What differentiates Live Oak Leadership
Thinking strategically about what organizations need for the long term requires more than just quick fixes; it demands systemic changes that are deeply rooted in the organization's culture and practices. These changes must be sustainable and lived out daily by employees, fostering a strong culture where engagement is high and performance reaches its peak. At Live Oak Leadership, we think strategically about talent strategy, teams, and individual leaders in order to help organizations build a resilient workforce that is fully aligned with their goals, ensuring lasting success and continuous improvement. Specifically, we bring:
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Our founder, Stacey Steele, and her team brings deep expertise from working within leading professional service organizations, having worked with clients across diverse industries and global regions. We adhere to the highest professional standards, and bring our extensive knowledge and experience to each of our client engagements.
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We prioritize listening to understand your unique challenges, rejecting a one-size-fits-all methodology. Our client-centered approach uses diagnostics to pinpoint critical issues and develop targeted interventions. We excel in problem-solving, offering a range of solutions that address your company’s most urgent needs, guided by critical thinking and grounded in organizational psychological science.
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We apply well-established frameworks and techniques to our talent solutions, and utilize highly regarded collaboration and assessment tools for our individual and team-based interventions. Drawing on our extensive experience with other clients, we are deeply invested in our approach, ensuring that each strategy is backed by proven methods for success.
Founding Story
Stacey Steele, Ph.D., an organizational psychologist with over two decades of experience at leading firms including McKinsey & Company, witnessed firsthand the challenges companies faced during the pandemic—struggles with retention, engagement, and performance, exacerbated by generational differences in management. Recognizing a pressing need, she began working with rapidly growing small businesses and larger organizations without a robust talent infrastructure. Stacey was and continues to be energized by the opportunity to help these businesses build or better integrate their talent management process with their business strategy, develop their leaders, and encourage communication and collaboration among their teams. Since starting her first business in 2021, she has been dedicated to serving clients on these critical issues, driving tremendous improvements in their performance and organizational culture.
Stacey Steele
Stacey’s academic background paired with her strategy consulting experience gives her the ability to think deeply, listen carefully and work collaboratively with clients. She believes in the ability of every leader to find their source of strength and overcome any challenges they may face along the way. Stacey is passionate about ensuring a client’s needs are met at the highest level while preserving what is special and unique about the leader or organization.
Stacey’s career has included global leadership roles at McKinsey & Company where she led learning and development for the global business analyst program and professional development for the Chicago office Associates and early managers. Previously, she worked at Booz & Company consulting with clients on talent management strategy, succession planning, and organizational design.
Stacey has a Ph.D. from Rice University in Industrial/Organizational Psychology which is currently the top rated in the field, and graduated magna cum laude from Tulane University with a B.A. in Psychology. Stacey lives in Austin, TX with her husband and three children. She is passionate about international travel and spending time in the outdoors.
