Lance Secretan

Lance Secretan – Life, Leadership & Legacy

Explore the life and leadership philosophy of Lance Secretan (born 1939), a British-Canadian author, consultant, and pioneer in inspirational and conscious leadership. Discover his journey, books, key ideas, and memorable quotes.

Introduction

Lance H. K. Secretan (born 1939) is an English-born business leader, management consultant, author, and thought leader in leadership and organizational culture.

He is best known for developing frameworks around inspirational leadership, conscious leadership, and values-centered organizational cultures. Over his career, he has worked as a CEO, professor, coach, and advisor to organizations and leaders around the world.

In this article, we trace his life, work, ideas, and the enduring lessons from his leadership philosophy.

Early Life, Background & Education

Lance Secretan was born in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, England (near Amersham).

As per his biography on IMDb, his father was Kenyon Secretan, a scientist and engineer who headed the BBC’s foreign monitoring service during World War II, and his mother, Marie-Therese (née Haffenden), was a concert pianist.

He began his career early in the arts: as a child actor, he appeared in TV programs, radio, and theatre productions in London and the West End.

For formal education:

• He earned an M.A. in International Relations (magna cum laude) from the University of Southern California in 1977.

• He obtained a Ph.D. in International Relations from the London School of Economics in 1980.

These academic credentials bolstered his later work in bridging theory, values, and business practice.

Professional Journey & Achievements

Transition from Acting to Business

After a successful period in theatre and acting during his youth, Secretan shifted his focus away from performance and toward business and leadership development.

He worked in Toronto on the stock exchange floor and held roles in sales management, eventually becoming Sales Manager for Office Overload (which later became part of Drake International).

From 1967 to 1980, he served as Managing Director of Manpower Limited, the British subsidiary of Manpower Inc.

Academia & Transition to Leadership Thought

Between 1980 and 1985, Secretan taught leadership, strategy, and related subjects at McMaster University and York University in Canada.

From the mid-1980s onward, he moved into consulting, coaching, writing, speaking, and leading his own practice, The Secretan Center, Inc., focusing on inspiring leadership and organizational transformation.

Writings & Key Publications

Secretan has authored more than 20 books addressing leadership, organization culture, purpose, and transformational work.

Some of his notable works include:

• Inspire! What Great Leaders Do (2004)

• ONE: The Art and Practice of Conscious Leadership (2006)

• The Spark, The Flame and The Torch (2010)

• The Bellwether Effect: Stop Following. Start Inspiring (2018)

• A Love Story: An Intensely Personal Memoir (2015)

Secretan’s writings often explore the inner life of leaders, the role of inspiration, and how values shape sustainable performance.

Recognition & Influence

• He has been ranked among the top 30 “most influential executive coaches” globally and among the top 30 leadership experts for multiple years.

• His firm, The Secretan Center, has advised many companies, helping some achieve placement on Fortune’s Best Companies to Work For and Most Admired lists.

• He received the International Caring Award, joining past recipients such as Mother Teresa, the Dalai Lama, and Desmond Tutu.

• He also served in roles such as chairing the advisory board of the 1997 Special Olympics World Winter Games and as an ambassador to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).

His work has had global reach: speaking engagements, retreats, coaching leaders, and contributing to shifts in how organizations talk about leadership, meaning, and culture.

Philosophy & Core Ideas

Inspirational & Conscious Leadership

One of Secretan’s central themes is shifting leadership from command/control to inspiration and purpose. He argues that real leadership arises when leaders lead with heart, meaning, and authenticity.

His concept of conscious leadership emphasizes self-awareness, integrity, and alignment of inner purpose with outer action.

Alignment & Authenticity

Secretan places great emphasis on authenticity, often defining it as the alignment of head, heart, mouth, and feet — thinking, feeling, speaking, and doing in harmony.

Leaders, he says, must be consistent across internal beliefs and external behaviors to build trust.

The Human Side Over Metrics

He critiques leadership models that prioritize metrics, efficiency, and systems above human connection, meaning, and values. According to Secretan, organizations are not impersonal machines, but communities of people whose inner lives matter.

He encourages leaders to see that while structure and strategy are necessary, they are not sufficient without culture, purpose, and inner development.

The “Higher Ground Leader”

Secretan uses the metaphor of the Higher Ground Leader, someone who attends to both outer success and inner fulfillment: balancing performance and meaning, and meeting both the external and internal needs of people.

He also speaks about “bellwether effect”, where leaders and ideas that go against trend become the early indicators (bellwethers) of cultural shifts.

Notable Quotes

Here are several powerful quotes from Lance Secretan that reflect his leadership philosophy:

“Authenticity is the alignment of head, mouth, heart, and feet — thinking, saying, feeling, and doing the same thing — consistently. This builds trust, and followers love leaders they can trust.”

“People are motivated by fear, but they are not inspired by it. Everything that inspires us comes from love.”

“Leadership is not so much about technique and methods as it is about opening the heart. Leadership is about inspiration — of oneself and of others. Great leadership is about human experiences, not processes. Leadership is not a formula or a program, it is a human activity that comes from the heart and considers the hearts of others.”

“Surely we have a responsibility to finally listen to — and honor — the siren calls of our souls, which have been silenced by our egos throughout our lives? How else can we connect with our essence, the source of our calling?”

Legacy and Influence

Lance Secretan’s influence lies in how he helped popularize the language of inspiration, purpose, and soulful leadership in the business world. Many executives and organizations have adopted his frameworks for culture change and leader development.

His blend of business credibility (former CEO, academic) and spiritual/values orientation allowed him to bridge realms that are often siloed.

The frameworks and metaphors he created (e.g. Higher Ground Leader, aligning inner and outer, bellwether effect) continue to be referenced in leadership literature, coaching programs, and organizational design conversations.

Through training, consulting, keynote speaking, and writing, his ideas reach around the world, shaping new generations who see leadership not merely as control, but as service, meaning, and connection.

Lessons from Lance Secretan

1. Lead with authenticity
   Real trust comes when leaders are consistent in thinking, speaking, feeling, and acting.

2. Inspiration > fear
   Motivation rooted in love, purpose, or meaning is deeper and more sustainable than fear-based control.

3. Balance inner and outer
   Strategy and metrics matter—but without attention to values, culture, and meaning, they are hollow.

4. Be a bellwether
   Leaders who pioneer new values or practices often signal the shift before the majority follows.

5. View people as whole beings
   Effective leadership sees employees, teams, and stakeholders as humans with inner lives, not just functional roles.

6. Continuously evolve
   Leadership is not a static skill but a lifelong journey of growth, reflection, and adaptation.

Conclusion

Lance Secretan stands as a significant figure in modern leadership thought: someone who urged business and organizational leaders to reconnect to purpose, values, and humanity. His journey from child actor to CEO to leadership philosopher reflects his own arc of transformation.

His frameworks challenge traditional top-down leadership models, inviting leaders to rise to “higher ground” — where performance, meaning, and human dignity intersect.