Welcome to The Thayer Institute for Performance Virtuosity

Preserving and furthering the genius of Dr. Lee Thayer,
“high-performance leadership’s modern day Yoda…”

Get ready!

If you’re not one of the many people that have already had their life and leadership transformed by the radical work of Dr. Thayer, then you’re in for a treat.

The genius of transformative leadership, Dr. Thayer remains a well-kept secret to the masses as he devoted his life to his craft and his clients and not to marketing or selling himself like so many tend to do.

And his craft was decades ahead of his time…

More than 40 books published: Leadership: Thinking, Being, Doing; How Executives Fail, Leadership Virtuosity, and so many more.
Named a Lifetime Achievement Award-winner by Marquis Who’s Who.
A leadership coach and consultant for IBM, AT&T, Westinghouse, Boeing, Curtiss-Wright, Pratt-Whitney, McDonnell Douglas, Phillips, Shell, General Motors, Sealtest Foods, Hallmark, and West Point.
A man whose work was hailed by leadership guru Tom Peters as “the most remarkable example of organizational transformation” and whom Vistage chairs called “high-performance leadership’s modern day Yoda.”
A true renaissance man who played jazz with Stan Kenton, earned multiple PhDs, and had advanced degrees in the humanities, engineering, and psychology.

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The Legacy of Dr. Lee Thayer

The Thayer Institute–overseen by Dr. Thayer’s family and estate–is where his work, words, and wisdom live on. You’ll find books, articles, and endless ideas, quotes, and–most importantly-insightful questions that help anyone become a extraordinary leader.

His legacy extends beyond The Institute and its sister company, Leadership TBD. In short, Dr. Thayer’s legacy is wisdom. His pragmatic idealism, his incomparable problem-solving skills, his ability to influence others along their paths to great and worthy purposes…all this and so much more shine on through his teaching and those he taught, knew, and loved.

Whether you’re a proven CEO leading a Fortune 100 into the Fortune 10, new to executive-level leadership, an Executive Coach to CEOs, or simply looking for tools and training that help you become a better leader of yourself, The Thayer Institute has a place for you.

If you’re looking for guided training sessions and tools you can use, visit Leadership TBD, the home of courses and workshops based on Dr. Thayer’s timeless work.

Learn More

Download "How Executives Fail: 25 Surefire Recipes for Sabotaging Your Career."

“...it’s terrific!”
- Warren Bennis
Author & Leadership Expert

Free Download

Testimonials

"With all the books and articles written about Leadership, and all the times the word is used every day, I wondered what it REALLY means to lead. I wondered if leaders are born or made. Studying Dr. Lee Thayer’s writing and principles has changed the way I think, the way I show up, the questions I ask, the way I listen to answers, and the answers I give."

Jeannette Hobson

Vistage Master Chair

"Dr. Thayer’s insight guides the development of both your personal and your organization’s capabilities around clarifying a true purpose for inspired leadership. His learnings have provided a wholly different concept about how I lead my organizations."