Five world-class advisors with advanced degrees in both business and psychology — bringing scholarly rigor and deep human understanding to your most complex leadership challenges.
We are a firm of trusted advisors with exceptional credentials, decades of experience, and a genuine commitment to your success. Executive Advisors supports leaders and organizations—from Fortune 500 companies to startups, family businesses, and law practices—by empowering individual executives, enhancing leadership team effectiveness, and fostering winning cultures that produce measurable results.
Whether you're navigating a critical transition, managing complex change, or motivating your team with psychological insights that challenge and support you, we help you lead with clarity, confidence, and measurable impact.
Our partners hold advanced degrees in both business and psychology, giving us a unique ability to address leadership challenges at the intersection of business expertise and a deep understanding of human motivation.
We understand WHY—when a "strategy problem" actually is about fear; when "communication issues" mask deeper trust deficits; when talented executives are held back by invisible dynamics in how they see themselves and relate to others.
We combine cutting-edge research and best practices in management, psychology, and human motivation to design a tailored approach that empowers your executives and elevates your leadership team.
We promote the development of "people skills" to enhance individual and organizational agility and resilience, create high-performance teams, and improve the capacity to tackle organizational challenges.
We help understand and manage family dynamics, navigate succession planning, balance tradition with innovation, and support next-generation leaders while preserving both business value and family harmony.
We strengthen partner relationships through self-leadership and interpersonal dynamics; promote the development of next-generation leaders; cultivate cultures of excellence; and guide your firm through strategic transitions.
We foster transitions from clinical practice to leadership roles, align medical staff with organizational goals, and motivate teams through complex healthcare transformation.
Many executives partner with us not because they're facing a crisis, but because they recognize the value of a confidential, psychologically sophisticated, business-savvy sounding board. Leadership can be isolating. The higher you rise, the fewer people you can speak with candidly about strategic dilemmas, interpersonal challenges, or the weight of difficult decisions.
We serve as the trusted advisor you can turn to when you're wrestling with questions like:
Every engagement is tailored to your unique situation—your goals, your challenges, your culture. We don't rely on generic solutions.
We assess your leadership challenges and organizational dynamics to understand what's really happening beneath the surface.
We work collaboratively to establish clear objectives and concrete measures of success.
Real-time support during critical moments and transitions, in addition to regularly scheduled meetings.
We set clear success metrics from the start and regularly track progress. Our work is accountable to results, not just the process.
"From Conflict to Collaboration — A professional services firm with misaligned partners experienced a noticeable improvement in partner communication, satisfaction, and collaboration; increased staff engagement; better client retention; and successful cultural change."
"Family Business Succession Without Drama — A third-generation manufacturing company successfully managed a founder transition with no key talent loss, maintained business momentum, and preserved family harmony."
"Bringing the Organization Through Challenges — A Fortune 500 executive leading a major strategic shift saw the initially resistant team become supporters of change, with improved engagement scores and the project completed ahead of schedule."
Leadership can feel lonely, especially when you're managing complex changes. You need more than just advice—you need a trusted advisor who understands both the strategic pressures you face and the human dynamics that determine whether your team follows your lead.
Five Partners. Complementary Expertise. Comprehensive Solutions.
Executive Advisors brings together an exceptional team whose expertise spans five decades and multiple disciplines. Our partners include internationally recognized scholars who have authored over 40 books and 350+ peer-reviewed articles, shaping the fields of family business, organizational psychology, and healthcare leadership.
We also include master practitioners who have trained over 3,000 leaders, advised Fortune 500 companies across three continents, and served in roles from White House advisor to emergency medicine CEO.
What distinguishes us is our integration: Some challenges require the latest research on succession dynamics, neuroscience of leadership, or implementation science. Others need someone who has led an organization, managed a boardroom crisis, or transformed a dysfunctional leadership team. Most need both.
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Harvard Business Review • Wall Street Journal • New York Times • Springer Nature • John Wiley & Sons • American Psychological Association • Journal of Health Communication • Voice of America
Duke University Medical School • Harvard Medical School • UCLA • California State University, Northridge • Florida Institute of Technology
White House Health Professionals Review Group • California Board of Psychology • APA Distinguished Contribution Award • Governor's Appointments • International Family Therapy Association • Fortune 500 Consulting
Partners who advance the field through research, publishing in leading academic journals, authoring definitive texts, and presenting at international conferences. Their work shapes how the profession understands family business dynamics, organizational change, and leadership psychology.
Partners whose expertise is demonstrated through thousands of leaders transformed, proprietary programs developed, and decades of hands-on work with Fortune 500 companies and major healthcare systems. Their methods are proven in the crucible of real organizational challenges.
This combination means we bring both the frameworks that illuminate WHY challenges exist and the proven methodologies for HOW to resolve them. You get the benefit of cutting-edge research AND battle-tested practice.
We match each client with the partner(s) whose expertise best fits your specific challenges:
For complex engagements, we often involve multiple partners to bring different perspectives and expertise. You're not assigned a coach—you're matched with the right advisor for your situation.
Executive coaching requires absolute discretion. What you share stays confidential. This trust enables the honest conversations that build trust and drive real change.
We integrate the latest research on leadership effectiveness, human motivation, and organizational behavior into every engagement.
We don't believe in one-size-fits-all programs. Every engagement is designed around your specific people, culture, and challenges.
Meaningful change takes time. We build relationships that evolve as your needs change, serving as trusted advisors through multiple transitions.
We set clear success metrics from the start and regularly track progress. Our work is accountable to results, not just the process.
We help leaders foster environments where people feel truly valued, teams freely share unconventional ideas, and organizations develop resilience.
The right advisor can change everything. We invite you to reach out for a confidential conversation to explore which of our partners might be the right fit for your situation.
They live in the complex space between strategy and human behavior.
Most executive coaching firms can help you clarify your strategy or enhance your communication skills. But when the true challenge is getting your board to align, guiding your leadership team through a tough transition, or navigating the unseen dynamics that trip up talented executives, you need advisors who understand what's really happening beneath the surface.
Most executive coaches come from one of three backgrounds: business consultants who understand strategy but lack insight into psychological and interpersonal dynamics; professional coaches who know frameworks but have no clinical training; or therapists who understand emotions but aren't familiar with business.
At Executive Advisors, our partners hold advanced degrees in both business and psychology. This dual expertise allows us to operate where leadership challenges actually live—at the intersection of business acumen and a deep understanding of human motivation.
We don't just see that a leader or team is struggling. We understand WHY:
Our partners have collectively:
This isn't coaching based solely on intuition. It's coaching rooted in decades of research on what truly influences human behavior, leadership effectiveness, and organizational change—validated by peer review and proven through practice.
Many executives partner with us not because they're in crisis, but because they recognize the value of a confidential, psychologically sophisticated sounding board. This ongoing advisory relationship provides something rare: a confidential space where you can be completely honest about what you're facing, knowing you're talking with someone who has the business expertise to understand the stakes and the psychological insight to help you see what you might be overlooking.
Change triggers discomfort—a basic human reaction that organizations often overlook. Fear, anxiety, and resistance are normal responses when people confront uncertainty about their role, skills, or future. Many coaching firms focus solely on strategy and execution. We go further by helping you understand and tackle the psychological factors that influence whether change actually occurs.
We assist you in recognizing the unseen forces that influence how people react to change: competing commitments, unspoken fears, relationship dynamics, and the subtle ways organizational culture encourages resistance.
We help you create environments where people feel safe to voice concerns, propose unconventional ideas, admit mistakes, and take intellectual risks—because that's where innovation and genuine problem-solving happen.
We help you develop strategies to overcome resistance and uncertainty that accompany transformation, ensuring your team willingly participates in the change and also understands and commits to it.
Leaders develop sharper instincts and make better-timed decisions because they understand the full picture—both the strategic logic and the human dynamics at play.
People feel genuinely heard and psychologically safe, so they propose unconventional solutions, challenge assumptions constructively, and admit when something isn't working.
Relationships improve because people trust the environment enough to collaborate without protecting turf or playing politics.
Strategic goals that once felt distant come into focus faster because everyone is pulling in the same direction with genuine commitment.
If you're facing complex challenges where both business goals and human dynamics matter—we should talk.
Whatever your situation, our approach is the same: we combine psychological insight with business acumen to help you see what's really happening, understand what's driving it, and create meaningful, sustainable change.
We begin with confidential conversations to understand your leadership challenges, organizational dynamics, and strategic objectives. We listen for what's said and what's unsaid—the underlying patterns that often reveal the real issues.
Working collaboratively with you and relevant stakeholders, we establish clear objectives and concrete measures of success—leader adaptability, team engagement, succession readiness, or specific business outcomes.
Our engagements flex to your needs. We're available for real-time support during critical moments, in addition to our scheduled meetings.
We gauge progress through your personal experience and by actively gathering feedback from relevant stakeholders—ensuring that positive changes are visible and reinforced across the organization.
We hold ourselves accountable to results: improved agility and wise decision-making, stronger team performance, successful transitions, and measurable business impact.
For: Senior executives
Many leaders partner with us not because they're in crisis, but because they value having a confidential, psychologically sophisticated sounding board. This ongoing relationship provides a confidential space to think out loud without political consequences, gain perspective on complex interpersonal dynamics, and work with someone who understands both business strategy and human psychology.
For: Organizations navigating leader transitions, succession planning, or next-generation leadership development
Leadership transitions are among the highest-risk moments for any organization. We specialize in C-suite transitions, family business succession planning, next-generation leadership development, and ensuring business continuity while preserving relationships. Our approach addresses the psychological dimensions of transmitting knowledge and values, "letting go" and "stepping up," and governance structures that support healthy transitions.
For: Leaders guiding organizations through significant strategic change, cultural transformation, or merger integration
Change triggers fear, resistance, and competing commitments—even when people logically understand why change is necessary. We help leaders address the psychological dimensions that determine whether transformation actually happens. Our methodology focuses on understanding what's really driving resistance, creating psychological safety, building communication strategies that address the emotional dimensions of change, and helping leaders bring people through change—not just announce it.
Senior leadership can be lonely. We serve as trusted advisors who understand both the strategic pressures you face and the human dynamics that determine success. Our expertise includes building authentic executive presence, navigating complex board and stakeholder relationships, developing high-performance "people savvy" leadership teams, managing the psychological dimensions of difficult decisions, and creating cultures where talent wants to stay.
Family businesses live at the delicate intersection of love and logic, where dinner table dynamics meet boardroom decisions. Our expertise includes succession planning that preserves both business value and family harmony, managing the unique dynamics when some family members work in the business and others may not, helping assess talents and desires of the next generation, and governance structures that provide knowledge and clarify decision-making across generations.
Physicians transitioning to leadership roles face unique challenges: balancing clinical credibility with executive presence, aligning medical staff with organizational goals, and managing complex stakeholder dynamics. Our expertise includes physician leadership development, Chief of Staff and medical staff president preparation, managing medical staff resistance to organizational change, and building cultures of psychological safety in healthcare settings.
Law firms, financial services firms, and consulting partnerships face distinct challenges: partner dynamics, equity decisions, succession, and building next-generation leadership while maintaining client service. Our expertise includes partner alignment and collaboration, managing conflict in partnership structures, next-generation leadership development, succession planning for founding partners, and building cultures of excellence and innovation.
"Our team went from resistant to committed."
"We preserved both the business and the family."
"We finally have a psychologically safe environment to discuss issues."
We begin with a conversation to understand your situation, explore whether we might be the right fit, and answer your questions about how we work. No obligation, no pressure—just clarity.
If we agree there's a good fit, we conduct a more in-depth assessment and develop a tailored proposal with clear goals, success metrics, and investment.
When we agree to move forward, we begin the engagement. Most partnerships start with more intensive work and adjust based on your evolving needs.
We invite you to reach out for a confidential conversation to explore your specific situation. You will be glad you did.
For more than 35 years, Dr. Friedland has served as a trusted advisor to CEOs, family business owners, and senior executives facing the complex challenges where business strategy and human dynamics intersect. A board-certified clinical psychologist with deep business understanding, she specializes in helping leaders navigate change, plan succession, strengthen people effectiveness, and build dynamic cultures where people thrive.
"Leadership can be profoundly isolating. The higher you rise, the fewer people you can speak with candidly about the strategic dilemmas, interpersonal challenges, and difficult decisions that keep you up at night. I serve as the trusted advisor leaders turn to when they need to think out loud, test ideas, gain perspective on complex dynamics, and make decisions with greater clarity and confidence."
Dr. Friedland's work is grounded in a fundamental belief: sustainable leadership effectiveness requires understanding both the strategic challenges leaders face and the psychological dynamics—often invisible in themselves and in others—that shape how people respond, resist, and ultimately commit to change.
Featured in: Harvard Business Review • Wall Street Journal • New York Times • Los Angeles Times • Time Magazine • Washington Post. Over 200 national and local media appearances.
Co-authored with Florence Kaslow, Ph.D., ABPP • Springer-Nature
Book chapter • Springer Nature
Harvard Business Review • Co-authored with William C. Kirby and Laura Trachtman
"She helped us see what we couldn't see ourselves — a third-generation family business navigating founder transition aligned on legacy goals, zero key talent loss, business momentum maintained."
"I finally had someone I could think out loud with — a trusted advisor I could turn to when I needed to test ideas and gain perspective, knowing I was speaking with someone who understood both the strategic stakes and the human dynamics."
"She helped us build a culture of real psychological safety — measurable improvements in partner satisfaction and collaboration, staff engagement increased, successful cultural transformation."
We invite you to reach out to explore your specific situation. You will be glad you did.
Dr. Florence Kaslow brings five decades of international expertise in family business consultation, organizational psychology, and professional development. One of the most published psychologists in the world, she has authored or edited 31 books and written over 200 articles. Her work spans six continents; she has taught and consulted in over 30 countries.
"Family business dynamics follow universal psychological principles, but they play out differently across cultures. What constitutes 'fairness' in succession, appropriate communication between generations, or the role of extended family members varies significantly across cultural contexts. Effective consultation requires understanding both the universal dynamics and the cultural specifics."
Edited volume • Springer Nature
Co-authored with Lilli Friedland, Ph.D., ABPP • Springer-Nature
Edited volume • Haworth Press
Guilford Press
31 books authored or edited • 200+ peer-reviewed articles • Published in 15+ languages
Dr. Tom Backer specializes in helping organizations navigate large-scale change, build capacity for sustained impact, and implement evidence-based practices successfully. With over 500 published works and decades of experience working with government agencies, foundations, and nonprofits, he brings unparalleled expertise in how systems actually change—not just what should change.
"Nonprofit organizations are rich in mission and passion but often under-resourced in organizational capacity. Strong programs require strong organizations—boards that govern effectively, leaders who can manage complex dynamics, staff who can execute, systems that support rather than hinder work, and financial sustainability that allows the mission to continue. My work focuses on building this organizational infrastructure so nonprofits can maximize their impact over the long term."
Weber, M.A. & Backer, T.E. • Journal of Health Communication
500+ books, articles, and research reports covering nonprofit capacity building, philanthropic strategy, implementation science, and systems change.
Tom Drucker brings a unique combination of advanced psychological training, neuroscience expertise, business credentials from UCLA Anderson, and 15 years of experience as a senior executive at Xerox Corporation. His journey—from studying with Viktor Frankl and Abraham Maslow to leading human resources strategy for a global corporation—reflects a deep commitment to helping people and organizations realize their full potential.
"Leaders often rely on traditional management approaches without understanding how their decisions and behaviors impact brain function, motivation, and team performance at a neurological level. When you understand how the brain processes threat versus reward, how social connection affects performance, and what actually drives sustained motivation—you can lead in ways that bring out the best in people rather than inadvertently triggering defensive reactions or disengagement."
When leaders inadvertently trigger threat responses, people's brains shift into defensive mode—reducing creativity, collaboration, and performance. Leaders who understand this can structure interactions to activate reward responses instead.
The brain is fundamentally social. Leaders who create genuine connection and belonging unlock significantly higher performance and engagement.
The brain can change throughout life—but change requires specific conditions. Understanding how neural pathways form helps leaders design development experiences that create lasting behavioral change.
Traditional "carrot and stick" approaches often backfire because they misunderstand what actually motivates the human brain. Neuroscience reveals what truly drives sustained motivation.
Dr. Susan Reynolds brings an extraordinary combination of clinical medicine, academic research, executive leadership, and healthcare system transformation expertise. A former emergency physician, emergency medical center CEO, White House healthcare advisor, and Chief Medical Officer—she understands healthcare from every vantage point. Since founding the Chief of Staff Boot Camp® in 2003, she has trained over 3,000 physician leaders and healthcare executives.
"Physicians are trained to be independent decision-makers responsible for individual patients. Leadership requires collaborative decision-making responsible for entire systems. This isn't a character flaw—it's a training gap. And it's fixable."
Founded in 2003, Chief of Staff Boot Camp® addresses the critical gap in physician leadership preparation. The highly acclaimed program has trained over 3,000 physician leaders and healthcare executives over two decades, establishing Dr. Reynolds as one of the most influential voices in physician leadership development.
Unlike generic leadership programs, it specifically addresses the unique challenges physician leaders face: the identity transition from clinician to leader; managing medical staff resistance; navigating the physician-administration divide; board dynamics and governance; quality improvement and patient safety leadership; and conflict resolution in high-stakes medical environments.
John Wiley & Sons — Introduces the 4-Ps Assessment Model for diagnosing organizational dysfunction.
Regular columnist, Chicago Medicine Magazine • Regular speaker at major healthcare conferences nationwide.
We invite you to reach out for a confidential conversation to explore your specific situation. You will be glad you did.