WE ARE THE WHO-BASED LEADERSHIP PEOPLE FOR MISSION-FORWARD COMPANIES
We develop leaders by focusing on who* they are – not just what they do.
You've already invested in leadership development. You know what it looks like, when it works, and when it doesn't.
The Aperio is for organizations ready to go where most programs won't – into the identity-level work that changes how leaders actually lead.
OUR APPROACH
Nothing about this work is quick or formulaic.
But over and over again, it’s helped leaders clarify their identities, align their beliefs and behaviors, and then, embed that alignment into how they actually lead.
Put into practice, here's what happens as a result:
Leaders discover how to successfully and sustainably scale culture, reduce internal friction, and build leadership in others.
Not because it adds to what they already know – but because it helps them grow, develop, and lead with who they are.
This is who-based leadership, and our more than two decades of research, observation, and real-world leadership development have proven that it’s the secret to becoming the type of leader others choose to follow.
OUR CLIENTs
The Aperio is for a different kind of leader.
This work isn't designed for organizations looking for quick inspiration or surface-level change.
It's for leaders inside operationally complex, mission-forward organizations who see leadership as a calling. These leaders are typically…
curious and teachable,
committed to growth,
ready to lead with greater consistency, humility, and self-awareness,
and willing to do the deeper, who-based work required to build healthy cultures, strengthen relationships, and create lasting impact over time.
It changes leaders from the inside out.
"What's very different about Aperio is the focus on yourself and getting vulnerable. And you know when you attend other leadership programs, it's all about operations and execution and accountability. And all of those very important pieces of business, right? But Aperio really strengthens you at the core of yourself."
— Dusty D., VP of HR
It improves relationships at every level.
"We're actually doing this so that you become a better human in all aspects of your life. And if you do, you're going to have better relationships. You're going to have better relationships with your family, with your teammates, with the customers."
— Monica S., Leadership Development Director
It connects to your purpose and values.
"Tim does a nice job of really digging in and understanding who we are and how what he does relates to our purpose and our vision and our values."
— Huck F., Company President
It gives you a shared language.
"The thing I like about Aperio is it really doesn't stop. And your whole organization starts talking about the language."
— Ranji L., District Operations
UNDERSTANDING THE ASTERISK
This is the most important part of leadership.
When an asterisk shows up (in writing, math, or elsewhere), it often comes with an unspoken warning: Skip me, and you'll miss out on the most important details and misinterpret what's really true.
Its job is to make us pause and point our attention toward a bigger, clearer truth.
This is why we use an asterisk at The Aperio, too.
It's here as a quiet but powerful reminder that the most important work you'll ever do as a leader can't be learned through textbooks or seminars. Instead, it's about moving past the what of leadership to do the work of who.
This is how you become a leader worth* following.
READ THE BOOK
The Only Leaders Worth* Following
The research and philosophy behind everything The Aperio does – and Tim Spiker's compelling case for why who you are as a leader matters so much more than anything else you can ever learn or do.
OUR VALUES
We don’t just talk about our values.
We lead with them.
Impact through excellence
We create world-class leadership development experiences that produce results lasting a lifetime – at work, in communities, and at home.
Solutions focused
We show up having already thought through the problem. And whenever possible, we bring multiple solutions to the table.
Remarkably healthy relationships
Relational health of great magnitude is rare. We pursue it anyway – consciously and tirelessly – with every person we work with.
Our Story
The Aperio was built on a powerful question that few were stopping to ask.
Why do so many leaders learn so much and change so little?
The answer started with research.
In 2008, founder Tim Spiker and fellow researcher Vanessa Kiley began studying what actually drives leadership effectiveness – not what looks good on frameworks and checklists, but what the data actually shows. What they found was surprising but consistent: 77% of a leader's effectiveness comes from who they are, not what they know or do.
Most leadership development is built on the other 23%.
That gap became the foundation for The Aperio – a firm built on the conviction that developing leaders means going deeper than skills, frameworks, and training events. It's longer, harder work that asks more of leaders in order to produce something most programs don't: change that holds.
Since 2013, The Aperio has worked with over 700 leaders worldwide – from the C-suite to the frontlines, across publicly-traded and privately-held organizations in Asia, Australia, and North America – while maintaining an average Net Promoter Score of 79 (64% above the consulting industry median).
The numbers matter, sure. But the more meaningful marker? Leaders who do this work don't just perform differently. They lead differently.
And that difference is what helps them become leaders worth* following.
Our Team
Meet the people behind the work.
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Tim Spiker
Founder
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Heather Waggonner
Team Administrator
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Holly Moore
Leadership Advisor
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David Meade
Leadership Advisor
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Mark Hsi
Leadership Advisor
Our Internal Advisory Team
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Christina Alessi
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Philip Engle
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Eric Hiler
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Lindsay Hotmire
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Domenic Mancuso
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Colin Sanberg
NOT INTERESTED IN SHORT-TERM FIXES?
The Aperio helps you grow into a leader worth* following.
Not sure yet?
See what's shaping the way you lead
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