Today on the show we have Tom Cooper.  I met Tom a few years ago while we were both speaking at a conference. Tom and I served on the board of advisors for the Interface Security Conference in Charlotte, NC last year.  During this chat, Tom and I discuss the 4 levels of thinking as a geek leader.

Tom has put together some special resources, just for A Geek Leader listeners.  Check them out at brighthillgroup.com/ageekleader. There you will find a PDF describing the four levels of thinking we discussed on the show today, the eBook for finding budget dollars for leadership training that we discussed as well as a couple of bonus videos.  Please be sure to thank Tom on Twitter and LinkedIn.

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Tom Cooper, PMP is the founder of BrightHill Group, where he believes that “Because People Matter, We Must Lead Them Well.”  Because of his deep experience in software development and enterprise IT implementation, Tom specializes in working with highly technical experts.  He says that he helps geeks communicate clearly, delegate effectively, manage conflict productively and plan well.

Tom spent more than two decades as an IT leader working in startup businesses as well as at Marriott, Price Waterhouse, and the GM subsidiary Hughes Network systems.  Tom led software and IT teams to build and integrate large scale enterprise systems.  Along that path, Tom discovered that leadership is the key to project and business success and spent more than a decade specifically studying and practicing leadership skills.  Since founding BrightHill Group, he has brought his leadership experience to SC Johnson, NASDAQ, and a host of other clients.

Clients and audience members have described Tom as smart, genuine, engaging, practical, funny, and inspiring.

One of his clients is quoted as saying “We could hire anyone to help us with these issues, but you really understand exactly where we are.  We don’t need to hire a translator to work with you.”  Another said “You did an amazing job of listening to our needs.”  Tom is a sought-after speaker on leadership, influence, and project management, speaking at over 130 engagements in 2012.

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