Brett Macfarlane

Brett's mission is to demystify innovation leadership and to make organizational improvement more human(e). He is a leading authority on the behavioural dynamics and skills that enable innovative organizations to succeed.  He works internationally and locally in Vancouver as a coach, trainer, facilitator and advisor.  

Learning How to Develop Innovation Leaders:

Brett first learned the science of high performance and dealing with uncertainty as an elite athlete and then coach in Canada’s Olympic development system. He applied this talent-centric approach in his professional career to realize countless firsts and over 200 awards and patents. Highlights include life-saving breakthroughs in societal behaviour change, launching purpose-led global tea brands with Hugh Jackman and turning science fiction fantasies into delightful realities with Apple.

As an innovation leader, Brett struggled to find supportive coaches, trainers or even a friendly ear that could relate to the challenges of leading new ideas through organizations. However, he also found that quietly integrating leadership development activities into strategy, management and operational processes led to more effective, resilient and happy teams. 

Researching Innovation Leadership:

In 2019, Brett was invited to deepen his leadership development methods at INSEAD, the leading global business school in Fontainebleau, France. The field of systems psychodynamics gave Brett logical ways to understand the illogical patterns or challenges to organizational innovation and improvement. At INSEAD, he mapped the behavioural patterns of repeat innovation leaders to create the diagnostic and developmental framework called the Innovation Leadership Map for individuals and groups.

Launching a Practice:

Next, Brett started a private leadership development practice for innovative leaders. He is called upon by leading organizations in consumer, technology, consulting, design, central banking and creative industries. He believes and has found that any professional can learn to drive and survive leading innovation (and change) when provided with the resources to develop their self-awareness and innovation leadership practice toolkit. 

After living abroad for many years in France, the UK and the USA, he returned to Vancouver in 2022. He continues to work across EMEA and APAC to satiate his curiosity and love of international business. Outside work, he is an accomplished alpine skier, an official ride leader for the Rapha Cycle Club and forever dreaming of the next nice coffee. 

info@brettmacfarlane.com

Credentials

MA, Master of Coaching and Consulting Change, INSEAD (Distinction)

American Psychological Association

International Society for the Psychoanalytical Study of Organizations

Canadian Securities Certification (Distinction)

BA, Economics, Whitman College

Reading List

Adaptive Leadership, Heifetz, Grashow, Linksy

Immunity to Change, Kegan, Lahey

Night Flight, Antoine St. Exupery

The Little Prince, Antoine St. Exupery

Organizational & Social Dynamics, Phoenix Publishing

Culture Map, Erin Meyers

Where Culture’s Collide, Richard D. Lewis

The EQ Edge, Stein PHD, Book, MD

Coach and the Couch, Manfred Kets de Vries

The Leadership Mystique, Manfred Kets de Vries

Performance Under Pressure, Saul Miller

Humankind, Rutger Bergman

Key Topics: innovation, organizational psychology, leadership development, team dynamics, L&D, learning and development, systems psychodynamics, organizational behaviour, adaptive leadership, authentic leadership, transformative leadership, new genre leadership