Building Capacity, Culture, and Future Leaders with Ian Chisholm

About this episode

Sharon and Ian discuss the evolution from entrepreneur to leader, focusing on building future leaders and fostering a positive company culture.

Sharon welcomes Ian Chisholm, co-founder of Roy Group, for a deep conversation about the evolution from entrepreneur to leader. Ian shares how failing to become a doctor unexpectedly led him into the world of executive education and leadership development, where he discovered a passion for helping organizations build future leaders. Together, Sharon and Ian unpack the difference between managing tasks and developing people, exploring how mentorship, delegation, emotional intelligence, and intentional leadership shape successful businesses. Ian explains that leadership is not simply about getting work done—it’s about creating the capacity for others to grow. He introduces powerful concepts like “attention over intention,” the idea that leaders must slow down enough to truly observe, coach, and develop their teams instead of constantly reacting and hustling. Through stories, practical examples, and leadership tools like LOFT (Lit, Open, Focused, Transparent) and the “Third Chair” method, Ian demonstrates how leaders can improve communication, foster ownership, and build stronger workplace cultures where employees feel valued and inspired. Sharon and Ian also dive into company…

People in this episode

Host: Sharon DeKoning

Guest: Ian Chisholm

Topics covered

• leadership
• mentorship
• company culture
• emotional intelligence
• delegation
• succession planning

Keywords

• leadership development
• executive education
• future leaders
• workplace culture
• burnout culture

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Roy Group

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