I am not an ornithologist. I am a bird.
- Saul Bellow
If your dreams don’t scare you, they are not big enough.
- Plaque on the wall of the CEO of Accenture North America
We are kept from our goals not by obstacles but by an easier path to a lesser goal.
- Robert Brault
Metacognition is the act of thinking about thinking. At MehtaCognition, it defines our philosophy and approach to reflective learning and leadership, facilitating organizational and individual transformation through a series of processes designed to close the gap between culture, strategy, and talent.
Who are we, really? Practically, we are three individuals for now - myself, Allen Broyles, and Nikki Butts - who bring a range of leadership experiences within nonprofits, independent schools, and businesses. Organizationally, we are a leadership platform. (We expect to add other team members in the first half of 2023, so if you're interested, get in touch via LinkedIn DM or email at contact@mehtacognition.com!)
Aren't we just another consultancy? Yes and no. Yes, because the "clothes we wear" may look similar to many others. And no, because we approach our work and our relationships differently than other firms. We know because we've worked with other consultants through all of our jobs. Everyone does good work... but we aren't the folks to be satisfied with just good. We want more and we want to be more. So, what makes us different? A lot, really, but here's a short list:
Who are we, really? Practically, we are three individuals for now - myself, Allen Broyles, and Nikki Butts - who bring a range of leadership experiences within nonprofits, independent schools, and businesses. Organizationally, we are a leadership platform. (We expect to add other team members in the first half of 2023, so if you're interested, get in touch via LinkedIn DM or email at contact@mehtacognition.com!)
Aren't we just another consultancy? Yes and no. Yes, because the "clothes we wear" may look similar to many others. And no, because we approach our work and our relationships differently than other firms. We know because we've worked with other consultants through all of our jobs. Everyone does good work... but we aren't the folks to be satisfied with just good. We want more and we want to be more. So, what makes us different? A lot, really, but here's a short list:
- We put ourselves in your shoes. We take responsibility for your success, and think and act as if we are working in your institution, in your position.
- We invest in people first. Relationships drive us. The work is important but we take pride in first building a strong relationship.
- We swim to the deep end. We are hands-on at every step, from concept to planning and (even) implementation. Because we've led teams and institutions like yours, we understand the opportunities and pitfalls, the risks and rewards, and the grayness of it all.
- We choose you, too. Because we are not fans of one-offs, and because we strive to build relationships with every one of our clients, we choose our projects based on the leaders who will become our partners and collaborators.
- We live and work full lives. Important work fuels us. Impact propels us. But so do our families, friends, and personal interests and hobbies. Because we value our attention, not just our time, we are selective in where we dedicate and commit those resources.
- We are builders. Great leaders build... and we are biased towards those leaders and institutions who understand that principle at their core.
So what exactly do we do? We work with independent schools, universities, non-profits, and businesses on aligning their culture, strategy, and talent. When I led The Children's School as head of school, I asked my team and myself the following three questions, in this order, daily:
- Is this us? (Culture)
- What are we doing? (Strategy)
- Do we have the team, and are they appropriately resourced, to bring #1 and #2 together? (Talent)
Every decision we made, every risk we assessed, failed or succeeded on the basis of our ability and awareness to truthfully and openly confront our answers to those three questions. As a leadership platform, we serve leaders and help them and their teams be better at doing the same, whether it's working on their strategy for diversity/equity/inclusion; developing a definition and coherent plan for financial sustainability; evaluating their curriculum and teacher capacity and pedagogical framework; building a strong partnership between a board of directors and their head of school/CEO/president; supporting and capacitating a leadership team as it executes on the organizational strategy just approved; or creating a clear and strong implementation tool that the team will use to effectively execute and communicate its priorities to others.
I have a few questions for you. Maybe I just want to talk to you, maybe I want to work with you, or maybe I want to come work for you! I don't know. How do I get in touch? I'm glad we've piqued your interest - we love talking to other leaders! You can reach us directly via email at contact@mehtacognition.com or drop any of us a LinkedIn DM. You can also check us out at https://www.MehtaCognition.com, follow my musings at https://world.hey.com/nishant, and request to follow me on Twitter @MehtaCognition.
I look forward to leading and learning more with all of you in the coming months.
I have a few questions for you. Maybe I just want to talk to you, maybe I want to work with you, or maybe I want to come work for you! I don't know. How do I get in touch? I'm glad we've piqued your interest - we love talking to other leaders! You can reach us directly via email at contact@mehtacognition.com or drop any of us a LinkedIn DM. You can also check us out at https://www.MehtaCognition.com, follow my musings at https://world.hey.com/nishant, and request to follow me on Twitter @MehtaCognition.
I look forward to leading and learning more with all of you in the coming months.