"In late 2006 Griffith Business School joined with Leadership In Action to present the University’s flagship leadership development course The Effective E³ Leader. This course was developed specifically for Griffith by LIA and presents a unique and highly effective approach to developing operational leadership, consisting of a leadership effectiveness benchmarking survey, a four day immersion learning component and nine months of one-to-one coaching.

The results achieved with the course to date have been outstanding. I have closely observed the delivery of the entire course, particularly the four day immersion component, and it is conducted with a high degree of professionalism by James Michael and his team. The course has achieved such a level of success for Griffith that I am now working with the LIA team to develop it further as a fully accredited post graduate award program." - 

"Over 30 years experience of corporate leadership development programmes, both here and in the U.S. and this one beats them all!" - 

"The experience was excellent. No-bullshit learning, in an unbelievable setting. Makes you challenge your mind, body and soul." - 

"I appreciated the care & understanding of my individual capabilities to physically meet the missions. The facilitators 'enabled' me to experience the 'learnings' without it being totally exhausting, ensuring the missions' significance were not lost. My PL experience pinpointed exactly where I'm at in my own journey... thanks guys!" - 

"Having had the good fortune in my career to attend many leadership workshops/conferences/programmes, I can confidently say that you stand head and shoulders above all others I've experienced. The team at LIA displayed a unique ability to focus on what exactly was missing (in skill or attitude) and provide it in a quintessentially Australian way. Their comments were always straight from the heart and straight to the heart of the matter. Fair to say they exemplified a no-bullshit approach that works... My experience has been that LIA have absolutely nailed it." - 

"I have an MBA from London and have participated in and taught company programs on business, management and leadership training. LIA is by far the most real, challenging, thought provoking and testing workshop on leadership. It is an ‘in your face’ no-nonsense evaluation of you as a leader. It goes way beyond the glossy powerpoints and cosy classroom role plays. Other workshops will not be so blunt; they will dilute the criticism to keep things ‘polite’, they will merely provide information, they will focus on the academic and theoretical side of learning, they will hold your hand...    ...LIA hones in on your effectiveness as a leader; how you make decisions, the timeliness of those decisions and how you communicate. Indeed the missions will examine in real time the effectiveness of your communication; every motion, sentence and instruction. It shows you that what you think and know are two different things, especially in how people respond to your direction. Their action is an instant test on your leadership. The quality of your decision making is tested in real time. You won’t get an academic evaluation of a thesis or classroom task by a professor who learnt his ‘trade’ in the hallways of a University campus. You get an instant and complete answer in the form of whether people survived an ambush. It’s black and white, not grey. The results cannot be mis-interpreted or questioned."  - 

"This programme made me realise exactly what kind of leader I am right now & what sort of leader I want to be. It also gave me the tools & 'know-how' to get there! I would recommend this to anybody who is ready wanting to learn."  - 

"A physically & mentally challenging programme with solid real-time live opportunities to learn & apply the knowledge & skills. A once in a lifetime opportunity & the best management program I have ever participated in. Thanks Fifty & Rafiki." - 

"A fantastic experience in the modern world of leadership. Leaders need to know their own limits and style before their journey of leadership. This course more than fulfils this challenging role." - 

"The experience was physically challenging, mentally tough and took me outside my normal comfort zones, however the reward from both our teams achievement and the significant turnaround from day one, as well as the personal learnings taken from the programme, far outweighed any discomfort. I would recommend the experience to anyone who is serious about improving their leadership skills and who is keen to personally challenge themselves." - 

"It's a great practical way to learn theory. Four days of hardship to learn a lifetime of improvement. I'd like to take the opportunity to say thank you to yourself, Cal and your team for a fantastic experience. It is a very unique course which I feel I will benefit from immensely." - 

"What an immense feeling of achievement & satisfaction!" - 

"Irrespective of your experience, role and responsibility within your organisation everyone enters this programme on the same level but returns to their organisation armed with a greater self-awareness and better understanding of the people with whom you interact. 'The Leadership Experience' - these three words are a true representation of the programme" - 

"Having attended many training courses in my 20 years career, from university to in house training, I can say that James and his team have created a learning environment that is intensely inspirational that truly extends oneself. I leave the Capertee Valley with a renewed vigour for learning and role excellence in pursuit of being a better leader. I applaud James and Cal in their thorough preparation and ongoing stimulation throughout our ?missions? and for maintaining a mystique that kept you always thinking, ?what next??. Well done." - 

"No pain, no gain. You need to get out of your comfort zone and be challenged in order to learn. The Leadership In Action program places you in an environment that is foreign, and the physical and environmental stresses magnify the theoretical learnings. A great program, it certainly got the juices flowing. Thanks for a great experience, it certainly had plenty of bang for the buck, and a course I?ll always fondly remember due to the personal challenge and learning environment created? - 

“If you are ready for a completely different learning experience, both for yourself and for what can be applicable to your workplace, then this is the one. TLE takes you to a whole new level of knowledge about yourself.” And later via email... " First of all let me say I found the program one of the most insightful and relevant that I have completed, specifically looking at team culture, my leadership and those of others and organisational effectiveness.  Whilst pushed to probably the greatest level of physical and mental endurance that I have yet to experience, even though I have completed many nights in the bush camping and  sailed off shore in some big swells, to be placed in circumstances of high pressure whilst maintaining focus was challenging but extremely rewarding."  - 

"Be prepared to discover the real you. Your discipline, perseverance, mental and physical strength, both in your personal and business life. You will understand how you can lead and how you can improve." - 

"This programme is essential for companies that intend to prosper in today's world. James, Callum, I very much appreciate the experience. The words 'Professional Excellence' and 'Commitment' continue to ring in my ears." - 

"I didn't want it to end. I have never been so engaged in my professional life as I was in these 4 days. The exploration of the internal factors of leading were invaluable. They were immediately enhanced through the investigation & iteration of the 'spiritual' aspects. My heartfelt thanks to T.K. for his open hearted encouragement to explore my inner person." - 

"The programme peeled back several of my layers, exposed strengths and weaknesses, then added layers to my leadership abilities and aspirations. Thankyou!" - 

"This programme is a unique way of engaging the participants into a virtual reality that 'appears real', resulting in an engaging process of practical business leadership tools and theories that are absolutely performance-enhancing."  - 

"Thanks James and Callum for an amazing experience. This was both confronting and challenging yet teaches invaluable skills to significantly improve yourself and your ability to lead others. The theory element was delivered in short, sharp lessons that became clear when applied to the practical experiences. The memories of this course and our team will stay with me forever as a reminder to always challenge myself to be the best leader I can be. Bring on Mission 9!"  - 

"The first training programme I have attended where the 'how' and 'what next' on improving myself and striving to get the most out of my team were revealed - finally! Move over Blanchard, Lundin & Ziglar, LIA is what Australian Corporate require. I am so relieved I made the choice." - 

"The Leadership Experience is the only leadership program that I have seen that challenges and assesses a leader?s strengths and weaknesses in a realistic, highly pressured situation. I believe the likelihood of lasting improvements from this approach with the subsequent coaching sessions will see significantly better and more sustained results than a presentation of leadership theory alone." - 

"Challenging is a buzz word. This was straight-out confronting to the senses. A test on many levels with facilitators committed to their knowledge and my learning." - 

''The TLE for our executive team exceeded my expectations. The program was carefully tailored beforehand both for participants and our business context, and activities were also adapted as necessary through the 4 days. The linkage of practical activity back to the workplace was excellent, making the TLE a unique learning opportunity. This was a great way for the team to get to know one another, and learn about ourselves as well. James, TK and the LIA team displayed great professionalism as well as care for our people. Personally it was challenging, rewarding and fun as well. Some moments will stay with me forever!'' - 

"You were right. As time went on it all became very clear. You guys did a great job with us all... I learnt heaps about myself from Callum in the field... Looking forward to Mission 9... I feel I hear a Mission 10 coming on called 'Operation Quiet Achiever Life Change'...Thanks again, you've done a great job with a fantastic programme." - 

"Let me first say without any doubt, those four days were the most realistic, relevant, challenging and well presented days of leadership learning I have experienced... Life changing. Push your boundaries. Stop for a while and think about your life." - 

"This programme has crystallized known and new opportunities for me to improve in success as a leader. I was challenged, exposed and yet managed to absorb many new valuable tools and learnings. An outstanding life experience!" - 

"The experience gave me a deeper insight to the role of a true leader and an understanding of my personal strengths and values. Overall the experience was highly valuable personally and for the entire leadership team of my company" - 

"Just taking time out to congratulate yourself and your team on a superb course. The way it is designed with us going in blind, learning and implementing tactics, becoming aware and confident and then finally overcoming and succeeding is nothing short of sensational... I personally gained an enormous amount of learnings from the course. I have?completed a few courses at TAFE, etc, on the same sort of topics, but they?had nowhere near the clarity and impact your course has. No amount of?essays?or class work will make up for the team building sessions we endured." - 

"Finally, a development programme that truly addresses the 'real issues' in 'leadership' and provides results." - 

"This is a top class "experiential" transformation in leadership" - 

"TLE is a unique learning paradigm. The combination of theory and field exercises totally immerses the participant in, what amounts to, an alternate reality using the "Army Special Forces" scenario as a metaphor. The morning lecture of each day prepares you for the afternoon missions and, in combination, aspects of your own personal leadership style are brought to the fore, highlighting areas of strength and weakness. Being totally outside of my level of comfort I found the programme to be both confronting and exhilarating. I learnt many things about myself and my colleagues ? an unforgettable experience!" - 

"The experiential components strongly and quickly reinforced the formal lessons. The transformation of ten partcipants to an effective high performance team literally happened before my eyes within the first three days. I would highly recommend to any company who would like to fast track team development!" - 

"James/LIA thank you for providing the best learning experience I have ever had both about myself and how to engage with others. I had some difficulties getting here with some health problems but was "desperate" to attend. I would never have known what I would have missed if I didn't get to attend and am extatic (sic) I got the opportunity and will remember it forever." "P.S. thankyou for being so concerned about my welfare." - 

"A LIFE CHANGING EXPERIENCE: I have been working for 27 years and have attended many conferences. It took me 'going bush' for 4 days near Lithgow, on 1000 acres plus lots of sweat and no tears to find the TRUE ME - as a leader at work, husband, father and mate, to sit in the bush in a classroom environment which was made up of?a fold up chair and a flipchart. Then, going into action to become a TRUE LEADER and COMMUNICATOR. Everyone in business from a Sole Trader to major Corporate MUST send themselves, Managers, Directors and Shareholders. If you want your employees to go from GOOD TO GREAT, to lead, communicate and care. Leadership In Action is the only company I will recommend. P.S.?Where were you 20 years ago?" - 

"Paradoxically team building starts with a journey of the self. This has been very effective by making me look out by looking in. The take out - don't accept no, never give up - work together, together we will prevail." - 

"The Leadership Experience is more than experience; it is feeling, touching, challenging and implementing real-life leadership in today's world. I will never forget this programme as my life has changed in more ways than I could ever have imagined from a single four-day experience." - 

"Without a doubt the most challenging, rewarding and quite possibly life-changing leadership and development programme I have ever participated in." - 

"I am so very impressed with the programme. Believe me I was sceptical about how LIA could improve our business! I am now completely convinced. There is no better way to relate self-development and behaviour type work than through this programme..." - 

"Thank you so much for showing me how to 'apply my mind'.This was truly a moving experience for me. I leave here a better person and a better manager. You are inspirational people who have touched my soul and taught me the true value of empathy, tolerance, patience and honesty. I look forward to working with you both in the future. Sometimes you have to walk in someone else's shoes before you can run in your own. I can't wait to have you all run beside me as we head into this exciting new time for the company." - 

"An extremely unique and challenging experience. Never before have I been part of a learning experience which successfully combines a professional theoretical approach with a high-impact, unforgettable, practical program. It was fun playing soldiers too!" - 

"I'm going to shred all of my 'management certificates'!" - 

"Having completed the "bush experience" I say with conviction that it is one of the defining moments in both my personal and working life. If you are reading this comment while contemplating whether this company (LIA) will assist you and your people, don't hesitate a moment longer. Engage them.. James, Sue and the rest of the LIA team... Thankyou, you have bought clarity and confidence to my sometimes confusing world."  - 

"Made me realise and confront issues I didn't even know I had - and gave me the direction to resolve them. I just wanted to drop you a quick note to thank yourself and TK for an amazing experience attending the TLE course last week. I am the first to admit that I was slightly cynical to start with, but by Thursday evening the lightbulb went on and it all made sense. I'm very glad I attended.?The two profile documents made extremely interesting reading, and I look forward to the ongoing dialogue and meetings we will be having with you this year." - 

"I found this programme to be the most challenging training I have ever undertaken, both physically and mentally. I was pushed to the very brink and learnt so much about myself. It is rare and rewarding to find a 'Leadership' training programme that is so practicable and one that I can apply to my everday work." - 

“Being newly appointed to a leadership position, this program has given a solid grounding in all aspects of leadership. The setting leaves you no choice but to see the learnings in action. I would strongly recommend it to anyone.”  -