IO | Finance & Leadership
Published Date
IO | Finance & Leadership
Improving leadership through self-awareness, stronger decision-making, and a clear view of the business.
A workshop for star performers. For leaders who want deeper self-awareness—and sharper business acumen.
Why This Workshop Exists
Even great leaders have blind spots. And the higher you go, the harder it can be to see them. IO | Finance & Leadership is designed to help your top people step back and look at themselves—how they lead, how they decide, and how they contribute to the broader business.
This is not just a finance course. It’s a leadership experience that uses a business simulation to create a realistic business environment—one that prompts honest reflection, encourages feedback, and strengthens alignment across the leadership team.
The risks of unexamined leadership:
- Misaligned decisions by confident leaders
- Teams that are disconnected or underused
- Risk avoidance—or overreach—driven by outdated assumptions
How It Works
Built on the proven Income|Outcome simulation, this 1–1.5 day program combines hands-on learning with guided leadership conversations. Participants explore:
- Realistic business challenges that require cross-functional thinking
- How personal leadership habits shape results
- Eight common “Leadership Death Zones” that show up under pressure
The Leadership Death Zones are drawn from the work of Don Schmincke and Chris Warner in High Altitude Leadership. Their research into high-stakes decision-making, human behavior, and leadership breakdowns under pressure adds a powerful lens for leaders to examine their own patterns. These insights help participants examine their own leadership patterns with clarity and candor.
Participants leave with new insight into their leadership style—and how to adjust it to meet today’s challenges.
The Leadership Death Zones
This reflective tool helps leaders identify habitual behaviors and mental shortcuts that can quietly undermine results. These patterns aren’t signs of failure—they’re part of the human experience, especially under pressure. The goal is to name them, understand them, and move forward with clarity.
- Fear of Death – Avoiding risk altogether or doubling down on control out of fear something will go wrong.
- Cowardice – Not saying what needs to be said, especially when stakes are high.
- Comfort – Falling back on the familiar, even when change is clearly needed.
- Tool Seduction – Believing the right spreadsheet or dashboard will fix everything, rather than addressing deeper issues.
- Selfishness – Prioritizing personal or team success over shared goals and trust.
- Lone Heroism – Taking on too much or solving alone, instead of activating the team.
- Arrogance – Assuming you’re the one who sees most clearly, and not seeking input.
- Gravity – Underestimating the subtle forces—culture, history, inertia—that quietly shape decisions.
Each participant receives a set of cards summarizing these patterns—compact reminders they can keep on their desk or bring to team discussions.
Who It’s For
- Senior managers
- High-potential leaders
- Star performers and team leads
- High-level sales and commercial leaders
- Cross-functional teams tackling strategic issues
This program is ideal for intact teams or peer groups who need to think together, reflect together, and make better decisions together. It is equally effective for first-time participants and those who have already experienced the standard Income|Outcome simulation.
What They Take Away
- Stronger self-awareness
- Clearer alignment with company goals
- Better judgment in uncertain conditions
- Deeper appreciation of team dynamics and decision trade-offs
- Plus a set of cards to remind them how to deal with the Death Zones.
Available Formats
IO | Leadership is available in the following formats
- 6-hour Better Business Decisions
- 1-Day Finance for Everyone (add 30 minutes to workshop length)
- 1-Day Rematch (coming soon)
- 1.5-Day Finance & Decision-Making
- 2-Day Finance & Strategy
Let’s Talk
Want to strengthen leadership across your senior team? Start a conversation about bringing IO | Finance & Leadership to your organization. This workshop can also be combined with the IO| Rematch workshop.
Book a Call or Demo