I'm writing this from Ann Arbor, Michigan. For the past couple of weeks, Courtney and I have been on the road visiting remarkable companies, trying to understand what makes them great. But the trip really started in Dallas, at the 2026 Small Giants Leadership Academy graduation, hosted by our friends at Text-Em-All. Rockstars. Every single one of them.

We kicked the trip off in Dallas at the 2026 graduation. This was my first year walking alongside the cohort, all the way through to graduation. I'm honored to have been part of it.

Confidence and clarity

If I had to sum up what I saw in these graduates, it would be two words: confidence and clarity.

This one was personal, too. Courtney went through Leadership Academy herself. We believe in drinking our own champagne, so when she joined the Small Giants team a year ago, she joined a cohort. I've watched her grow in exactly those two ways. On this trip, sitting across from founders and their teams, the questions she asks and the way she carries herself shine through. I'm so proud of her.

At our first module on Vision and Purpose, I'll admit I was a little worried about one of our other participants, Bernard. He comes from an engineering background, and I got the distinct impression he'd rather be anywhere else than in a room talking about purpose. It all looked a bit too fluffy for him. Nine months later, that same Bernard was being vulnerable in front of his peers, stepping up for them, and volunteering to go first in the final presentations. Nobody volunteers to go first. Engineers, it turns out, are very good at rebuilding things, themselves included.

Another graduate wrote to us afterwards about moving from self doubt to real clarity about their path as a leader. Most of us need a few days to recover from an event like that. Todd was back at work the next morning, sitting down for 1-1’s with his whole leadership team to start planting the seeds of change.

Watching it happen live

The reason we love hosting the graduation event at Text-Em-All is because there, learning happens live. While we were there, Brad told the cohort about a colleague who'd been upset by a decision made the day before. His theory: nobody had given that colleague the chance to push back, so there was no buy in. Then Brad looked up and saw that colleague, Ron, sitting in the room.

In most companies, that's an awkward moment. But Brad got visibly excited. He asked Ron, in front of everyone, whether he'd got it right. Ron agreed, just as enthusiastically.

This was a pretty cool moment for myself and all of the graduates to witness. Nine months of learning about healthy conflict and buy-in, playing out live in front of the people who'd been studying it. For months, we’d been having valuable discussions, and sharing resources about these concepts. But to see it all play out within the walls of a Small Giants company is proof that these philosophies and tools matter. They have a place in purpose-built businesses. It’s hard to get that immediacy and emotional resonance in a Zoom room.

The bullpen

When I spent time with Jay Goltz recently, we discussed how growing companies open new locations. Where do they find the people to sustain that growth? The answer he shared: they always have a bullpen. Talented people being trained, mentored, and groomed, ready before they're needed.

I believe many of our organisations have a real leadership gap right now. Not a shortage of good people, but a shortage of people prepared to carry the mission forward. A bullpen doesn't build itself.

Since the graduation experience in Dallas, Courtney and I have been on the road visiting Text-em-All, Choice One Engineering, Zingerman's, Menlo Innovations and Atomic Object. Each one builds its bullpen differently, but we're starting to see clear patterns in how great companies do it. I'll share what we're finding next week, so keep an eye out.

Growing alongside them

I carry a challenge coin in my pocket. Amy Corter, who Courtney and I visited last week, slipped it into my palm when I took the helm at Small Giants. Its message is simple: lead well.

I'm fortunate to be something of an observational leader, which means I get to see both sides of the coin up close. I spend time with the people who built great companies, like Brad and Hai at Text-Em-All, Matt at Choice One Engineering, Rich Sheridan at Menlo Innovations, and Ari Weinzweig at Zingerman's. And I get to spend time with their people.

The biggest lesson of these nine months is that culture is vulnerable. At Text-em-All, Sabrina and I talked about how easily a culture can fall apart, whether in a company, a community or even a country. It doesn't protect itself. And perhaps when cultures at al levels feel threatened, this sentiment feels more noticeable than ever.

As leaders, our job is to guard culture, and to give people throughout the organisation the confidence to speak up when it's under threat. Ron, calmly confirming in front of a room full of visitors that he'd been left out of a decision, is exactly what that looks like. He knew that he was in a psychologically safe room to do so, but also that it was his duty to speak up in order to enforce the company's values.

That's what people miss about building a bullpen. It isn't just succession planning. Every confident, clear leader you grow is one more person protecting your culture. It's what Leadership Academy exists to do: prepare the next generation of leaders in your business to take your mission and vision forward.

I'm incredibly proud of my team for the work they put into this program, and of every one of this year's graduates.

Steal this: the Ron test

I'm stealing this one from Brad, and how he showed up in that moment with Ron. Before your next significant decision is final:

1. Name the person it affects most who wasn't in the room.
2. Ask them directly, "What's wrong with this?" Then stop talking.
3. If you've already made the call without that conversation, do what Brad did. Go back, name it, and ask whether you got it right.

As Patrick Lencioni puts it, if people don't weigh in, they can't buy in.

It's also the quickest way I know to test your culture. If nobody ever pushes back, that tells you something.

To the 2026 graduates: congratulations! If you have someone who belongs in your bullpen, then click this link to learn more, as enrollment for the Class of 2027 is currently open.

That’s it for this week. If the thought of a months-long deep-dive into your leadership development sounds exciting to you, then do get in touch. We're here to bolster and prepare the next generation of leaders to continue building great businesses.

Cheers,

Jean