IO | Finance & Leadership
Improving leadership through self-awareness, stronger decision-making, and a clear view of the business.
See the Gaps.
Bridge the Divide.
Workshops for leaders ready to deepen financial insight, sharpen decision-making, and turn strengths back into strengths.
Why This Workshop Exists
Weaknesses are often strengths applied in the wrong place. 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 financial simulation to create a realistic business environment—one that prompts honest reflection, encourages feedback, and strengthens alignment across the leadership team.
How It Works
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.
Built on the proven Income|Outcome simulation, these programs combine hands-on learning with guided leadership conversations.
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.
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.
"I was the one who requested a set of those cards. I see myself in quite a few of them, and I see others in them too. I just didn’t have “names” for those “downfalls” before.
So far, I’ve pulled the cards out quite a few times. I’ve encountered situations where I needed to be stronger or more diplomatic, and I used the cards to figure out where the need was. The survival tips really helped me get—or keep—my head in the game. I even shared them with Maddy during a challenging situation.
When I walked out of that seminar, I felt like I learned so much, but I knew I wouldn’t remember all the details. One of the most important things I took away were the “Survival Tips”—but keeping them all in my head was impossible. I know I’ll be pulling those cards out from time to time for years to come.
Thanks for such a wonderful and informative day."
– Tess - Finance & Leadership participant"
Who It’s For
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
Available Formats
IO Finance & Leadership is available in the following formats
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.