About

About TakingPoint Leadership

We design custom consulting solutions and training for organizations that want to build high-performance teams, lead positive change and achieve winning results. Our founder, Brent Gleeson, former Navy SEAL, award-winning entrepreneur, and bestselling author has taken principles learned in SEAL training, combat, and experience as a business owner and developed a culture-driven approach to building high-performance teams that deliver desired results.

Our Mission

Inspire organizations to achieve company-wide alignment, a shared vision, and winning results through a culture-driven approach to leadership, change management, and business transformation.

Our Services

Leadership Team

Former Navy SEAL Brent Gleeson turned his discipline and battlefield lessons to the world of business and has become an accomplished entrepreneur, author, and acclaimed speaker on topics ranging from leadership and building high-performance teams to culture and organizational transformation. Brent is on the executive board of the SEAL Family Foundation and a portion of his book sale proceeds benefit the charity.

Nicole is an integral part of the TakingPoint Leadership team, providing high-level direction, support and strategic vision for long-term growth. Her passion for giving back landed her Chairwomen and Ambassador Family for March of Dimes, Southern California. Brent and Nicole’s diverse backgrounds and skill sets are the perfect combination of elegance, execution, and excitement.

Dyan and Brent worked together at Brent’s last company. She was honored to join Brent and Nicole at TakingPoint Leadership to pursue her passion for culture, employee engagement, and leadership alignment. She helps in the day-to-day operations by developing and implementing the marketing strategic plan, managing client and event details, and spearheading promotion and customer interest efforts.

Wes Pingree joins TakingPoint Leadership as Director of Business Development, bringing his positive energy and over 15 years of sales and event experience. Wes believes that connecting through the "human element" is the best way to build trust and accountability. He takes time to educate, nurture, and understand our clients goals, vision, and challenges to provide the best resources and solutions.

Meet Our Directors

Sacha Lindekens, Ph.D Director of Leadership Development

Specializes in executive coaching and leadership development

Sacha Lindekens is a Partner with Avion Consulting. He specializes in executive coaching and designing and delivering leadership development programs for organizations ranging from large multinational organizations to small to mid-sized family owned entities. His client base is a principally, but not exclusively, in the professional services, financial services, technology/media, and health-care industries. Sacha is a published author on the topic of executive coaching and leadership development and he aspires to fill the role of trusted advisor with his coachees on their learning journey.

Sacha has a particular interest in assisting leaders to deploy emotionally intelligent leadership. He consults with organizations to create robust leadership pipelines; attract, develop and retain millennials; and enable executive teams to achieve their full potential.

Aaron Tucker, Director of Organizational Design

Specializes in employee and operational excellence

Aaron has two decades of experience leading teams and organizations including the Navy SEALs and successful 5x startups. Aaron has defined the optimal culture and metrics needed to guarantee success. He is an expert in effectively leading through change and navigating within ambiguity and chaos.

His experience leading all SEAL operations in Central America and his senior role within a big four firm has given him opportunities to lead and coach executives in breaking down cultures, silos, and increase their ability to communicate and achieve highly effective teams using both practice-based and behavioral science.

Aaron is currently an executive for a consulting and research firm specializing in employee and operational excellence as well as a co-founder of a startup that is disrupting the Real Estate technology market.

David Rutherford, Speaker & Mindset Coach

Internationally known author and coach

David inspires audiences and individuals across America and around the world with his emotionally entertaining style of speaking, writing and coaching. The TakingPoint principles he shares combine his incredible personal story with the proven track record of Naval Special Warfare to create a training program that exposes corporate teams and individuals to gain the competitive edge, deal with stress, elevate performance, strengthen teamwork, embrace chaos, forge leadership and develop a strong, resilient team culture.

David has inspired special operations units, sports teams and corporations around the globe to push themselves past any and all known limitations. His masterful ability to motivate enables people from all walks of life to achieve success in any environment imaginable.

In the Media

Why You Hold Your Boss Accountable, According to a US Navy SEAL
Business Insider: July 10, 2018

Navy SEAL and author of “Taking Point: A Navy SEAL’s 10 Fail Safe Principles for Leading Through Change,” Brent Gleeson explains why accountability and trust are key to any company’s success.
WATCH VIDEO >

Business Commands From a Navy Seal
Cheddar: February 6, 2018

Brent Gleeson, former Navy Seal and author of “Taking Point: A Navy Seal’s 10 Fail Safe Principles for Leading Through Change,” discusses his time in the military and how it helped him become more business savvy.
WATCH INTERVIEW >

Navy Seal Brent Gleeson Reveals How to Overcome Adversity
Parade: March 6, 2018

It isn’t every day that we get to hear firsthand what it’s like to serve as a Navy SEAL. Such was the first career of Brent Gleeson, who, upon returning to civilian life, has built award-winning, multimillion dollar organizations that have been repeatedly named in the Inc. 500 list of fastest growing companies.
READ ARTICLE >

Rancho Santa Fe resident translates Navy SEAL and corporate experience into management, leadership book
Rancho Santa Fe Review: March 20, 2018

In the late 1990s, Brent Gleeson was cruising toward a successful career in the business world. Then, he joined the Navy’s SEAL program, with overseas duty that included “capture or kill” missions in Iraq.
READ ARTICLE >

Episode 328: Brent Gleeson discusses the transition from Navy SEAL to businessman
SOFREP Radio: February 20, 2018

Navy SEAL Brent Gleeson joins us in studio for the podcast, which we livestreamed. He has a new book out next week, it’s called “TakingPoint: A Navy SEAL’s 10 Fail-Safe Principles for Leading Through Change.” Be sure to pre-order it. The book gets into some of the takeaways Brent was able to deliver to the business world, and we hear all about it.
LISTEN TO INTERVIEW >

The System This Navy SEAL Uses to Communicate Seamlessly
Inc.com: November 3, 2017

Every company needs communication to flow within their workplace. Here are two barriers that get in the way according to Brent Gleeson, author of ‘TakingPoint.’
WATCH INTERVIEW >

The 1 Question That Will Show If Someone Is Right for Your Company
Inc.com: November 13, 2017

Hiring the right person is important. Here’s the question that will make sure you do, according to Brent Gleeson, author of ‘TakingPoint.’
WATCH INTERVIEW >

The Barnes & Noble Podcast: Brent Gleeson
The Barnes & Noble Podcast: April 27, 2018

Every author has a story beyond the one that they put down on paper. The Barnes & Noble Podcast goes between the lines with today’s most interesting writers, exploring what inspires them, what confounds them, and what they were thinking when they wrote the books we’re talking about. LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW >

The Unbeatable Mind Podcast: Brent Gleeson
Unbeatable Mind Podcast: August 30, 2018

Brent Gleeson is a former SEAL and a prominent entrepreneur. He’s also a well known speaker merging his leadership lessons from the SEALs and how to apply them to business. Most recently, he’s also the bestselling author of the book “Taking Point: A Navy SEAL’s 10 Fail-safe Principles for Leading Through Change.” Mark and Brent talk about his work and his principles of leadership. Listen to this episode to gain insight on how an Unbeatable Mind is necessary both in the military and the business world. LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW >

How To Use TakingPoint Principles to Build Family Alignment
The Home & Family Show, May 2, 2018

A successful entrepreneur, motivational speaker, and bestselling author, Brent Gleeson explains how his principles for leading through change can be applied in a family setting. WATCH THE INTERVIEW >

Interview with Brent Gleeson, Founder & CEO at TakingPoint Leadership
USA Weekly: February 28, 2018

Starting a business is a big achievement for many entrepreneurs, but maintaining one is the larger challenge. There are many standard challenges that face every business whether they are large or small. It is not easy running a company, especially in a fast-paced, ever-changing business world. READ ARTICLE >