Left to right: Higher Echelon's Dr. Donnie Horner, VP Human Capital Solutions, Dr. Angie Winter, Director of Leadership Development, Dr. Eric Bean, Director of High Performance

America's housing affordability crisis has been a generation in the making. Will it take a generation to alter its arc with answers and solutions that expand access and attainability for more Americans pouring demographic demand into decade-long horizons?

It doesn't have to take that long, but higher-performance and resiliently high-performing teams of people – led by an current and rising-star breed of strategic and operational leaders – will be the only way to beat a faster path to those solutions.

Effective leadership could hardly be more critical in late 2024's U.S. homebuilding landscape, where uncertainty, market pressures, and rapid technological changes are constant.

The Focus On Excellence Leadership Summit — scheduled for October 28-30, 2024, at the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort in Austin — presents an unparalleled opportunity for CEOs, Presidents, Owners, Principals, COOs, and other senior leaders to not only learn cutting-edge strategies but to immerse themselves in dynamic, interactive workshops that will transform the way they lead their teams and businesses.

[Note: To date, 65 senior strategic executives from public and private homebuilding organizations from around the nation and Canada have registered. We have only a few remaining seats in one of homebuilding's single most powerful two-and-a-half day conversations at one of the market's most critical junctures. Don't miss your opportunity to be with us.]

Register here now.

In a recent conversation with Dr. Donnie Horner, the lead facilitator from Higher Echelon, I gained valuable insight into how his team, including Dr. Angie Winter and Dr. Eric Bean will ensure that this summit delivers tangible, actionable value to each participant. Their approach is built around interactive participation, workshopping, and deep engagement that allows leaders to return to their organizations equipped with new techniques for building high-performing teams.

Here’s what you can expect from this one-of-a-kind executive learning and connection event.

A Tailored, Interactive Approach to Leadership Development

The Focus On Excellence summit will be unlike any other leadership event our industry's leaders ever attended. Dr. Donnie Horner and his team from Higher Echelon specialize in creating hands-on, immersive experiences designed to directly address the challenges you face as a senior strategic leader in the homebuilding industry.

We want to connect with this audience," Dr. Horner explained during our conversation. "These are high-level senior leaders who could be anywhere else but have chosen to spend time with us. Our first goal is to ensure the return on their investment is positive, and that we make this experience worth their time."

Horner emphasizes that this workshop isn’t about sitting and listening to presentations. It’s about active participation—engaging in real-time exercises, exploring relevant case studies, and applying leadership science to your daily challenges.

Day One: Setting the Table for High Engagement

From the moment participants arrive, they will sense that this is not a typical leadership summit. Day One (Monday) will begin with a high-energy session led by Dr. Horner, designed to set the tone for the rest of the summit.

We don’t want this to be a passive experience," Horner emphasized. "We’re going to ‘set the table’ right from the start, getting people to think, talk, and engage. We want people excited and ready to dive into the interactive work."

Following this kickoff, attendees will break bread together during a dinner designed for informal networking, preparing everyone for the deep work to follow on Day Two.

Day Two: Exploring Strategic Leadership and Resilience

The real work starts on Day Two, where the summit will feature a mix of inspiring keynotes and hands-on workshops. Resilience expert and author Cara Brookins will deliver a keynote on overcoming adversity and staying adaptable in uncertain times, setting the stage for the day’s leadership discussions.

Following Brookins’ keynote, Dr. Horner will lead the first of several workshopping sessions. His approach will involve guiding participants through real-world scenarios that challenge them to think critically about the external forces shaping their business — everything from shifting migration patterns to demographic changes within the workforce.

We’ll explore how these macro trends impact your organization, and then work together to find solutions," said Horner. "This isn’t just about theory; it’s about applying leadership science in a way that directly impacts the success of your business."

Participants will be divided into small groups (ideally five to seven people per group, as Horner noted is optimal for engagement), where they will collaborate on tasks and problem-solving exercises that mirror the real-world challenges they face every day. This interactive format ensures that no one is left on the sidelines —everyone will have a role, and the group dynamics will drive engagement and learning.

Building High-Performance Teams with Dr. Angie Winter

In the afternoon, Dr. Angie Winter will take the lead in exploring how to build and sustain high-performance teams. Her session will be both practical and interactive, focusing on real-time techniques that leaders can implement immediately.

We'll cover practical strategies to stay centered and resilient during high-stress moments," Winter explained, "and then extend that into how you lead your team through similar challenges."

Winter’s session will focus on team resilience — how leaders can cultivate a culture of adaptability and high performance across their organizations. Participants will engage in hands-on exercises designed to develop their leadership capabilities, with a focus on how to embed these skills into their organizations’ culture for long-term success.

Winter and Horner also plan to dive into unconscious bias as a critical component of high-performing teams.

We know from years of research that unconscious biases can severely impact team performance and decision-making," Winter said.

Participants will engage in exercises like the "Stand and Divide" activity, where they move between groups based on their positions on specific topics, fostering engagement, debate, and deeper understanding of leadership challenges.

Calm Through Chaos & High-Performance Mindset: Dr. Eric Bean

Dr. Bean will help participants understand how to stay calm, centered, and ready in the face of high-pressure, high-stakes situations. Horner described the session as particularly focused on how to "maintain calm through chaos" and develop a "high-performance mindset." This isn’t about abstract theory; it's about actionable steps leaders can use in their daily routines.

Eric’s going to get into how do you enhance the resilience skills that you have, and maybe what are a couple of other techniques that you've never heard of. He’s going to talk about what you can do in the moment throughout the day—even between meetings—so that you are in a very calm, centered, and ready-to-deal-with-whatever-is-thrown-at-you place." —Dr. Donnie Horner

Building Resilience in Teams:

In addition to personal resilience, Dr. Bean’s session will dive into how leaders can build resilience within their teams. This will include practical techniques for instilling resilience in team members, ensuring they are not only calm but also capable of maintaining high performance in challenging situations.

"Eric’s focus is going to be on not just how do you do it yourself but how do you develop your team’s mindset and your organization’s capacity to handle chaos and maintain high performance under pressure."

Practical and Applied Techniques:

Dr. Bean's session will emphasize practical applications that leaders can implement without needing specialized expertise. Horner mentioned that this session will demystify resilience techniques and make them easy to incorporate into a leader's daily routine.

"You don’t have to become a meditation guru. You don’t have to sit Indian-style for 20 minutes every few hours to meditate. Eric’s going to provide strategies that leaders can implement in real-time, right before their next big presentation or conversation."

Active Participation:

Similar to other workshops at the summit, Bean's session will be highly interactive, ensuring that leaders don't just learn about resilience but also practice it. Participants will engage in real-time exercises to internalize these resilience-building techniques.

"Eric will engage the participants with exercises that are highly participatory. This way, they’re learning in the moment, and they leave with practical, actionable tools that they can implement right away."

Day Three: Elevating Organizational Culture and Leadership

Day Three will kick off with a keynote from CNN Senior Analyst Ron Brownstein, just days before the 2024 U.S. Presidential election. Brownstein will deliver a timely discussion on how the political and economic landscape affects housing, leadership, and business strategy.

Following this, Dr. Winter will lead the participants through the final hands-on workshop focused on organizational culture and leadership transformation. She will challenge participants to think critically about how to sustain high performance in their organizations, emphasizing that leadership is not a static skill but an evolving practice.

You have to live it every day," Horner emphasized. "You can’t delegate culture. If you want a high-performing team, it has to permeate everything you do in your business."

This final session will ensure that participants leave with clear, actionable strategies to improve their organizational culture, engage their teams, and implement high-performance practices that drive results.

Learning Through Workshopping: A Dynamic Experience

Throughout the event, workshopping will be a central method of engagement. Rather than simply listening to speakers, participants will learn by doing. Whether through group problem-solving exercises or interactive discussions on leadership, each session is designed to ensure that leaders walk away with more than just ideas—they will have actionable solutions they can bring back to their companies.

We’re going to give them tasks, have healthy exchanges, and make this highly participatory," said Horner. "There’s nowhere to hide. We know people learn best from one another, and they will leave this summit excited and energized."

The inclusion of science-backed principles—such as the value of role clarity, stability in high-performance teams, and best practices from industries like the military and professional sports—ensures that the insights shared at Focus On Excellence are not only relevant but also proven to drive results.

Why You Should Register Now

If you are a strategic leader in the U.S. homebuilding industry, the Focus On Excellence Leadership Summit is your opportunity to engage with cutting-edge leadership techniques, network with your peers, and develop actionable strategies that will transform your organization. Dr. Donnie Horner, Dr. Angie Winter, and Eric Bean from Higher Echelon bring a wealth of experience from across industries, applying leadership science in a way that resonates with the unique challenges of the homebuilding business.

At the end of the summit," said Horner, "you will leave with new techniques and strategies to lead your organization with purpose and precision."

Don’t miss the opportunity to be part of this transformative event. Register now for the Focus On Excellence Leadership Summit and take the next step toward building high-performance leadership teams that can navigate the future with confidence.

Supported by partners like Constellation HomeBuilder Systems, Boise Cascade, Builder Advisor Group, New Home Star, and Westwood Insurance Agency, Focus On Excellence is the must-attend event for homebuilding’s forward-thinking executives.