"Panic and passivity rarely lead to effective results."
As founder and president of Motere Consulting, Dr. Stephen Long applies an educative, rather than rehabilitative, consulting model resulting in an average of 115% financial performance improvement for his clients with a zero failure rate.
Through his work with exceptional leaders, champion athletes, fighter pilots, special forces, top salespeople, high producers and corporate executives, Dr. Long has helped permanently raise productivity from adequate to outstanding. Applying his strategies and techniques, Dr. Long has helped a variety of companies realize a significant increase in performance through strategic execution, leadership effectiveness, human performance and talent optimization.
A primary source, Dr. Long is the first and only resource to identify, measure and develop the human attribute responsible for value creation, known as The Prosperity Trait™. Dr. Long has proven people with high degrees of The Prosperity Trait™ execute strategy consistently to the best of their ability regardless of activity or endeavour. The Prosperity Trait™ is the psychological property that manages, regulates and governs human goal-directed behaviour.
A risk management expert in human capital and a primary source, Dr. Long built a statistical model of human performance and leadership that immediately enhances an organization’s productivity and efficiency. Dr. Long’s 35 years of experience and expertise has earned him a reputation as one of the world’s leading experts in performance psychology.
Armed with a legacy of success from a broad array of industries, Dr. Long’s expertise in behaviour change, psychometrics and trait theory equips clients with the skills that are neglected by other consulting firms, leaving executives with temporary improvement rather than the long-term success they require. Dr. Long’s strategies provide rapid improvements followed by long-term success.
A leader in practical applications of performance psychology, Dr. Long has consulted with 29 championships teams on the conference, national and international levels. He has developed over 30 colleges All-American and all-conference athletes, over a dozen national champions, a state champion, four Conference Player of the Year athletes, a Heisman Trophy finalist, a world champion and an NFL’s most valuable player.
Dr. Long has consulted with several major college football programs as well as the United States Olympic Committee. He applies his proprietary model to the business world with equal success.
Identified as one of North America’s top 10 performance psychology consultants by an independent study conducted at the University of Utah, Dr. Long is a highly sought after speaker by Fortune 1000 firms, mid-size companies, sales organizations and non-profits. His articles have appeared in dozens of magazines read by hundreds of thousands of people worldwide.
Dr. Long began his career as a college football coach at the University of Virginia and the University of Delaware. He earned his PhD from the University of Kansas where he was honored as the Most Outstanding Doctoral Student. Formerly the Head of Performance Psychology within the Human Performance Lab at the US Air Force Academy and the Director of the KU Peak Performance Clinic, Dr. Long built a predictive model of human performance and leadership by conducting research and developing applications for high performance, strategic execution, choking under pressure and performance plateaus.
In his free time, Dr. Long enjoys fly fishing, competes as a master’s swimmer, is an accomplished marathoner and played one season in a senior baseball league where he hit his first dinger since little league.
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Table of Contents
We are thrilled to have you join us today, welcome to ValiantCEO Magazine’s exclusive interview! Let’s start off with a little introduction. Tell our readers a bit about yourself and your company.
Stephen Long: Established in 2000 and located in Colorado Springs, Motere Consulting is a performance enhancement consulting firm providing evidenced-based management assessment and management development services. Motere’s programs are based on my empirical finding of a leadership attribute called The Prosperity Trait™ enabling me to build a statistically-based predictive model of Human Performance & Leadership.
The model is proven, reliable and measurable, and has been generalized across disciplines equipping managers with the skills needed to execute strategy consistently and optimize performance. Intelligence, imagination and knowledge are essential for executive behavior, but my model converts them into tangible results. In the absence of The Prosperity Trait™ and by themselves, those inherent attributes set limits to what executives can attain.
2020 and 2021 threw a lot of curveballs into business on a global scale. Based on the experience gleaned in the past couple of years, how can businesses thrive in 2022? What lessons have you learned?
Stephen Long: I’ve been around for a while providing me with a perspective that one should not magnify or underestimate recent events. Recently Bias is easy to buy into but usually proves costly over the long term. The late 70’s to the early ’80s, 1987, the early 90’s, 2002, 2009 were rough on most of us. While 2020-21 was catastrophic in terms of lives lost, generally the economy demonstrated resilience. The primary issue wasn’t structural, but rather psychological.
However, this doesn’t mean it wasn’t real or impactful. What it showed was many business leaders lacked the skills to manage the issues they faced be it in terms of self-management or relationship management. Management Assessments is currently a $6.5B/year business and will continue to grow at 7.2% CAGR. The psychological testing business will be worth over $11.5B by 2027.
North America currently accounts for 41% of the market share and other parts of the world will continue to grow. 2020-21 has proven the psychological component of performance is not restricted to HR but is now the purview of the C-Suite. Change, execution, performance are daily topics among executives. They are looking for solutions.
The pandemic seems to keep on disrupting the economy, what should businesses focus on in 2022? What advice would you share?
Stephen Long: The one thing the pandemic has proven is disruptions are the norm, rather than the exception. Change and the ability to adapt emanate from one’s ability to manage frustration and control impulses. Disruptions will continue, but a leader’s response needs to change and improve. Water rises to its own level. If the leader is unable to adapt, the organization won’t.
The ability to effectively manage oneself is paramount. To be effective means to affect change. The Prosperity Trait is measurable and leaders who learn their score, their Driving Forces and their Points of Friction become aware of what they can leverage and what behaviors get in their way. The Prosperity Trait Index (PTI) is a change management tool that helps leaders lift all boats in the rising tide known as COVID-19.
How has the pandemic changed your industry and how have you adapted?
Stephen Long: The pandemic has proven that I need additional communication platforms to not only deliver my message but more importantly enhance performance and change behavior through my educational programs and consulting services. Podcasting is now part of my business as are regular Zoom calls. However, the most significant change I made is automating my intellectual property so people can acquire the skills to change effectively and execute strategy consistently.
Whether it’s feedback from the PTI or my leadership and performance content, clients are now able to gain access from their desktop, tablet or smartphone. Previously, I was the change agent. Now the change agent is technology. Behavioral Technology has revolutionized my business where clients have convenient access to my IP.
What advice do you wish you received when the pandemic started and what do you intend on improving in 2022?
Stephen Long: As a psychologist, I observed human behavior when the shutdown occurred. I watched people panic, I watched people passively sit back, I watch people make sound decisions and take appropriate actions. There was a range of behavior demonstrating people hold a range of skills. Panic and passivity rarely lead to effective results. It’s the leaders who recognized the reality of the situation who were able to leverage the opportunities within.
While most leaders reacted, these leaders responded by taking advantage of the verified opportunities they uncovered because of the way they perceived the situation. Those perceptual skills were the difference between success and failure in the early part of the pandemic. The organizations left standing are now looking for a seat at the table. Musical chairs are now being played and leaders with the psychological skills to manage themselves and their workforce are the likely candidates to secure one of the remaining chairs.
Online business surged higher than ever, B2B, B2C, online shopping, virtual meetings, remote work, Zoom medical consultations, what are your expectations for 2022?
Stephen Long: It will continue. Technology has always shaped behavior and will continue to shape behavior. Like my father would tell me, “The next time the world goes around, jump on.”
How many hours a day do you spend in front of a screen?
Stephen Long: 8-12
The majority of executives use stories to persuade and communicate in the workplace. Can you share with our readers examples of how you implement that in your business to communicate effectively with your team?
Stephen Long: I’d rather tell a story about a client. A private equity business owner came to me in 2019. His team and investors had told him repeatedly over several years that he sat back causing him to miss opportunities consistently. His passivity was caused by an irrational need for control and a reluctance to communicate openly with his team. He responded well to my program, but at times he would question my methods again demonstrating his need for control delaying his progress.
The shutdown occurred about the time we were finishing up our engagement. At the time, his private equity firm owned 12-15 companies. Within 24 hours of the shutdown, he had created new business strategies for each company as well as his PE firm. He then communicated to everyone what they were expected to do, who was going to what, and when they were expected to complete it. Before most leaders had even scheduled a call, he had his people engaged in the crisis plan. In addition, he also acquired two portfolio companies within six months.
His need for control only showed how little control he exhibited. It’s counterintuitive, but control can only be demonstrated when you are in control of yourself rather than needing to be perceived as being in control. For over three years, the need to be perceived as being in control overshadowed the need to be in control. By developing his Prosperity Trait, he helped his portfolio companies prosper. Water rises to its own level.
Business is all about overcoming obstacles and creating opportunities for growth. What do you see as the real challenge right now?
Stephen Long: The real obstacles are leaders themselves. The problem is people don’t know what they don’t know. That’s why psychological tests like the PTI are an essential component of success now. The Unknown Unknowns are invisible roadblocks. Leaders can only solve the problems they recognize. The problems that are hidden continue to be problems limiting growth.
In 2022, what are you most interested in learning about? Crypto, NFTs, online marketing, or any other skill sets? Please share your motivations.
Stephen Long: I’m most interested in learning the dimensions of our society The Prosperity Trait can be applied towards. It’s funny to say this, but I’d actually like to find someone or some part of society that WON’T benefit.
A record 4.4 million Americans left their jobs in September 2021, accelerating a trend that has become known as the Great Resignation. 47% of people plan to leave their job in 2022. Most are leaving because of their boss or their company culture. 82% of people feel unheard, undervalued and misunderstood in the workplace. Do you think leaders see the data and think “that’s not me – I’m not that boss they don’t want to work for? What changes do you think need to happen?
Stephen Long: Generally, people don’t quit organizations. They quit bosses. We all have blind spots and points of friction. Psychological testing uncovers the Unknown Unknowns. Leaders can’t be all things to all people and shouldn’t be expected to be. However, streets go both ways.
The more we know about each other and the more we know about ourselves help create cultures of openness and safety. Psychological testing shouldn’t be restricted to only the senior management team and high producers. Like it or not, we’re all connected.
Starting my career as a college football coach, I learned the foundation of every championship team was the scout team — the scrubs who never played didn’t even travel to away games. The coaches — the leaders — made it clear to everyone from the All-Americans to the scout team, we’re only as strong as each other. Everyone is valued and everyone is recognized.
On a lighter note, if you had the ability to pick any business superpower, what would it be and how would you put it into practice?
Stephen Long: I’m pretty good at seeing what’s around the corner, but it would be pretty special if I could see what’s around the next corner.
What does “success” in 2022 mean to you? It could be on a personal or business level, please share your vision.
Stephen Long: I would love to have industries and other performance activities apply my IP who haven’t yet.
Jed Morley, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank Stephen Long for taking the time to do this interview and share his knowledge and experience with our readers.
If you would like to get in touch with Stephen Long or his company, you can do it through his – Linkedin Page
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