-centered leadership combined with innovative technology and adaptability. Founded on the belief that effective leadership starts with self-awareness, Blanchard has made all programs accessible. Through the Leadify app, the company offers personalized and engaging content for emerging leaders to grow in a way that is true to their unique strengths.
Leaders Powered for Good
Blanchard’s vision, Leaders Powered for Good, reflects the firm’s belief that leadership should positively impact people, organizations, and communities. In practice, this means equipping leaders with the skills and mindset to make ethical and inclusive decisions. With its vision at the core, Blanchard develops programs that rise beyond profitability or efficiency and foster a positive workplace environment.
Mitigating Challenges
During the global pandemic, Blanchard’s biggest challenge was the rapid shift to virtual training. The company had to rethink its approach to delivering leadership training that suits remote environments. By accelerating digital transformations, the company rapidly pivoted with platforms like Propel. Recently, Blanchard also combated the challenge of engaging next-generation leaders and the workforce through the Leadify app.
Envisioning the Future
With the advancements in digitalization, leadership is likely to become more digital, more inclusive, and accessible to all organizational levels. Scott recognizes this change of the coming decade as an opportunity to enhance Blanchard’s digital platforms and solutions.
In Scott’s vision, future leaders will need to be more agile, culturally aware, and skilled to lead remote teams. In response, Blanchard plans to expand its initiatives and programs, like Leadify and the Leadify Accelerators Program, to support future leaders. As a part of its mission, Blanchard also aims to help employers retain and engage new generations to ensure the company meets the values and expectations brought by emerging leaders to today’s workforce.
Steering the Way for Future Leaders
As a leader and mentor to future innovators and entrepreneurs, Scott Blanchard advises them to lead with curiosity and an open heart. In his words, “Innovation comes from listening to the people you serve and asking ‘How can we improve?’” Scott encourages future leaders not to fear failure—instead, take it as a learning opportunity. Staying true to core values but adapting to change is Scott’s mantra for next-generation leaders.
Focus on creating positive change, and excellence will follow naturally.
