Ali Merchant

I help managers become leaders in 12 weeks or less.

Senior L&D leader with 18 years of experience designing, delivering, and scaling enterprise wide learning programs. 

Deep expertise in learning strategy, facilitation, and executive coaching.


My track record includes:


✅ Scaling enterprise learning platforms including a $1.4M LMS rollout in 10 countries and a platform generating 1M+ page views with 1,500 resources.


✅ Launching and scaling L&D program for 2,000+ employees across 54 offices reducing ramp up time by 62%  


✅ Launching and scaling customer education programs that reduced onboarding time by 4 hours per customer and accelerated productivity for 15,000+ users


✅ Designing, launching, and facilitating training programs (live and virtual) globally for audiences ranging from first-time managers to executive teams, training more than 1,400 leaders 


✅ Coached 100+ senior leaders including founders, CXOs, VPs, and directors


✅ Author of "The All In Manager: Become a better leader today. Not someday"


✅ I write a weekly newsletter for 2700 leaders and my LinkedIn community reaches 50000+ leaders

Founder

👉🏼 My mission is to help ambitious managers become better leaders. 

I can help your managers in three ways:

1️⃣  Leadership workshops: 60-90 minute monthly workshops depending on your company's needs. Popular workshops include: 

1. Remote productivity, performance, and resilience
2. Building Psychological safety in a remote world
3. Delivering, asking, and receiving feedback virtually
4. Learning to become an effective coach.


👉🏼  "This is the best feedback training I have attended on this topic. I really like Ali's style and how he goes thru examples and breaks it down" - Sales leader


2️⃣ First-time manager training: A 5-week virtual program designed to get your first-time managers up and running. Topics include:

1. Understanding the role of leader
2. Building one on one connections 
3. Building Psychological safety
4. Delegate or DIY
5. Understanding feedback mechanics
6. Learning to become a coach.


👉🏼 “With becoming a manager recently, these sessions have really helped” - Engineering manager


3️⃣ Director and VP level coaching: Your leaders want someone who's a coach + consultant + mentor. Having coached for a decade, I know when to play each role.


👉🏼 "Ali's dedicated his career to developing leaders and it shows in his ability to effectively coach me." - Customer support leader.

Dr. Garland Vance

I help Executives retain employees and increase engagement by developing their company's leaders in 6 months or less. | Author of Gettin' (un)Busy | Collector of Cool Hats

Who We Help

We work with growing companies in service, manufacturing, and banking sectors that have 500+ employees. Our ideal clients prioritize leadership development as a strategic investment and understand that strong leadership is the key to their company’s success. We typically partner with Heads of Talent Development, HR leaders, and CEOs who are committed to developing leaders at every level of their organization.

Problem We Solve

In today’s fast-paced business environment, companies often face leadership gaps that lead to team misalignment, high turnover, and stalled business growth. Developing in-house leadership programs can be time-consuming and overwhelming, especially when leaders are unprepared to tackle 95% of the challenges their companies face. We alleviate that burden by delivering a proven, comprehensive leadership development solution that addresses these challenges head-on.

Client Results

Increased Employee Morale and Engagement: Companies report higher morale, improved retention, and stronger team dynamics as leaders develop confidence and competence.

Accelerated Leadership Promotions: Talent pipelines are filled with capable leaders, leading to quicker promotions and better succession planning.

Boosted Productivity: Leaders who go through our program are better equipped to drive results, manage teams effectively, and improve overall organizational performance.

Strengthened Company Culture: By focusing on leadership traits such as Character, Competence, and Community, leaders create a more cohesive, productive culture across all levels of the organization.

Our Proprietary Framework

Our Unleashed Leadership framework focuses on seven critical leadership traits: Character, Competence, Capacity, Clarity, Community, Culture, and Consistency. We provide award-winning in-person leadership training, followed by virtual sessions to reinforce learning and help leaders apply their new skills. Our programs are highly customizable, allowing you to develop a strategy that builds leaders at every level.

If you’re ready to solve your company’s leadership challenges and build a more confident, capable team, we invite you to schedule a free strategy call. During this call, we’ll assess your current leadership development needs and explore how our framework can accelerate your company’s growth.

Book your free strategy call today:
https://calendly.com/garlandvance/strategy

Founder & CEO

AdVance Leadership helps high capacity influencers live and lead with greater purpose, productivity, and peace. 

We work with leaders, teams, and organizations to understand the effects of busyness on their lives and systematically drive it out so that they can accomplish their highest priorities.

We guide people to discover their life purpose and arrange their lives so that they carry out their purpose every day.

We help teams discover the unique characteristics and strengths of each individual and work out of their greatest contributions. 

We guide organizations to discover their highest priorities and to create the habits necessary to intentionally and systematically make progress on those priorities every single day.

The cost of NOT developing leaders is 
far greater than the cost of doing it.

When leaders fail to develop others, here’s what happens:
1. Bottlenecks. Every decision flows back to you.
2. Burnout. You work harder while your team stays stagnant.
3. Breakdown. Morale drops as people feel unseen and unchallenged.

But when you invest in others, you unlock 
capacity you didn’t know was there: in you and them. 

Nothing shapes a culture more than your commitment to develop other leaders.

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I help middle-to-senior managers get unleashed from the seven issues that cause every leadership challenge. | CEO, Top 20 Leadership Development Company | Collector of Cool Hats

Missy Lester

Happy birthday to the love of my life, Dorothy Vance. 

I met Dorothy when we were 18 year old college freshman. She quickly became one of my best friends. 

We hung out nearly every day of our four years at Carson-Newman University. But only as friends.
In my senior year, I asked her to set me up with another girl. She agreed to. 
Then one night, Dorothy told me that another guy had taken her out on a date. 
I became crazy jealous…and realized that I wanted Dorothy to be more than friends. We started dating a week later. 

That was 27 years ago. 

We’ve been married for 26 years
… worked together for 25 years
… been parents together for 21 years
… owned a business together for 9 years

And I’m still just as crazy about her. 
Happy birthday, my love. 
I’m so glad you were born.

Technical skills can open doors.

But only character keeps you in the room.

Every leader needs two types of character:

- Moral Character — Integrity, honesty, ethics. It’s about doing what’s right, even when it’s hard.
- Leadership Character — Humility, Courage, Ownership. It’s about using your influence to lead toward something greater.

One without the other isn't enough.

Leadership isn’t just about being effective.
It’s about being a good person, too.

My friend took a job that she believed
would change her life for the better.

She would be able to pay for her kids to go to college. 
She would have meaningful work.
She could retire nicely. 

She loved her job for a few months. 
Now, she’s ready to quit.

Do you know what caused her change of heart?

She got a new boss.

Her new boss is a narcissist who expects her to be on call 24/7. 
She’s exhausted all the time and never sees her kids.

She’s taking a new job soon. 
The benefits aren’t as good and it doesn’t pay as well. 
But she trusts her new leader.

A peaceful environment that nurtures a fulfilling life, or a toxic one filled with constant stress—choose wisely.

Arrogant leaders suck the life out of you.
Confident leaders add energy to you. 

The difference between the two?

Humility.

Humble leaders:
-Ask more questions.
-Own their mistakes without hesitation
-Encourage disagreement.
-Know they don't have all the answers

Arrogant leaders want to outshine you.

Humble leaders create space for you to shine.

Leaders should care less.

At least some leaders should. 

If you're a leader with a big heart, 
you’ve likely wrestled with this tension: 
I care deeply about my team... 
but something still feels off.

You might be dealing with leadership kudzu—

an overgrown commitment to people who are 
draining your time, energy, and attention.

Here’s how to stop it:
1. Identify team members who consistently underperform, overdramatize, or ignore feedback.
2. Ask yourself: “Am I holding onto this person because I care… or because I’m afraid to act?”
3. Make a plan. One that aligns with both your Character and your Clarity.

Want more? I unpack the full strategy here: https://lnkd.in/eYP8ttGn

My friend, Jason, got promoted to manager 6 months ago.
He’s ready to quit. 

He’s been a top performer for years. 
Now he leads a team of 12. 

At first, he was excited.

Then, leadership hit hard.
- His inbox overflowed.
- Meetings drained his time.
- His team became disengaged.

He reached out to HR to get some help.

They told him that his company didn’t have any training opportunities for managers.  

Jason felt
…stuck
……frustrated
……….overwhelmed.

His team became discouraged. 

During our recent conversation, he discovered
95% of leadership challenges come down to just 7 core traits:

1. Character commands trust.
Leadership starts with who you are. If your team doesn’t trust you, they won’t follow you. Own your decisions. Speak the truth. Do what’s right—even when it’s hard.

2. Competence drives excellence.
What got you promoted won’t keep you effective. Leadership is a skillset, not a title. Invest in learning. Sharpen your abilities. Stay ahead of challenges.

3. Capacity fuels endurance.
Overloaded leaders create overwhelmed teams. If you’re running on empty, so is your team. Manage your time, protect your energy, and focus on what truly matters.

4. Clarity eliminates chaos.
Confusion is the enemy of execution. Your team doesn’t need more motivation—they need direction. Set clear priorities. Define success. Communicate with precision.

5. Community strengthens commitment.
People don’t work hard for companies. They work hard for leaders they trust. Build real relationships. Foster teamwork. Lead with empathy.

6. Culture shapes success.
Your team’s behaviors reflect your leadership. What you allow becomes the norm. Set high standards. Reinforce the right actions. Build a culture that wins.

7. Consistency builds confidence.
Unpredictable leadership creates uncertainty. If your team can’t count on you, they won’t commit fully. Show up the same way, every day. Stability fuels trust.

Decide which one you need to work on.
Your confidence will grow.
Your team will thank you.

“I have no idea what’s expected of me.”

That’s what a mid-level leader told me after three years in her role. 
Three. Years.

She wasn’t failing.
She wasn’t lazy.
She wasn’t disengaged.
She just didn’t know what success looked like in her role— and no one had ever told her.

And here’s the cost:
-She was hesitant to make decisions.
-She didn’t develop her team.
-She didn’t grow—because she didn’t know where to grow.

When leaders lack clarity, they shrink.
When leaders get clear, they expand.

The fix?
-Clear expectations.
-Clear feedback.
-Clear definitions of what good leadership looks like.

Three signs of a toxic culture: Shame. Blame. Fear.

These are common phrases you’ll hear in a toxic environment:

- What's wrong with YOU? (shame)
- You screwed up again (blame)
- Get this right. Or else... (fear)
- You're an idiot. (shame)
- It's not my fault. ________ did it. (blame)
- Don't make me fire you (fear)

My grandmother was a bully.

Her name was Mimi. She lived with my family for 12 years, and I hated her -- especially in the summers.

That's when she would plant a garden. Unfortunately, she was too old to DO the gardening.

Instead, she perched herself in a lawn chair like a queen on a throne and barked orders at my dad and me.

I didn't just hate Mimi. I despised gardening.

(She and I reconciled before she died.) 

But I still hate gardening.

She taught me an important lesson, though:
Gardeners don’t care for a “crop.” They tend individual plants. When individual plants flourish, then the whole crop is healthy.

The same is true in leadership.

You need a healthy team to accomplish big goals.

But the team is actually a collection of individuals in community with each other. The more each member flourishes, the healthier the team will be.

Trust dies when leaders stay silent.

My client was frustrated by lower performing team members.

He wanted to put them all on improvement plans. 

I challenged him to look in the mirror 
before you put them on an improvement plan, 

Have you consistently communicated with those "low performers."

According to the Edelman Trust Barometer, 
56% of employees don’t trust their leaders.

When leaders don’t proactively build trust, it quietly erodes.

Here’s how to prevent that:

1. Give trust first
  Don’t wait for people to “earn it.” 
  Extend trust and unlock higher performance.
   
2. Develop all three dimensions of trust
   – Relational: Show interest in people, not just output
   – Integrity: Model values even when it’s hard
   – Skill: Recognize and rely on your team’s strengths
   
3. Build trust proactively
  Hold regular one-on-ones. 
  Create space for conversations that go beyond results. 
  Make personal connection part of the plan—not an afterthought.
   

Don’t let silence breed distrust. 
Say something. Do something.
Trust needs tending.

If you have to choose between 
getting results 
or 
building relationships…

You’ve already lost.

This leadership tension is one 
of the most common—and costly:

Results vs. Relationships.

And too many leaders live in reaction:

- One boss obsessed over numbers, so you swing to “just take care of people.”
- One team was toxic, so you build a nice culture with zero accountability.

Neither works.

Great leaders don’t choose between results and relationships.

They integrate them.
- Use results to develop people.
- Use relationships to drive results.
- When in doubt, communicate with clarity and care.

Your people want to perform—
especially when they know you’re for them.

Don’t pit people and performance against each other.
Let them reinforce each other.

Early in my leadership journey, 
I failed the people I led. 

I had a big vision, 
but no one bought into it. 

I sent out an anonymous evaluation to understand why. 
I received some hard feedback. 

People said I was: 
Unapproachable - Easily frustrated - Too intense - Impatient 

They didn’t buy into the vision because 
they didn’t buy into me. 

They didn't value the vision because 
they didn't feel valued by me. 

I had to change the way I influenced them. 
I took 2 actions: 
1. Reflect. 
-I evaluated my beliefs and behaviors that would cause people to feel devalued. 
-I asked people to give me even more feedback. I thought about how I wanted to lead. 

2. Change actions. 
-Once I knew the negative effect I was having, 
I had to decided which behaviors needed to change.

Fear. Guilt. Frustration.

That’s what I felt over the last two months. 

Emergencies are inevitable.
At some point, you'll face a surprise that knocks the wind out of you and forces everything to slow down.

I’ve shared this before. But in December, our family faced an unexpected medical emergency—a week in the hospital, surgery, and a long recovery. It also meant canceling our much-anticipated Christmas trip to London.

I'm not writing this for sympathy. But because this will happen to you too. Maybe not the same challenge, but something that disrupts your plans and tests your leadership.
When it does, three emotions often show up:
- Fear (the quiet kind that exhausts you)
- Guilt (feeling like you're letting people down)
- Frustration (because life doesn't pause when you need it to)

In this week's newsletter, I share two lessons that helped us navigate this season—and can help you when your moment comes. 

I don’t know if you’re experiencing an emergency. 
But I know that you will. 

This post will help you. 
Read the full post: https://lnkd.in/eTvRaZF5

The right mentor can change 
the way you lead—

faster than any book 
or course ever will.

Most leaders try to grow by pushing harder.

But the fastest way to grow?

Find someone who’s already walked 
the path and ask them to show you how they did it.

Here’s a simple 3-step plan to find a mentor—
and start learning right away:

1. Clarify your growth goal. Is it Character? Competence? Capacity? Clarity? Community? Culture? Consistency?
2. Identify someone a few steps ahead of you in that one area.
3. Invite them to meet 3 times over the next 3 months. Keep the ask clear, short, and specific.

You don’t need a guru. 
You need a guide who’s a few miles ahead.

Which leadership trait are you working on right now—and who’s living it out in front of you? Reach out this week.

Looking for a mentor but not sure where to start?

This article will walk you through it: https://lnkd.in/eU8ptipu

Many believe leaders must always have
-the right answers,
-the right plan, and
-the right direction. 

But the best leaders empower their teams to find solutions.

Insecure leaders try to control everything—and 
end up burned out with disengaged teams.

Real leadership means knowing when to step back and trust your people.

Here’s how to reframe your leadership:

Double the amount of questions you ask.

When you’ve done that, 
double it again.

Your job isn’t to know everything—
it’s to create the environment where the best solutions can emerge.

I’ve been sleeping with one of my coworkers.

My wife knows about it.

Because my wife is that coworker.

Dorothy and I have been married for 25 years
and worked together for 21 of those.

We started AdVance Leadership in 2018. It’s become a Top 20 Leadership Development Company.

Hundreds of people have told us that they could never work with their spouse.

Here are 3 ways we’ve made it work:
1. We’re both have the same mission.
We’re passionate about developing leaders who love the people they lead and get great results.

2. We are curious about each other’s interests.
We aren’t fascinated in the same things. (She cares nothing about hats!) 
But we ask each other about those topics because we are interested in each other.

3. We build boundaries around work.
We take a date every Friday. 
We get away together quarterly. 
We agree that there will be ZERO talk of work or kids.

Larry Sharp

Motivation doesn’t begin with words.
It starts with belief.

As a leader you hold a unique power—

the power to believe in people more 
than they believe in themselves.

This belief can be the catalyst for their transformation.

Three ways to build confidence.

For over a year, I carried a secret. And I think a lot of leaders feel weighed down by the same secret. 
   
I didn’t talk about this for over a year because I wasn’t sure how. 
And I was scared of how people would respond. But once I started talking about it, I realized that a lot of other people felt the same way. 
   
The secret I struggled with was how lonely I felt. 
   
Honestly, it didn’t make a lot of sense. I’m surrounded by people.
I spend my days with leaders I respect and care about.
   
Dorothy and I get to help people grow and lead better.
That part of the work is a gift.
   
But last year, something started to change in me.
   
I began to feel unseen. Not tired. Not burned out.
 
 Alone.
   
 I realized there wasn’t anyone—outside of Dorothy—who understood the weight I was carrying.
   
 The pressure. The responsibility. The quiet doubts.
   
 Over time, that loneliness did real damage.
 I didn’t lose my ability to think.
 I lost confidence in my thinking.
 I second-guessed decisions.
 Reread emails.
 Wondered if my work even mattered.
   
 That’s when I saw the real issue.
 This wasn’t a productivity problem.
 It wasn’t a skill problem.
 It was a isolation problem. 
   
 And it was a problem that was in my ability to change. 
 
 When leaders carry doubt alone for too long, it always spills over—into decisions, relationships, and results.

 I wrote about this honestly in today’s newsletter. (link in the comments)
   
 It’s personal. And it’s something I think many leaders quietly experience.
   
 If leadership has ever felt heavier than it should…
 You might want to read it.

 You’re not broken.
 And you’re not alone.
   
And if you’re struggling with this, too, send me a DM. I’d love to encourage you.

Unleashed Leadership, my newest book, is only 120 pages. That’s half the size of most nonfiction books.

It’s not that I didn’t have more to say. And it’s not because writing a longer book is harder. It’s the opposite.

Blaise Pascal once wrote, “I would have written a shorter letter, but I did not have the time.”

We chose to write a shorter book because of something our publisher told us: Most people stop reading nonfiction books at page 120.

Think about that. Authors spend months (sometimes years) writing 250+ pages, only for readers to tap out halfway through.

So, Dorothy and I chose to cut out huge sections of the book. Parts that we had worked on and loved but knew that they needed to get cut so we could get clearer. 

The same is true in leadership. You often have to say “no” to a million good ideas so you can say “yes” to the few that really matter.

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The Battle

Ali Merchant

Dr. Garland Vance

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Dr. Garland Vance

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