About
A Journey, Not a Destination
I have long seen the process of becoming a great leader as a never-ending journey. I have been walking that path for more than 45 years now, and I am still learning.
I didn't start with a consulting practice or a certificate. I started in the trenches. As Vice President of Management and Organizational Development at Albertsons, Inc., I was responsible for developing leaders across one of the largest retailers in the U.S. Tens of thousands of employees. Hundreds of stores. That kind of operation has no patience for ideas that don't work in real life. It is where I learned that culture matters more than any strategy, and that a good culture shows itself in every meeting, every decision, and every small act of respect.
Management & Organizational Development
Those years taught me what actually works when the pressure is on. I don't teach leadership from a textbook. I teach it from experience. From the promotions that worked and the ones that didn't. From the hard conversations that changed careers. From the teams that learned to trust each other and the ones that fell apart. One of my mentors taught me this early: leaders must never be afraid to use their authority, and yet the greatest of leaders rarely do. Think influence, not authority.
After Albertsons, I brought that same approach to organizations across healthcare, technology, government, finance, and more. I became a certified Everything DiSC facilitator, a Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team practitioner, and an executive coach organizations keep coming back to. I started teaching graduate-level courses. And somewhere along the way, I started writing. What I've come to believe is this: leadership is first a way of thinking before it is a set of skills.
Center for Management & Organization Effectiveness
More than 300 weekly articles later, my Monday Morning Minute has become a trusted resource for leaders looking for honest, reflective guidance. Each one opens with a quote, shares a personal story, and ends with the same question I ask myself every week: how will you live or lead differently or better this coming week?
Graduate-level leadership instruction
Career
Where the Experience Comes From
VP, Management & Organizational Development
Albertsons, Inc.
This is where it all started. I designed and delivered leadership programs for thousands of managers and executives responsible for 250,000+ employees. The lessons from those years still guide everything I do.
Senior Facilitator & Consultant
CMOE · The Bryan Yager Group, LLC (est. 2001)
I work directly with executive teams, new managers, and entire organizations. Clients include JB Hunt, Danone North America, Expedia, City of Meridian, and organizations across government, healthcare, tech, and finance. The conventional definition of management is getting work done through people. Real management is developing people through work.
Emeritus, Boise State University
Graduate instructor & speaker at conferences nationwide
I hold emeritus status at Boise State University. I teach leadership at the graduate level and speak at conferences and corporate events nationwide. Teaching keeps me sharp. The students challenge me, and I like that.
How to Transition Into Leadership
Published by Aloha Publishing · 250+ weekly articles
I wrote How to Transition Into Leadership to give new leaders the resource they should have received with their first promotion. And every Monday, I publish the Monday Morning Minute, a short reflection read by leaders across the country.
Certifications & Education
MBA · Lake Forest Graduate School of Management
Everything DiSC Certified Facilitator (Wiley). Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team Practitioner. Former ACEA Board Member.
Philosophy
Leadership Starts on the Inside
The best leaders I have known were rarely the ones with the most authority. They were the ones with the most self-awareness. Leadership starts on the inside. It begins with who you are, how you show up, and what kind of leader you choose to be.
Personal Responsibility First
You can't develop your team until you develop yourself. I always start with the leader in the mirror. Confidence earns respect. Humility earns trust.
Intentional, Not Accidental
Great leadership doesn't happen by accident. We cannot control the wind, but we can adjust our sails. It takes deliberate choices about how you communicate, delegate, and show up.
Authenticity Over Performance
Arrogance repels. Humility inspires. I teach leaders to be genuine, to lead with their real voice, not a corporate mask. Teams tend to reflect the light, or the shadow, of their leaders.
Practice, Not Theory
Every tool, framework, and lesson I teach has been tested in real organizations with real stakes. If it doesn't work on Monday morning, I don't teach it.
"How will you live or lead differently or better this coming week?"
Bryan Yager, weekly sign-off from the Monday Morning Minute
Let's talk.
I work with organizations of every size, from Fortune 500 teams to local businesses ready to grow their people. Here's to leading with your hands, your head, and most importantly, your heart.