Develop leadership teams
Build strategies for
growth through innovation
Create accountability for results
Jonathan works with
leadership teams to help them create their growth goals while developing their capabilities and skills.
His expertise in
leadership, innovation, team development and executive coaching contribute to organizations accomplishing their desired results. Fast Company calls him an “innovation thought leader,” and Investor’s Business Daily refers to him as an “innovation guru.” He is fairly sure that he is proud to have been labeled an “innovation geek” by Forbes.
Jonathan's Work
“I work with teams so they perform better to achieve results.”
Creative thinking and innovation
Facilitation
Individual coaching
Instructional systems design
Keynote presentations
Leadership
New product development
Organizational development
Team coaching
Training
Partner with Pilgrimage Professional Development, an executive leadership and organizational development practice where he regularly works with Fortune 100 companies in the consumer goods, financial services, transportation, electronics, pharma, and entertainment industries as well as small- and mid-size enterprises, various government agencies and business schools.
Adjunct Faculty member at the Center for Creative Leadership and the USSOCOM Joint Special Operations University.
Moderator/Coach for Flourish Advisory Boards, where he works regularly with leadership forums to help them grow their businesses.
Former Vice President of Product and member of the global executive team of Dale Carnegie & Associates, a training organization with operations in 50 states, 90 countries and 32 languages, where he revitalized the product offerings including face-to-face training, virtual instructor-led, on-demand video, and AI-based apps.
Former full-time Senior Faculty and Portfolio Manager for innovation, technology-based learning solutions, and individual leadership development solutions at The Center for Creative Leadership.
Courses for which he led the design teams have won Brandon Hall Leadership Awards, an Investopedia “Best In-Person Sales Training” ranking, and helped organizations achieve the Training Industry’s Top 20 Company in Leadership Training and Sales Training distinctions.
President and cofounder of New & Improved, LLC, a global training and organizational development firm focused on creative problem-solving and innovation leadership skills.
Leadership development
Team coaching and development
Innovation strategy development
Executive coaching
Creative problem solving facilitation
Cost-reduction strategy development
Speaker
Experienced innovation and leadership development expert who achieves outstanding results.
Organization and team-builder with keen strategic thinking, acting, and influencing abilities who works across silos with diverse stakeholders to achieve strategic objectives.
Effective facilitative leader able to grow and manage talent to solve problems and leverage opportunities with limited resources.
Outstanding communication skills to win the hearts and minds of key stakeholders.
Able to drive multiple conflicting projects to successful completion with people regardless of reporting relationships and sufficient resources.
Publications in which Jonathan has been quoted or interviewed include Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, Newsday, Investor’s Business Daily, Entrepreneur, EuropeanCEO, HR Katha, BusinessWorld (India), and Road & Track. He is also the author of many white papers, articles, blogs, videos, books, and training manuals about leadership, creative problem-solving and the polarities of innovation leadership. He is the co-author of the books, More Lightning, Less Thunder: How to Energize Innovation Teams, SELL! The Way Your Customers Want to Buy, SPEAK! Overcoming the Fear and Horror of Public Speaking, CONNECT! How to Build Trust-Based Relationships, and LEAD! How to Build a High-Performing Team. He also wrote the book, Manage Your Boss, published by the Center for Creative Leadership. His next co-authored book How to Make Meetings Not Suck will be published by Gildan Media.
Clients include
Education & Credentials
M.S. Creativity, Innovation, and Change Leadership, State University of NY College at Buffalo, NY
B.S. Communication (Organizational Communication and Instructional Systems Design), cum laude, Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY
Mechanical Engineering (Undergraduate study), Union College, Schenectady, NY
CCL’s Benchmarks 360 Suite, Center for Creative Leadership
Leadership Practices Inventory
Innovation Strengths Preference Indicator
ReMind innovation leadership assessment
Hermann Digital Certified Practitioner
Hermann Whole Brain Thinking Ambassador
Certified aiir Team Effectiveness Survey Practitioner
Certified aiir LD12 360 Practitioner
Certified aiir LD12 Practitioner
Workplace Big File Profile
Organizational Leadership Program Certificate, 2017, University of Central Missouri
High-Impact Sales Management Program Certificate, 2017, University of Central Missouri
Mini-MBA Management Certificate Program, 2007, Loyola University Chicago
Advanced Facilitation Skills – Project Adventure, Inc, 2002
Alumni Achievement Award, Center for Applied Imagination, SUNY Buffalo State University, 2015
Innovation Award, Dale Carnegie Leadership Training for Managers, 2017
Highest Award for Achievement, Dale Carnegie Course, 2016
Board Member, Greensboro Montessori School 2014 – 2016 and 2022 – 2025
Co-chair/Emcee — the Institute for International Research’s Innovation conferences, 2004 – 2012, 2014
Commencement Graduate Student Speaker, SUNY Buffalo State University
He is an avowed yacht-racing enthusiast and gearhead, having once spent a season as a track announcer at Watkins Glen International Raceway.
