Art of Alignment

Art realized the importance of alignment as his career job responsibilities have spanned multiple disciplines and industries. His competitive spirit, highlighted in collegiate athletics, inspired him to leverage his experience, knowledge and network to form ISI. Art developed a reputation for strong team leadership, cost savings and revenue generation. The creation of Orgametrics™ has given Art the platform to share his successes on a broader scale.Throughout his career, Art has had an impressive background in both sales and marketing. A strategic thinker and leader, he has an established record of driving revenue and growth through direct and indirect sales organizations. Art is known for delivering a mix of strategy, innovation, and process excellence that expand corporate capability and market leadership, strengthen competitive positions, and increase profitability in highly competitive industries. This dynamic leader is adept at driving alignment, developing executive-level relationships and fostering collaboration among diverse teams to consistently exceed expectations, increase productivity, and optimize performance.In 1989, Art began his career in Information Technology with International Business Machines (IBM). He moved up in the ranks quickly and obtained a Master’s degree from the University of St. Thomas, while working as a branch manager. US West (Qwest Communications) recruited Art for vice president of internet services in telecommunications. Soon after, he was promoted to corporate officer when he accepted the position of vice president and general manager of large business sales. In 2008, Art joined Medtronic Incorporated. Until 2013, he was vice president of sales in the Cardio Vascular Group. His successes in medical device, telecommunications and information technology are evident by his President Club participation in every industry.Art holds a Bachelor’s degree from Drake University, Des Moines, IA, an MBA from the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN and he participated in the Executive Development Program at The Wharton School of Business in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.Harvey Mackay is the author of the #1 New York Times bestsellers Swim with the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive and Beware the Naked Man Who Offers You His Shirt, both books are among the top 15 inspirational business books of all time, according to the New York Times. His books have sold more than ten million copies worldwide.

“The key to great interviewing is listening—concentrating solely on the answer to be sure you're aligned with your guest. The same is true for great business leaders. Art’s guide for gaining greater alignment can help any team or organization achieve top performance.”—Larry King, the world’s most recognized interviewer“This book is about helping you develop the strategic leadership skills necessary to achieve higher performance through the individuals who make up your organization. Reading it is like taking an MBA course in workplace performance. Implementing the strategies within these pages is bound to enhance your career as a leader and generate incredible results for your organization.”—Harvey Mackay, author of Pushing the Envelope All the Way to the Top“The creativity and individual initiative of our employees is a foundation of our innovation model. The Art of Alignment outlines and drives home the importance of creativity and empowerment within an aligned organization to match performance with purpose.”—John Banovetz, CTO, 3M“As a fraternity of excellence, it is paramount for Alphas to be aligned with our mission of leadership, brotherhood, academic achievement, and community advocacy. Following The Art of Alignment will help us achieve our strategic goals and increase our community impact.”—Dr. Willis Lonzer III, General President, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.“This is an exceptional book for anyone aspiring to be a CEO. The art of management has evolved over time in many ways. Leadership has become more complex recently with the issues of diversity, inclusion, globalization, and ESG. This book provides a roadmap with various details, ideas, and references on how to lead successful, effective organizations.”—Rear Admiral James B. Whittaker, U.S. Navy (retired) and author of Strategic Planning in a Rapidly Changing Environment"When leading sales-driven organizations, getting teams to align with a company’s mission and vision is a game-changer. If you're seeking answers for creating a high-performance team, look no further. Use the strategies in this book as your guide."—Tom Hopkins, best-selling author of How to Master the Art of Selling“Law enforcement officers who fully embrace the mission and vision of their office will work diligently to enhance public trust. The Art of Alignment brings forth the key concepts and practices that we have used to align our office and pursue better business practices.”—Sheriff James Stuart, Anoka County, MN and Secretary of the National Sheriffs' Association “As Chief Legal Officer for a major insurance company, maintaining alignment to our mission and purpose was critical to achieving success in the face of exacting regulatory requirements. Art’s book does a great job of helping leaders understand how they can better lead and align their organizations.”—Wayne Robinson, Former Chief Legal Officer (retired), Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America“When Art and I worked together at USWest, I saw how his grasp of alignment to mission and vision had the power to create something great. The Art of Alignment is the culmination of the learnings and practice he developed and grew over time.”—John Kelley, Chairman & CEO, CereHealth Corp.“When I was CEO of Watson Wyatt Worldwide, I pushed hard with SHRM to include alignment issues as part of their certification process. The Art of Alignment does a great job of not only outlining the core pillars of alignment but showing how to practice the techniques and measure the impact.”—Pete Smith, CEO, Watson Wyatt Worldwide (retired)“I depend on aligned employees to keep us innovative and ensure our customer’s best experience. The Art of Alignment does a great job outlining ways to keep that innovation and creativity at the core of aligning a company’s mission and vision. Highly recommended.”—Jennifer Smith, President & CEO, Innovative Office Solutions"As I was watching my father, Herb Brooks, lead the 1980 US Olympic Hockey team to Gold, I saw firsthand how alignment to mission and vision conquered the toughest foes. The Art of Alignment shows how you can align your organization in ways to drive success.”—Dan Brooks, Managing Director of RBC Wealth Management and son of legendary Olympic Hockey Coach, Herb Brooks