SIA New Member Profile: Spire Leadership

Dan Schroeder

New Security Industry Association (SIA) member Spire Leadership combines executive coaching with business advising for a customized, solution-oriented process. The company’s approach is designed to build clarity, confidence and conviction while preparing clients for a new level of success and igniting their paths forward. Spire Leadership is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, and – as is important in the current environment – has designed its business model to effectively deliver services in person or remotely.

SIA spoke with Dan Schroeder, founder and CEO of Spire Leadership, about the company, the security industry and working with SIA.

Spire Leadership accelerated performance

Tell us the story of your company.

DS: Spire Leadership is a provider of executive coaching and business advising services and was founded in early 2020 by me, longtime security industry veteran Dan Schroeder. Our mission is to help individuals and their organizations accelerate their performance by overcoming their most significant challenges and capitalizing on their biggest opportunities. Creating my own coaching and advisory firm had long been a vison of mine; I have had a successful 35-year business career, the first 10 years working for a privately held family business and the last 25 years spent in senior leadership positions with ADT Security Services and Tyco Integrated Security and most recently as president of Gunnebo AB’s Americas region. The experience, knowledge and skills I have acquired both from an industry and leadership perspective enable me to be a valuable partner and help my clients achieve their most critical goals.

What solutions/services does your business offer in the security industry? And what makes your offerings/company unique?


DS
: Spire Leadership provides executive coaching and business advising services to progressive, growth-minded leaders and companies looking for that extra edge in this ultra-competitive world.

Spire’s coaching program leverages a unique combination of real-world experience and a proven coaching methodology that enables our clients to sharpen the skills needed to build their teams, their businesses and their paths forward. Whether you’re sitting in a board room overseeing executive-level decisions, managing a team of people looking for guidance or wearing multiple hats running your own business, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the never-ending demands of leadership. Our program has proven valuable for leaders at all levels as they strive to reach their full potential.

Spire Leadership’s business advising platform is built on a foundation of dealing with real issues and driving real results. I have successfully dealt with and overcome many of the same obstacles facing my clients throughout my career which spans operational management, sales leadership, general management and ultimately executive management. As a trusted business advisor, Spire assists clients with finding solutions to many of the most pressing issues they face, including:

  • Developing or refining your business vision and strategy
  • Designing an effective growth plan around the strengths of your business
  • Expanding profit margins
  • Delivering an unmatched customer experience
  • Increasing employee engagement and satisfaction
  • Improving the overall health of your business

What is something we might not know about your company – or something new you are doing in security?

Black female boss leading corporate meeting talking to diverse b

DS: Spire Leadership has a unique approach to advising and coaching. I don’t rely solely on my 30+ years of business leadership experience as the only means to assist my clients. When I started down the path of forming this business, I committed to doing it the right way. I have spent the time to get the formal education necessary to ensure that I can deliver the maximum impact to my clients in the most effective way. I have earned two certifications in executive coaching and business coaching as well as developed a proprietary process that allows my clients to receive maximum benefit from our partnership. This powerful combination of real-world leadership experience in the security industry and formal educational certifications has proven to be extremely valuable to both integrators focused on end users and product companies selling through distribution.

What is your company’s vision, and what are your goals for the security industry?

DS: The vison for Spire Leadership is to become the most respected and trusted coaching firm by delivering impactful results to our clients. A big driver for creating this organization was the opportunity to assist an industry that gave me so much throughout my career. I am very appreciative of the people and companies I encountered along my professional path. Countless individuals over the years graciously sacrificed their time and shared their knowledge to help me learn and develop into the leader I am today. Past employers believed and invested in me throughout my journey, including providing me with an executive coach, which proved immensely beneficial. I feel like I have an opportunity and responsibility to do the same, and thus Spire Leadership was born.

What do you think are the biggest opportunities in the security industry right now?

DS: I believe the biggest opportunities in the security industry right now center on the ability of companies to capture incremental growth by being ready to adjust and change as new technologies and trends emerge. Current customer demand for security solutions that help solve their problems remains strong, as is the appetite for new technologies. Those companies that can effectively change on the fly while continuing to successfully execute and exceed the expectations of their customers will be the big winners in my estimation. Having the people and processes capable of delivering in this new environment will be key to capitalizing on these opportunities. 

What are your predictions for the security industry in the short and long term?

group of business people chatting after the meeting

DS: I am not big on predictions, but if you look at the facts surrounding the security industry, you have an environment where society and our customers have a set of ever-growing needs, which creates demand. As an industry we must continue to develop next-generation solutions that mitigate risk and help fill those customer needs. Assuming we can successfully do this, it bodes well for both the short- and long-term health of the security space.

What are the biggest challenges facing your company and/or others in the security industry?

DS: The challenges for businesses today – whether they are Spire Leadership, local or national integrators, product/technology companies or, in fact, most businesses outside of security – are remarkably similar: to build a business that consistently delivers sustained profitable growth while attracting and developing a talented team of individuals who are capable of leading and successfully executing a plan to achieve those goals. It looks straightforward at first glance, but as we all know, there are a myriad of obstacles that get in our way along the journey, and having an advisor and leadership coach you trust can be an immensely valuable asset and a huge advantage.

What do you enjoy most about being at your company – and in the security industry?

DS: I think the thing that I enjoy the most and gives me the greatest satisfaction is the ability to engage with quality people and companies who are passionate about what they do and know that I have played a role in moving them closer to the achievement of their goals. 

What does SIA offer that is most important to you/your company? And what do you most hope to get out of your membership with SIA?

DS: I have been a longtime member of SIA through my previous employers and have participated in many of the key events and programs. I am excited to now have the opportunity to join and participate through Spire Leadership. Many of the past and present board members and leaders of the organization are people I know and respect greatly. SIA has done an excellent job over the years representing and protecting the industry and developing critically important programs that continually push the industry in the right direction. I feel extremely passionate about the importance of programs such as the Women in Security Forum, the TIME mentorship program, RISE and all the important events and conferences held throughout a typical year.

I am excited that membership will allow not only Spire Leadership be able to be a recipient of some of the great value that SIA offers, but also me as a contributor as I become further involved moving forward.

The views and opinions expressed in guest posts and/or profiles are those of the authors or sources and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Security Industry Association.