Â
Â
Good leaders rely on instinct. Great leaders rely on a system.
Lessons from the Boardroom, War Room & Locker Room
Â
DOWNLOAD THE CARVER LEADERSHIP COURSE BROCHURE
Â
The Course that will Redefine Your Leadership Style
Â
Learn the CARVER Leadership framework live from Luke Bencie, author of CARVER Leadership. Elevate your decision-making, lead with purpose, and adapt to any environment, whether you are in athletics, in the field, or around the boardroom table.
Every session is built on the book, and every student leaves with a playbook they can use the next morning.
DOWNLOAD THE CARVER LEADERSHIP ONE-PAGER
Â
The Course is Built on the Book
Â
For more than 70 years, the CARVER Methodology has helped intelligence officers and military planners decide what matters most before they act. In CARVER Leadership, Luke Bencie flips the script on the original acronym and applies it to the six traits he has seen in great leaders across three worlds: the boardroom, the war room, and the locker room.
Â
Each chapter pairs a trait with case studies from business, the military, and sports, then closes with a Chalk Talk that explains the concept and a Plan of Attack you can use on Monday morning. The live course puts those chapters to work.
Â
Also inside the book
A foreword by Lt. General Paul "P.T." Mikolashek, U.S. Army (Retired)
Making hard leadership calls, the CARVER Leadership Code, and the Pygmalion Effect
An appendix of six CARVER Leadership Profiles to help you find your natural style
Â
What You Will Be Able To Do
The curriculum is organized around three pillars: leading people, leading organizations, and leading global systems.
Â
Six Traits of a CARVER Leader
The original CARVER acronym stands for Criticality, Accessibility, Recoverability, Vulnerability, Effect, and Recognizability. For leadership, it stands for these six traits. Each one gets its own module in the course.
Capability
The cornerstone of leadership: the ability to perform under pressure, deliver results, and inspire confidence when it matters most.
Adaptability
The ability to pivot when conditions change and to keep moving forward when your first plan, your second plan, or even your third plan falls apart.
Reliability
Predictability, not perfection. Being the same person on Monday morning as you were last Friday afternoon. It is the glue that binds the other five traits.
Vision
More than foresight. It is belief in the goal, in yourself, and in the people around you, and the ability to make others believe too.
Empowerment
Not just delegation. It is creating an environment where others feel trusted, capable, and encouraged to act on their own instincts, training, and judgment.
Relationships
Built where Consistent Presence, Authentic Communication, and Empathy in Action meet. Without them there is no team, only a loosely affiliated group of individuals.
Why Capability instead of Competence?
Competence is the ability to perform a specific task effectively. It is necessary but insufficient. Capability includes competence and extends into adaptability, resilience, vision, and judgment. There is no shortage of competent people. The question is who is still standing when the pressure is on.
Â
Course Outline
Eight modules. The first two set the stage, and the next six take the traits one at a time, following the book.
Business plans, battle plans, and playbooks
It starts with integrity, preparation, and the power of war-gaming. Lessons in teamwork, decision-making, and strategy from history's great business, sports, and military leaders.
CHAPTER 01
Capability
Mastering the fundamentals in chaos, and why competence alone is not enough.
CHAPTER 02
Adaptability
Thriving when the game changes.
CHAPTER 03
Reliability
Earning trust through consistency.
CHAPTER 04
Vision
Setting the course and inspiring others to follow.
CHAPTER 05
Empowerment
Let go to lead.
CHAPTER 06
Relationships
What really matters.
CHAPTER 07
The CARVER Leadership exercise
A practical introduction to the six traits and why they matter.
CHAPTER 08
Â
What People Say About Our Course
Who should attend
Business leaders and executives, entrepreneurs, team managers, and military and law enforcement personnel.
If you lead people, budgets, or decisions that matter, this course is for you.
How the course runs
Expect a working session, not a lecture hall.
-
Lecture and "chalk talk"
-
Case studies
-
Multi-media presentations
-
Group whiteboard brainstorming
-
A practical tabletop war-gaming exercise
-
Course handbook and training manual
Â
Luke Bencie
Author of CARVER Leadership and founder of modern CARVER
Luke has spent two decades in the U.S. Intelligence Community, traveling to more than 130 countries as an intelligence professional and as a certified CIA training instructor. He was a Technical Operations Officer with the Office of Special Activities, serving as a liaison to the U.S. Department of State's Foreign Emergency Support Team, and a Covert Action Officer with the Counterterrorism Center. He later worked for Raytheon's Intelligence and Information Systems Division.
Since 2010 he has led the global consulting firm Security Management International, whose clients include the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Department of Justice, more than two dozen Fortune 500 security departments, and foreign governments. He also played college football at the University of Florida and Michigan State.
Â
Everything You Need to Share the Leadership Opportunity
Â
Share the course with your team or your budget holder.
The one-page overview covers who should attend, learning outcomes, course materials, and certification.
Â
Which CARVER leader are you?
The book's appendix sorts leaders into six profiles, one for each of the original CARVER criteria. Your dominant trait shows how you approach decisions, challenges, and opportunities. Take the free quiz at carvermethodology.com to find yours.
The Commander
The mission-first thinker
Finds a way in through obstacles, bureaucracy, and complexity.
The Infiltrator
The agile problem solver
Finds a way in through obstacles, bureaucracy, and complexity.
The Shield
The trusted protector
Finds a way in through obstacles, bureaucracy, and complexity.
The Sniper
The precision strategist
Finds a way in through obstacles, bureaucracy, and complexity.
The Catalyst
The impact-oriented leader
Finds a way in through obstacles, bureaucracy, and complexity.
The Scout
The strategic observer
Finds a way in through obstacles, bureaucracy, and complexity.
Earn a Certificate from USF
Graduates receive a CARVER Leadership certificate of completion from the University of South Florida's Office of Corporate Training and Professional Education, plus a digital badge for LinkedIn and other profiles.
Continuing Education
The certificate is non-credit. The CARVER Training Institute is certified through ASIS International, so you may be able to submit it to your employer or membership organization for continuing education units (CEUs).
Â
Questions About the CARVERÂ Leadership Course
Â
Let Your Employer Pick Up the Tab
Â
Need help getting your CARVER training approved by your employer?
We have made the process easier. Get instant access to our ready-to-use Employer Sponsorship Letter, designed to help you clearly communicate the value of CARVER training and support your request for professional development funding or organizational sponsorship.
$997 early bird before January 1, 2027 | $1,200 after
Questions? Email [email protected]
Â
Certification Courses
CARVER 3 Day LIVE
CARVER Strategy
CARVER Leaderhip
CARVER Mindset
CARVERÂ Fundamentals
The CARVER Training Institute is accredited by these fine organizations.
