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    BPI Expert Faculty

    Lois Zachary

    President and Director of the Center for Mentoring Excellence

    Leadership Development Services, LLC

    Key Takeaways

    • 1.Dr. Lois Zachary is an internationally recognized authority on mentoring and leadership development.
    • 2.She is the author of several bestselling books, including The Mentor’s Guide and Creating a Mentoring Culture.
    • 3.As president of Leadership Development Services, LLC, she helps organizations establish and enhance mentoring programs.
    • 4.Zachary directs the Center for Mentoring Excellence, which is dedicated to advancing best practices in the field.
    • 5.Her learner-centered mentoring programs and methodologies have been adopted by organizations globally.

    About Lois

    Who is Lois Zachary?

    Dr. Lois Zachary is an internationally recognized authority in the field of mentoring, celebrated for her profound contributions to leadership development and the cultivation of effective organizational cultures. She is widely cited as "one of the top 100 minds in leadership" and stands as a pivotal figure in shaping contemporary understanding and practice of mentoring. Zachary’s work encompasses a comprehensive approach to mentoring, distinguishing it from coaching and championing learner-centered programs that are adopted across diverse sectors globally.

    As the president of Leadership Development Services, LLC, a consulting firm based in Phoenix, Dr. Zachary spearheads initiatives focused on leadership and mentoring. She also directs the firm's Center for Mentoring Excellence, an institution dedicated to advancing best practices in mentoring. Her expertise is highly sought after by a wide range of organizations, including Fortune 100 companies, government agencies, educational institutions, and both profit and nonprofit entities, all seeking to establish and enhance their mentoring programs.

    What is Lois Zachary known for?

    Lois Zachary is primarily known for her groundbreaking work in mentoring, which has yielded several bestselling books that serve as foundational resources for organizations worldwide. Her publications, including The Mentor’s Guide (first published in 2000, revised in 2012), Creating a Mentoring Culture (2005), and The Mentee’s Guide: Making Mentoring Work for You (2009, co-authored with Lory Fischler), have profoundly influenced how mentoring is approached and implemented. These works are utilized as primary guides for fostering leadership and learning within organizations.

    Beyond her seminal books, Zachary has authored over one hundred articles, columns, and guest-edited publications, further solidifying her reputation as a prolific thought leader. Her innovative approaches to designing, implementing, and evaluating learner-centered mentoring programs have been adopted globally, demonstrating the widespread impact and practical applicability of her methodologies. Her work champions the idea that successful mentoring is a cornerstone of individual and organizational growth, distinguishing it as a critical component of professional development.

    What is Lois Zachary's background and experience?

    Dr. Lois Zachary holds a Ph.D. and has dedicated her career to the study and practice of leadership development and mentoring. Her extensive background includes founding and leading Leadership Development Services, LLC, where she provides expert consulting services in leadership development, mentoring, coaching, education, and training. Through this firm, she consults with a broad spectrum of organizations, guiding them in creating robust and impactful mentoring initiatives.

    Her experience extends to serving as an expert faculty member at the Best Practice Institute, where she contributes her insights on leadership, organizational development, and mentoring. This role underscores her commitment to sharing her knowledge and fostering best practices within the professional community. Dr. Zachary

    Background & Perspective

    Dr. Lois Zachary is an internationally recognized authority in mentoring, celebrated for her contributions to leadership development and organizational cultures. Cited as "one of the top 100 minds in leadership," her work provides a comprehensive approach to creating learner-centered mentoring programs adopted by diverse sectors globally.

    Background

    Dr. Zachary holds a Ph.D. and has dedicated her career to leadership development and mentoring. She is the founder and president of Leadership Development Services, LLC, a Phoenix-based consulting firm where she also directs the Center for Mentoring Excellence. Through her firm, she provides expert consulting on leadership, mentoring, and training to a broad spectrum of organizations, including Fortune 100 companies, government agencies, and educational institutions.

    Areas of Expertise

    Dr. Zachary's expertise is highly sought after for designing, implementing, and evaluating mentoring programs. Her work distinguishes mentoring from coaching and focuses on creating impactful, learner-centered initiatives. Her primary areas of specialization include:

    • Mentoring Program Design
    • Mentoring Culture Development
    • Leadership Coaching
    • Organizational Development
    • Adult Learning
    • Mentee Engagement
    • Mentor Training
    • Program Evaluation

    Key Publications

    Dr. Zachary is known for her groundbreaking work in mentoring, which has yielded several bestselling books that serve as foundational resources for organizations worldwide. Her publications, including The Mentor’s Guide, Creating a Mentoring Culture, and The Mentee’s Guide, have profoundly influenced how mentoring is implemented. She has also authored over one hundred articles and other publications, solidifying her reputation as a prolific thought leader.

    Areas of Expertise

    Mentoring Program DesignMentoring Culture DevelopmentLeadership CoachingOrganizational DevelopmentAdult LearningMentee EngagementMentor TrainingProgram Evaluation

    Research Topics

    LeadershipOrganizational DevelopmentMentoringWorkplace Culture

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    Best Practice Institute

    Best Practice Institute is the research organization behind Most Loved Workplace® certification, the SPARK Model, the Love of Workplace Index™ (LOWI™), and The Workplace Report.

    The Workplace Report

    The Workplace Report is BPI's original workplace culture research and editorial briefing series for CEOs, CHROs, people leaders, talent leaders, and employer-brand teams. It turns BPI's 25 years of research, Most Loved Workplace® certification data, SPARK findings, and current workforce signals into practical analysis leaders can use.

    The report format includes executive summaries, research-backed articles, company examples, methodology notes, and practical implications for retention, hiring, culture, leadership, and employee experience. New research and analysis is published on an ongoing editorial cadence at /workplace-report.