LeadForward Strategic Growth Leadership Cohort
Lead with clarity, confidence, and community.
Step into your next growth challenge with a peer group designed to help you thrive — not just survive — as a strategic leader.
The LeadForward 2026 Strategic Growth Leadership Cohort is a six-month, virtual experience created for A/E/C professionals ready to move from reacting to leading with purpose. You’ll gain clarity, build tools, and develop the confidence to lead your teams into what’s next.
Why join?
- You’re stepping into a new role, or a familiar role that suddenly feels different.
- The expectations are high. The plans are ambitious. And somewhere between “set the vision” and “get it done,” you realize you need more than another spreadsheet or retreat.
- You need clarity. You need focus.
- And you need a group of people who get it — leaders who are also navigating what it means to grow strategically, with intention.
That’s exactly what LeadForward offers: a place to slow down, reflect, and realign before charging ahead.
REGISTER TODAY!
The next Cohort session begins the week of January 19, 2026.
$2,500 for the full six-month program (limited to 12 participants).
What You'll Gain
Every part of the LeadForward experience is built to help you lead with confidence—and without burnout.
- Peer Support: Join a small, curated group of like-minded professionals, from across the country, tackling similar growth challenges. You’ll gain not just insights, but genuine accountability and encouragement.
- Tools & Strategies: Access a robust toolkit to help you define success, lead teams effectively, and align operations to your goals.
- Clarity for Leadership: Walk away with a sharper understanding of how to grow your firm — and yourself — in a way that’s sustainable and strategic.
- Accountability for Action: Because growth doesn’t happen in isolation, this is where ideas become next steps, and goals become momentum.
Your guide
The LeadForward experience is guided by our Head Bird, Sarah Kinard, known for her ability to help leaders cut through the noise and build growth strategies that actually work.
Sarah believes strategic growth isn’t about more goals — it’s about better systems, smarter priorities, and shared accountability.
What the six months look like
Each month focuses on a different aspect of strategic growth — blending leadership clarity, operational tools, and actionable next steps.
Month 1: Planning with Purpose: How to set yourself up for success and architect a process that builds buy-in.
Month 2: Defining Growth: Use the Growth Matrix to understand where your firm is now — and what “growth” really means for you.
Month 3: From Ideas to Strategy: Move insights into themes that connect communication, operations, and action.
Month 4: Communication for Alignment: Create clarity across teams, clients, and leadership so everyone rows in the same direction.
Month 5: Operationalizing Growth: Turn strategy into systems and momentum into measurable results.
Month 6: Action & Accountability: Track progress, celebrate wins, and set up the rhythm for what’s next.
Each month combines guided sessions, peer discussions, and templates designed to help you apply what you’re learning in real time.
READY TO MAKE 2026 YOUR MOST FOCUSED YEAR YET?
- When: January-June 2026
- Investment: $2,500
- Limited to 12 participants. We’re keeping this cohort small, limited to 12 participants, to create space for meaningful dialogue and growth.
Accepting for the January 2026 Cohort. REGISTER TODAY!
Who joins LeadForward?
This cohort was designed for growth-minded leaders across the A/E/C industry, people who WANT to refine how they think, plan, and lead.
- A principal or director of strategy who’s ready to align vision with execution.
- A marketing or BD leader tired of reactive planning and ready for systems that work.
- An operations or finance exec craving clarity and focus for the next growth cycle.
Let’s lead forward — together.
you don't have to navigate alone!
The next Cohort session begins in January 2026!
$2,500 for the full six-month program (limited to 12 participants).
Resources
Using Market Research to Develop Effective Business Plans
Market research for effective business plans is a key component of the business season that’s upon us. Regardless of your role in any business, gathering research and creating meaning from it for the next year ensures your year is not only successful but also has a benchmark for success in place. Let’s explore what makes an effective business plan.
Professional Services Marketing Podcast: Good Research
Good research begins with a good framework. Listen in, as Sarah chats with Frank Lippert and Kate Robinette of GoStrategies about how to build those plans on good research. They talk about defining the use of the data before you start, reframing the questions to get out of the rabbit holes and back on track, and provide you with resources to get started.
Navigating Market Shifts in the A/E/C Industry: A 2024 Strategy Guide
In the ever-evolving landscape of the A/E/C world, market shifts can be both challenging and full of opportunities. As we approach 2024, the industry is experiencing significant changes due to capital market constraints, the cost of money, and the changing expectations of end users. To stay ahead of the curve and thrive in this new environment, it’s crucial to reevaluate your business development (BD) and marketing strategies.
Demystifying Market Research Podcast
Listen in as I chat with Keelin Cox of the AEC Marketeer podcast about what exactly market research is, and why your firms should invest in research! Head to bit.ly/marketresearchpodcast to listen to the entire episode
The Value Of Market Research For AEC Firms
Market research enables architecture, engineering and construction firms to make strategic decisions about their business. Firms can use the information for diverse purposes, including to plan for the future, create buy-in, break into a new market and identify missed opportunities in their current markets. Head to bit.ly/aecmarketresearch to find out; How you know you’re doing “good” research? How should you incorporate your findings into your marketing strategy? And More!
Demystifying Annual AEC Business Planning
Are you feeling overwhelmed by the daunting task of annual AEC business planning? Well, fret no more! In this episode, I sat down with Lindsay Diven, of Marketers Take Flight. We demystify the entire process for you. We discuss different types of plans, including strategic and marketing plans, providing invaluable insights to help you navigate your way to success with confidence. Head to bit.ly/aecbusinessplans to listen to the full episode!
Business Plan in 45 Days
Want to know the secret to a successful business plan? Keep reading to find out how to STOP over-engineering plans and START winning work!
How Market Research Can Influence Your Growth and BD Plan
Market Research is a mysterious term for many. Keep reading to learn how market research can help you grow your A/E/C firm.
What is Market Research: Market Research for AEC
You are an expert in your field and that expertise has built your success. But what happens when you want to expand? Or if your growth plateaus? What if market changes force a pivot? How do you know what to do then? Market research for architects, engineers, and...
What is Strategic Planning: Strategic Planning Approaches 101
Strategic planning is an extraordinarily complex and integrated topic that requires analysis and consideration of individual and organizational psychology, psychographic, and social-technographic information in addition to KPIs and market data. It is a phenomenal...