Michael Neiss

Founder and President

 

Michael’s career as a noted consultant, speaker, facilitator and writer was built upon a background of managerial experience and over thirty years of consulting. His clients cite his real world understanding and practical approach as keys to his success.  Some of Michael’s successful partnerships with clients include:

 

• Lead consultant for design and delivery of leadership development process for an office environment company that received the Optimas Award for Leadership Development Excellence. 

• Twenty-five years of leadership development work based on The Leadership Challenge with clients in all areas of enterprise and public sector. Mike has extensive international experience.  

• As a Master Consultant for The Leadership Challenge, Mike has trained and coached many candidates to full certification in the Leadership Challenge.

• Lead consultant on the establishment of joint union and management efforts to improve performance for a big three automotive company.

• Design and delivery of a major rebranding effort for a branch of the armed services (NAVAIR - Naval Air Systems Command)

• Brand alignment efforts at a major global brewer.

• Keynote speeches on leadership, innovation, brand, and employee engagement for audiences including the US Intelligence Community, National Institute of Health, Chrysler Annual Quality Conference, Caterpillar World Quality Institute, ASME, Spartan Motors, and the Michigan Governor’s Conference for Labor and Management Cooperation. 

 

Michael credits much of his practical approach to his early years in operations management for United Parcel Service.  He also served in leadership positions in organization development at CMS Energy and General Motors. Michael has been fortunate to have worked closely with some of the business world’s best thinkers including Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner, Chip Bell, Peter Block, W. Edwards Deming, and Tom Peters during the course of his consulting career.  Michael continues his relationship with Tom Peters as a Senior Consultant and Principal. 

 

Michael is an alumnus of Michigan State University and has completed graduate studies at Aquinas College. Michael is a founding Certified Master Consultant of The Leadership Challenge.  This designation is given to a select group of consultants by the authors and their publishing company to recognize their expertise. He is also a Preferred Partner with Pfeiffer, a leading provider of training and development material. Mike is a certified facilitator for the Extreme Leadership Institute. Mike is the co-host of Robert Thompson’s Thought Grenades on blogtalkradio.com. He holds many professional certifications and is a member of the OD Network and ATD.

 

Michael makes his home on the shores of Lake Michigan in South Haven, with his wife and an ever-changing menagerie of rescue animals.