Lorna Johnston

Lorna Johnston

Chair, CEO Group, TEC Canada

When Lorna Johnston leads, transformation follows. For her, business is never just about business – there is always a human element. “Most of the elements necessary to create a successful business are straightforward, compared with the complexity that we humans bring to the table!” Lorna’s unique skillset is integrating business acumen with skillful application of models of change, group dynamics and human behavior; in particular, Transactional Analysis (TA). For over 25 years, Lorna has worked with leaders in the highest levels of business as an executive manager, consultant, coach and TA trainer. Her extensive training and deep knowledge of people and groups has allowed her to help her clients and TEC members harness their emotional and creative intelligence to drive the bottom line.

Lorna’s early life as a professional musician took a different course after a chance encounter, culminating in an MBA from the University of Alberta and a career as a business executive. Her subsequent discovery of Transactional Analysis as a model of change inspired her to leave a successful corporate career to launch The Change Institute. She has worked and lived in Canada and Europe to deliver consulting, coaching and training to clients in Ireland, Switzerland, UK, Russia, The Netherlands, Jamaica, Canada and Peru. She is one of a handful of consultants and change agents in the world trained in organizational and clinical applications of Transactional Analysis – all used in the service of helping leaders and their businesses excel.

Lorna’s business career began with Shell, where she held several management positions, leading transformations in compensation, performance systems and change initiatives. Her consulting helped companies shift corporate culture, rationalize production costs, expedited successful mergers and provided the kind of transformational coaching that “unblocks” business leaders. One of her favorite quotes of a Zen master says, “We stand in our own shadow and wonder why it’s dark.”

In Lorna’s view, what differentiates great companies from average ones is how well the culture integrates cognitive, emotional and relational intelligence to drive the business forward. For leaders and managers, self-awareness is a required prerequisite. With the support and challenge of a peer group, leaders gain insight that allows their talent to be further unleashed. Blind spots are revealed and enormous creativity is unearthed, resulting in a leader who is fearless, innovative and resilient, and one who fosters success in everything they do.

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