Our Philosophy

A Company's Investment in its People Pays Exponential Dividends

Engaged employees have a real sense of purpose and know they are valued. They inspire others, drive productivity, and attract more talent. They stay.

The key to fostering an engaged workforce is to build a Leadership Culture.

The Pillar Approach offers a proven method for building leadership cultures that attract and retain top talent.

Building a Leadership Culture

Leadership is built on three pillars:

Leadership of Self

Before you are ready to lead others, you need to be

self-aware, confident, competent, and values-driven

Leadership of Others

Effective leaders are transparent,

empowering, respectful, and others-focused

Leadership of Organizations

Organizational leaders are visionary, laser focused, and undaunted

How The Pillar Approach Can Help

A Leadership Culture needs to be part of an organization's DNA.

Building that culture starts with recruiting candidates who demonstrate a growth mindset. It is then woven into the fabric of the company through training and coaching to develop self-awareness, confidence, and leadership skills. Once a solid foundation is laid, individuals are ready to start leading others.

Over time, when an organization continues to invest in its workforce,

(1) it becomes filled with leaders at all stages, (2) succession planning becomes easier, and (3) many of the common reasons for turnover are eliminated. Morale, productivity, and customer satisfaction increase.

All of this is reflected in the bottom line.

The Pillar Approach offers a proven system of

Consulting, Training and Coaching to deliver these results.

Our Founder

Christine Szydlowski, JD, ACC

Educator / Attorney / Executive Coach

Chris is a licensed attorney and educator with over 20 years of experience in teaching, coaching, workshop facilitation, and professional development. Throughout her career, she has been propelled by a passion for guiding others to reach their full potential. Trained in adult learning principles and effective coaching techniques, she is accredited through International Coaching Federation. She is also an Authorized DiSC Partner and Certified Practitioner.*

As an Adjunct Professor and Director of the Externship Program at the University of Cincinnati College of Law, Chris focuses on the leadership development and professionalism of our next generation of attorneys. In this role, she creates live and online courses that are coupled with individualized coaching sessions to build upon students’ strengths and goals. Previous positions include Litigation Attorney at Dinsmore & Shohl, Assistant Dean/ Director of Career Services at the University of Dayton School of Law, and Director of Professional Development at Graydon Law (now Bricker Graydon). Chris has also trained over a thousand independent consultants as a Workshop Facilitator at cabi, LLC, an L.A.-based apparel company. In all these roles,

she finds joy in helping others soar.

* DiSC is a self-assessment tool that measures how an individual prefers to interact with others. It helps people better understand themselves and others and can serve as a basis for professional development.

Our Core

Mission

To utilize our proven three-pillar system of consulting, training and coaching to shape a lasting Leadership Culture and improve our clients' bottom line.

Vision

To equip our clients with the tools needed to build and maintain a Leadership Culture, fostering an engaged workforce and allowing them to effectively recruit and retain top talent.

Values

Responsibility - Take ownership; Do what you say you will do

Respect - Show acceptance and high regard for the feelings and ideas of others

Integrity - Do the right thing. Always.