Transform your leaders.
Transform your RESULTS.
In the era of AI, we help organizations build H.U.M.A.N. First™ leadership cultures — that strengthen communication, collaboration, and connection—and drive business results.
You're Invited: Virtual Open House
November 12 | 1-1.45PM EST
Celebrate 5 years with us and discover the H.U.M.A.N. First™ Method—our award-winning framework for developing the leadership capabilities that matter most in the AI era.
Meet our team. See client results. Get insights for 2026.
Our award-winning H.U.M.A.N. First™ programs transform how your leaders show up, how your teams collaborate, and how your organization grows.
The leadership crisis isn’t what you think it is.
Most organizations believe the problem is skills gaps. But after 100,000+ hours developing leaders across Fortune 500 companies to growing enterprises, we’ve discovered the real issue: connection gaps.
You promote your best individual contributors and leave them to figure out leadership alone. Senior leaders become isolated at the top, disconnected from the teams that drive results. Departments work in silos, collaboration breaks down, and your most talented people start looking elsewhere.
The result? A cycle of leadership failure that costs millions in lost productivity, constant turnover, and missed opportunities.
But what if there was a different way?
Build H.U.M.A.N. First™ leaders and redefine what’s possible.
H.U.M.A.N. First™ is our award-winning framework that teaches the five uniquely human capabilities that no AI can replicate—the skills leaders need to drive retention, innovation, and breakthrough results.
- HEAR – Deep listening beyond surface communication
- UNDERSTAND – Emotional intelligence and diverse perspectives
- MOTIVATE – Purpose-driven leadership and meaningful engagement
- AMPLIFY – Collective potential and strength-based collaboration
- NAVIGATE – Adaptive leadership through complexity and change
These are the skills leaders need to drive retention, innovation, and breakthrough results.
Focus Forward workshop, where teams apply the H.U.M.A.N. First Method™ to navigate conflict through collaborative conversations. Our Crossroads framework helps leaders move from adversarial dynamics to collaborative problem-solving.
Photo: Land O’Lakes| Focus Forward program, 2025
How we develop H.U.M.A.N. First™ leaders:
Our award-winning signature programs.
Each program applies our H.U.M.A.N. First™ Method to create leaders who master what AI cannot—authentic human connection and the ability to develop others.
Focus Forward
High-Performing Team Alignment Program
Transform disconnected teams into high-performing units that collaborate naturally across functions and levels. Create the psychological safety, shared purpose, and authentic connection that drives innovation and breakthrough results using H.U.M.A.N. First™ leadership capabilities.
POWERUp
Leadership Development
Transform leaders at all levels into confident H.U.M.A.N. First™ leaders through peer-to-peer learning and authentic relationship building. This cohort-based program creates the leadership pipeline your organization needs while building lasting cross-functional connections that strengthen your entire culture.
ASCEND/PROXIMITY
Mentorship and Sponsorship
Build systematic mentoring and sponsorship relationships that accelerate leadership development and create clear advancement pathways. Our award-winning program embeds H.U.M.A.N. First™ leadership development directly into your organizational DNA while strengthening succession planning across all levels.
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Scale H.U.M.A.N. First™ Leadership Across Your Organization
Licensing & Train-the-Trainer
Organizations developing 50+ leaders can license our award-winning programs and certify internal facilitators to deliver it—reducing per-cohort costs by 40-50% while building sustainable leadership capacity.
What’s Included:
• Complete facilitator guides, assessments, and participant materials
• Train-the-trainer certification for your team
• Quarterly strategy check-ins with Piercing Strategies
• Ongoing program updates and support
What Makes Us Different
- Award-Winning Proprietary Methodology
The H.U.M.A.N. First Method™ develops the uniquely human capabilities that drive performance in the AI era.
- Built to Scale
License our programs and certify your facilitators—reduce costs by 40-50% while maintaining quality and impact.
- Relationship-Driven
Cohort-based learning creates lasting peer networks and cross-functional connections that strengthen culture.
- Proven Results
2024 & 2025 Brandon Hall Excellence Awards. Fortune 500 clients. Measurable outcomes in retention and team performance.
What Makes Us Different
- Award-Winning Proprietary Methodology
The H.U.M.A.N. First Method™ develops the uniquely human capabilities that drive performance in the AI era.
- Built to Scale
License our programs and certify your facilitators—reduce costs by 40-50% while maintaining quality and impact.
- Relationship-Driven
Cohort-based learning creates lasting peer networks and cross-functional connections that strengthen culture.
- Proven Results
2024 & 2025 Brandon Hall Excellence Awards. Fortune 500 clients. Measurable outcomes in retention and team performance.
Results Our Clients Achieve
Clients We’ve Partnered With
Resources
Soft Skills in the Age of AI: Why Human Intelligence Still Matters
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Why Gen Z Is Rejecting Management Roles (And What It Means For Your Leadership Pipeline)
The Hidden Leadership Crisis Undermining Business Growth At Piercing Strategies, we’re seeing a pattern across industries: succession plans are stalling.High-potential employees who should be eager for advancement are instead hesitating—or opting out entirely. And the...
How to Get Leadership Development Funded for 2026: The Business Case That CFOs Actually Approve
67% of leadership development initiatives don't survive their second budget cycle—not because they fail, but because they can't prove value in financial terms. The solution isn't better programs; it's better business cases. Stop positioning leadership development as...
Are You Ready to Build a H.U.M.A.N. First™ Leadership Culture?
We partner with forward-thinking organizations that recognize leadership development as a competitive advantage—not a checkbox.
Our clients understand that in an AI-driven world, the organizations that win will be those who develop leaders with the uniquely human capabilities that technology cannot replicate: authentic connection, psychological safety, collaborative problem-solving, and the ability to inspire others.
TOP 5 TIMES CLIENTS REACH OUT TO US
1. Leadership pipeline is thin and unprepared.
Key talent leaves when there’s no clear path forward.
2. Managers are struggling to connect with teams.
Employee engagement drops and productivity suffers.
3. Teams work in silos instead of collaborating.
Projects stall and opportunities are missed.
4. Leadership development isn’t creating lasting change.
You keep investing but seeing the same problems.
5. Poor leadership culture is limiting organizational growth. Competitors with stronger cultures are winning.
If Any of These Challenges Sound Familiar, There’s a Better Way.
The real issue isn’t skills gaps—it’s connection gaps. And solving connection gaps requires a fundamentally different approach to leadership development.