To Inspire Leaders to Live Redemptively

About Mark

I have balanced business and ministry my entire career and continually sought to integrate the two, eventually realizing that everything I do is ministry. I have previously started multiple companies and worked with small business owners and entrepreneurs through the University of Georgia and Kennesaw State University. During that same time, I attended Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and Richmont Graduate University where I learned to apply modern psychological theories and spiritual practices to the leadership training of pastors and entrepreneurs. I am continuing to study leadership training at Regent University where I am pursuing a Ph.D. in Counseling and Psychological Studies with a concentration in industrial-organizational psychology. In applying my passion for Christian psychology within a business setting, I am also training through an ICF-approved school to become a Certified Professional Leadership Coach and a Professional Certified Coach.

Currently, I serve as a leadership coach through Intaba Coaching, a company I launched to support redemptive leaders and non-profits. Intaba is fueled by Convene and includes the work I do as Program Director of their Intrapreneurial Leadership Program and as Chair of multiple virtual Convene groups. I regularly work with assessments like DiSC Work of Leaders, DiSC 363, DiSC Agile EQ, DiSC Productive Conflict, and Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team. In addition to Intaba, I am the Chief Mission Officer of Ambactus Group, a national sales agency in the CPG industry. Outside of work, I have previously served on the Board of Directors for the Athens College of Ministry.

Intrapreneurial Leader Groups

Are you preparing for a more influential role as a leader and dreaming of making a real difference?

Most leaders face significant challenges alone, isolated from Christian peers that understand the pressures of business leadership or ownership. Our leadership development process brings leaders together to face those challenges in community. We provide time-tested peer group experiences and executive coaching to accelerate their personal and professional growth so that they can have a redemptive impact on their business, direct reports, clients, and community.

Your role as a leader in your organization comes with significant challenges.

         How do you lead up to or alongside your executive team, investors, or partners?

         How do you gain familiarity with areas of expertise outside of your own?

         How do you drive profitability for your organization or business?

Facing these alone is a recipe for frustration and burnout over time. As someone that aspires to grow their career and organization, it’s important to take care of yourself and develop as a leader both as an investment in yourself and your work.

WHAT IS AN INTRAPRENEUR?

Whether leading a team within a large organization or leading a company as a small business owner, thinking like an entrepreneur is an incredible asset. As described by the Inc. article by Gene Hammett, “Employees with entrepreneurial mindsets are assets not threats to your company.” Regardless of what role you have in an organization, the goal of our groups is to help you develop an entrepreneurial mindset that looks at the world through a Kingdom lens and from a biblical foundation. Intrapreneurial leaders learn to act decisively, problem-solve, innovate, and drive value from within larger organizations and companies instead of as a small business owner.

WHAT IS AN INTRAPRENEURIAL LEADER GROUP?

Our Intrapreneurial Leader groups are designed to give Christian business leaders an opportunity for both spiritual and strategic community regardless of their role within an organization or how far along they are in the business life cycle. Historically, Convene has served CEOs that manage a few million in revenue to over a billion through their Forum teams. These Intrapreneurial Leader groups represent the first time that Convene is opening the doors to a much wider audience, allowing leaders in varying stages of development and responsibility to find community, even if they do not meet the criteria for some of Convene’s original offerings. As described below, Convene has multiple types of Intrapreneurial Leader groups. Some are designed for leaders growing teams within a larger organization and others are designed for succession planning.

WHY JOIN AN INTRAPRENEURIAL LEADER GROUP?

If your career has been anything like mine, you have likely had plenty of opportunities to get involved with other professionals through church or community organizations. However, these opportunities never allowed you to solve intense business challenges with peers who understood the struggles of business leadership. If you are just looking for a community of Christian peers, there are plenty of options out there and I would be happy to help connect you with them. If you are looking for a high-impact group of Christian peers that can tackle complex business problems with you and push you to the next level of your leadership and business, then these groups are for you.

Intrapreneurial Leaders join Convene to:

• Build capacity for stronger leadership and expanded roles

• Leverage best practices for organizational excellence, greater profitability & faster growth for their businesses, clients, and direct reports

• Connect to a high-capacity peer group to work through “tough issues” in a risk-free, non-judgmental & confidential environment

• Receive executive coaching and leadership development, also reducing isolation and improving life balance

• Be equipped and inspired towards greater integration of faith and purpose within business

• Process personal growth through bi-annual leadership assessments 

My Groups

GROUP 1: LEADERS WITHIN A LARGER ORGANIZATION

Ideal Member

• Leaders within a large organization that are not on ownership track

• Rising talent and team leaders with direct reports or training to take over managing others

• Desires to develop an entrepreneurial mindset and innovate from within an organization to improve profitability, service delivery, and impact

• Member is coachable, humble, vulnerable, and hungry and understands that to lead well we must learn to follow well too

• Potential titles could include General Manager, Supervisor, Director of Marketing, VP of Sales, Controller, Data Team Lead, HR Director, etc.

Focus

Leaders who join this group hold significant influence in their organizations and want to build their capacity for stronger leadership. In the future, it is very likely that these leaders will end up in expanded roles within their department, possibly even in C-suite positions, which is why our group focuses heavily on self-awareness and learning to think like a C-suite executive. This group focuses on leading redemptively and sacrificially stewarding our roles to advance the Kingdom. In adopting a mission-driven worldview and sound business strategies, the leaders in this group will support each other as they drive Kingdom impact in their organizations. This group has a heavy focus on leader development, people development, team development, and other organizational development topics. Members in this group will develop an entrepreneurial mindset that helps them lead their teams more effectively, drive higher profitability for their organizations, and provide change management during seasons of growth.

Here are some of the common challenges faced by members in this GROUP:

• Leading up to the executive team

• Innovating from within an organization

• Managing multiple stakeholders

• Finding time/life balance

• Managing direct reports and building teams

• Talent development and hiring practices

• KPIs to drive personal and team success

• Execution of plans

• Integration of faith and business

GROUP 2: LEADERS IN C-SUITE OR ON OWNERSHIP TRACK

Ideal Member

• Junior partner or partner in a company

• Employees training to take over a company one day and are the clear choice in succession planning

• Employees in the C-Suite (COO, CMO, CFO, etc.)

• Though not originally designed for solo entrepreneurs or small business owners, the topics we cover in this group make it a good fit for companies too small to fit on a Forum team

• Desires to develop an entrepreneurial mindset and innovate from the owner role in an organization

• Member is coachable, humble, vulnerable, and hungry and understands that to lead well we must learn to follow well too

Focus

Leaders who join this group are training to think like an entrepreneur because they are employees with ownership or those that are the clear successors to the current CEO or President. In this group, we focus on building a holistic perspective of business, everything from organizational purpose and foundation to direction, development and reporting. Covering topics such as marketing, sales, operations, finances, staffing, and ministry, our goal is to develop intrepreneurs into entrepreneurs that are trained to succeed in all areas of business, including in how to integrate their faith into the strategy of the company. Members in this group will develop an entrepreneurial mindset that helps them lead their companies more effectively, align their Kingdom purpose with business excellence, and provide organizational direction and development to drive significant growth.

Here are some of the common challenges faced by members in this group:

• Managing relationships with business partners, investors, or boards

• Succession or exit planning

• Business model design and organizational structure

• Building marketing, sales, operations, financial, and ministry plans

• Training to lead and grow businesses at a CEO or President level

• Thinking holistically about various departments within a business

• Finding time/life balance

• High level strategy and execution of plans throughout an organization

• Integration of faith and business including developing a Kingdom purpose and vision for their companies

FAQ

Why sponsor your leader in one of our groups?

As an employer myself, I know the challenges and benefits of leadership development. I built these groups not only out of a personal pain point of wishing I had these earlier in my career, but also out of a professional one. Where can our employees go to be completely open and authentic about the challenges they are having in our business? As open as they can be with their staff, managers, or us, is it the same as a safe space within their own group? Where can they go to learn how to better follow and lead within an organizational structure? As necessary as it is to develop leaders internally, it limits their ability to gain a holistic business perspective by learning from other business leaders in different companies and industries. What would happen to our leaders and the teams they lead if they got feedback from peers about critical decisions? Providing a space for our leaders to say “I don’t know” opens up personal and professional growth that directly impacts our financial bottom line and culture. I can think of no better avenue to develop top talent than to give them the opportunity to grow together in community with other influential leaders. 

Employers sponsor to:

• Retain top talent by demonstrating that they are valued and worth developing

• Give their leaders a space to say “I don’t know” and solve complex problems

• Help their leaders develop a holistic business perspective

• Build a pipeline for rising stars to grow into C-suite or ownership positions

• Allow their leaders to develop skill sets in both leadership and followership

• Provide insights through leadership assessments that ultimately transform culture

How do you select members?

In order to facilitate connection and relationships in a virtual setting, each of my Convene groups is limited to 12 members. Because of this, the process to become a member is highly selective. Most leaders will already be in leadership roles within their company, but we are open to having conversations with anyone who demonstrates a humility that attracts influence.

What is the meeting format?

My first group meets via Zoom for two hours once per month and each member receives an hour of group coaching. My second group meets via Zoom for two hours twice per month and each member receives 45 minutes of One2One™ coaching. All of my members also receive thousands of articles, videos, and tools for maximizing their Kingdom output in the workplace, including access to leadership assessments and additional coaching for their team.

HOPE International

HOPE International invests in the dreams of families in the world’s underserved communities as they proclaim and live the Gospel.

Living Hope Community Centre

Living Hope is a non-profit organization whose vision is to reach people for Christ, bringing hope and breaking the despair of poverty and disease.

About Convene

Convene’s mission is to connect, equip and inspire Christian CEOs and business owners to grow exceptional businesses and become higher-impact leaders to honor God. Through a community of peer-to-peer advisory teams, executive coaching and world-class consulting, we work with Christian CEOs and business owners to impact the Life of a Leader, leading to an ultimate Kingdom legacy.

We work together to enhance your business and life trajectory, while exploring where God is leading you. Convene provides ongoing business and leadership skill-development with access to One2One™ coaching and advisory teams, nationally-recognized speakers, and break-through content for continuous transformational learning. Particular attention is given to contributing wisdom, encouragement and accountability toward your goals for the purpose of achieving better results in all areas of your life.

Connect with Mark