About Aspire Leadership
Learn more about the Aspire Leadership Program
Aspire Leadership
Leadership Transformation that Lasts
We help your leadership team boost productivity, reduce turnover, and create a lasting culture by equipping them with the necessary tools and skills that build trust, drive growth, and strengthen connections within the teams that they lead.
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About Aspire Leadership
The Aspire Leadership Training Program helps your organization build stronger leaders that can withstand the obstacles and unique challenges that come with being a leader in today's small and medium-sized businesses.
Our program is designed to help your leaders learn how to manage conflict, build trust, and delegate effectively, all while creating a positive and lasting culture within your organization. We do this by developing your leader in three behaviors that we discovered are the key to unlocking influential leadership: Curiosity, Empathy, and Humility.
Our proven three-track framework gives your leaders the tools, resources, and immersive learning environment to reinforce the Aspire Leadership Training program, while the weekly facilitated mastermind sessions and focused traction periods keep your leaders on track and accountable—ensuring their success in the program.
If you’re looking to create a leadership team that is more productive, has less turnover, and builds a lasting culture, the Aspire Leadership Training Program is for you.
The Leadership Journey
"Naturally curious, he [Jeff] studied leadership & people looking for the right mix of business principles & faith instilled in him by his parents, Ed & Deana Banning."
In 1991, Jeff Banning purchased controlling interest in the family transportation business known as Trinity Transport. Across the next 30 years, he grew the business into the multi-million-dollar company known today as Trinity Logistics, a full-service logistics provider with offices that span the nation. At the age of 22, Jeff knew he would have to learn to lead well. Naturally curious, he studied leadership & people looking for the right mix of business principles & faith instilled in him by his parents, Ed & Deana Banning.
The once small logistics company that met the needs of one family transformed into an award winning, nationally recognized company and in the top 20 largest third-party logistics companies in the nation based on revenues. A company that set the bar in an industry known to be highly volatile and challenging that now, today meets the needs of hundreds of families across the nation.
Trinity’s business success is laudable. A recent review of the company’s organic growth showed that the company had a 20% Compounded Annual Growth Rate over the last 30 years. That does not happen by accident. It happens when the right team of people work together to achieve shared goals. And that is how Trinity garnered multiple awards in their communities, in their industry and for their culture including the honor of being Great Place to Work Certified ™ for several consecutive years while concurrently serving their community with thousands of volunteer hours earning them the President’s Volunteer Service Award.
"Trinity’s business success is laudable. A recent review of the company’s organic growth showed that the company had a 20% Compounded Annual Growth Rate over the last 30 years."
In his past 30 years at the helm, Jeff discovered the only way to great impact is by always aspiring to be that leader of influence. That one spark, to put people first, ignited a team of people who valued others above self. And that caught the attention of businesses and organizational leaders who started to ask – What was the secret of Trinity’s success?
The Leadership Secret
Jeff is a firm believer in John Maxwell’s quote “Everything rises and falls on the quality of leadership.” He believes every institution's success, whether a business, non-profit, marriage and even the family, will always be dictated by the quality of the leadership.
It starts with the right people and a strong culture that drives the success of the business through relentless focus and investment in developing leaders — leaders who aspired to be leaders of influence and connection.
They accomplished this through coaching programs, mentorships, and investments in ongoing personal
development using their own
leadership program around what Jeff
and his leadership team felt were the leadership behaviors of being an influential leader.
Daily Disciplines of the Influential Leader
These key behaviors are what differentiate influential leaders and enable them to create impact others believe impossible. After putting his beliefs and values into practice over the last 30 years Jeff and his team identified three key behaviors — what we call the Daily Disciplines of the Influential Leader:
Curiosity drives growth.
Curious Leaders GROW causing the people around them and their organization to experience GROWTH.
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Drives Strengths
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Identify Weaknesses
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Reveal Blindspots
Humility builds trust.
Humble Leaders treat others as equals, think about themselves less, and are intentional about giving credit to others – that builds TRUST.
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Build Connection
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Motivate Your Team
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Drive Results
Empathy creates connection.
Empathetic leaders encourage and seek to understand others through active listening, building strong relationships that create CONNECTION.
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Remove Obstacles
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Focus on Goals
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Reach Your Goals
These three behaviors practiced as daily disciplines create influential leaders — leaders who aspire to be their best and inspire others to follow their lead. It is a cycle of development that continues as the leader stays focused on their own personal leadership journey while investing in others.
The Journey Continues
"Jeff the opportunity to fulfill his personal mission — to leave a leadership legacy to his community and to the next generation. His commitment to develop leaders with the principles God had entrusted him with over the years would continue."
Selling the company after 30 years of leading and coaching individuals, teams, non-profit organizations, and leaders in the community, allowed Jeff the opportunity to fulfill his personal mission — to leave a leadership legacy to his community and to the next generation. His commitment to develop leaders with the principles God had entrusted him with over the years would continue. He would take the principles he and his leaders applied at Trinity and create a unique leadership experience for all who aspire to lead and lead well.
The Aspire Experience
"The only path to being an influential leader is through a curious mind, with integrity of heart, and a spirit of humility, empowering others to leave a legacy and ignite the next generation."
In 2020, Jeff tapped longtime friend Michael Hudson, a former college professor and consultant, to help put his vision of Aspire Leadership into a leadership program. Michael had built nationally ranked business programs and worked with over 3,000 companies in leadership strategy and development.
In 2020, Lauren Vanaman took on the role of Executive Director of Aspire Leadership. Lauren was part of the Trinity team that developed the Leadership Development Program.
The result—Three journeys leading the student through a process of discovering their leadership strengths to drive growth, build trust and create connection around one simple philosophy — The only path to being an influential leader is through a curious mind, with integrity of heart, and a spirit of humility, empowering others to leave a legacy and ignite the next generation.