Why Steven Gaffney

Drive Powerful Change

Communication is the root of most organizational problems. Healthy teams are possible; together we'll help you get there.

"As a business leader with years of real-world experience, I know the importance of evidence-based solutions that drive real results. Our strategies are grounded in research and proven through practical application, making them easy for organizations and their teams to implement and use effectively."

Who is Steven Gaffney

Steven Gaffney is the leading expert on creating Consistently High Achieving Organizations (CHAO)™ including high-achieving teams, honest communication, and change leadership.

With almost 30 years of experience, Steven Gaffney, CEO of the Steven Gaffney Company, has become the go-to person and trusted advisor for countless top leaders and executive teams from Fortune 500 companies and associations, as well as the U.S. government and military. He is also a highly regarded author and sought-after speaker.

Steven has made the complex, easy, and predictable to solve. He created Consistently High Achieving Teams (CHAT)®, Powerful Culture®, 2-hour and 18-minute Strategy™, and the legendary course, The Fish Isn’t Sick…The Water is Dirty on how to have honest, open communication and resolve issues with anyone. Whether it's a team achievement, thriving cultures, leading change, or daily innovation, his expertise makes him an authority in his field. He is one of the few experts that can guarantee results.

Thousands of people have credited Steven Gaffney’s speeches, seminars, TV and radio appearances, and books, for making immediate and lasting changes in their organizations and personal lives. He is a cancer survivor, and as a recognition of his contributions, he received the Celebration of Life Award.

Early Struggles and Inspiration It is easy to assume that Steven was born a great communicator and always had a way with people. This could not be further from the truth. By the age of 3, Steven had major speech problems. The first doctor declared him “mentally retarded” and advised enrolling him in classes for special needs. His parents decided to get a second opinion, which resulted in finding that the true issue was hearing loss from recurrent ear infections. After undergoing multiple surgeries and participating in speech therapy at Easter Seals, Steven began to get back on track and speak correctly. However, because of this delay and being a scrawny, nerdy kid, Steven didn’t connect well with people and was badly bullied.

Raised by an innovative father and a wise mother, Steven Gaffney learned the power of independent problem-solving early on. An enlightening experience occurred during his time at James Madison University: Steven discovered his fraternity acceptance was not due to genuine affinity, but rather sympathy. This revelation sparked a turning point in Steven's life. He recognized the need to address his personal struggles with relationships and social connections. Drawing upon the scientific and analytical thinking instilled by his parents, Steven applied these principles to human dynamics. His newfound perspective led to transformative personal growth, culminating in his election as fraternity president in his junior year.

This initial transformation propelled Steven to unravel more formulas for personal and professional success. Guided by his scientific and engineering ethos, he ventured into entrepreneurship, creating a company committed to resolving human relationships, team, and organizational challenges. Today, this engineering-inspired approach stands as the pillar of the Steven Gaffney Company and Steven Gaffney Worldwide, driving their mission of fostering high-achieving organizations and teams.

Gaffney In The News

See Gaffney in Action

Steven Gaffney shares tips to transform your organization and take it to the next level by helping leaders lead through change, avoid being blind-sided by issues, improve teamwork collaboration, build better relationships internally and externally, inspire people to have more open communication and get things done.

How We Help Develop Leaders and Change Culture

Staying silent about hard truths is the best way to grow misinformation and dysfunction in your organization. Telling people the truth, even hard truths, builds trust, creates connections, and strengthens teams and organizations for the long haul. We teach your leadership how to cultivate an honest, healthy culture throughout your organization.

Every Leader needs to know how to deliver the hard messages.

From understanding how to manage honest communication and developing a collaborative team mindset to learning the basics of leading through changes, these resources can help you become a better leader and team player.

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