Leading from Strengths

If there is one thing Jeanine O’Neill-Blackwell wants her daughters to remember as they travel through life, it is that the life they create is a product of how they think and the choices they make. She teaches them to have a strong awareness of their strengths and knowledge of what brings them joy. She wants to bring that same sense of self-awareness to the corporate world, as well. As President and CEO of 4MAT 4Business, a consultant group that delivers learning and performance solutions to businesses, she sees this philosophical thread running through the heart of her company.

At Beauty Basics, the company Jeanine co-owns with her husband Terry Blackwell and their partner Debra Neill-Baker, and the Neill family, she is the Chief Learning Officer. This is where she first began creating training programs focused on leadership development. Realizing the broad application for other performance-focused businesses, she launched 4MAT 4Business. In 2008, Jeanine co-authored the book, Hold On, You Lost Me!, a how-to book on brain-based learning design. She soon found that the training and development world in the business sector could not get to her fast enough. 4Mat 4Business soon found itself consulting with Fortune 500 companies like Ikea, 3M and Princess Cruise Lines on training design, leadership development and performance improvement.

Current brain research confirms that there are four primary learning styles. Our learning styles influence how we communicate and where we focus our attention. 4MAT 4Business uses their award-winning model, 4MAT, to teach companies how to structure meetings, training, coaching and leadership to engage every learning style. In any company, organization and even family for that matter, the 4MAT approach can open doors in marketing, sales, customer service and satisfaction and even increase family harmony. The company uses the “Learning Type Measure” (LTM) tool to assess the learning style of team members, trainers and leaders and, in turn, teaches that person how to “stretch” their style so that they can engage just about every learning style in the room. In other words, we do not all learn the same, but there is a way to tap into all styles at the same time, using a simple 4-step model. 4MAT 4Business has a team of trainers and coaches who teach this model to companies throughout the U.S. and the world.

Essentially there are three planes of the system. The leader, trainer or manager must first understand his own strengths. “A leader must first ask themselves these questions,” Jeanine says, “What is my strength as a leader? How do I bring in the right people to complement existing strengths? How do I position everybody in a place where they get to play to their strengths?” Using the 4MAT LTM, each person is assessed and then explores a 4-dimensional reading which shows their strength in each of the four leading and learning dimensions. Jeanine notes that the business culture in America seems to focus mainly on fixing people’s weaknesses rather than building on their strengths. “So many people are in roles where they’re not using their strengths and they’re not able to get the results they want,” she says, “The only way we get to the highest level of performance is by operating from our strengths. Working on weaknesses is only effective to the extent that it serves maximum utilization of our strengths.”

4MAT 4Business aims to show companies how to effectively communicate with employees and how to connect with customers so everyone can foster their best assets to form an extraordinary team.

There are a myriad of ways to utilize 4MAT 4Business. If a company wants to empower a sales or leadership team, for example, 4MAT will send a certified trainer to the company to lead a experiential workshop. Every participant will receive a style assessment, learn their strengths, learn how to “stretch” their style, and learn how to engage and work effectively with other styles. The same company could send a leader to a 4MAT workshop in Covington, or enroll in one of the web-based training workshops to learn how to lead the workshops in their company. That team member would learn the 4MAT model and return to use it as an effective training tool for years to come.

For local companies intrigued by the likelihood of highly fruitful meetings, flourishing productivity and overall happier employees, 4MAT 4Business is offering a one-day snapshot into what their system can bring to your company. This one-day 4MAT Immersion Experience in early June will ultimately travel to several locations throughout the US, as well as one stop in Canada, but its first venue will be here in Covington, at Tchefuncta Country Club. Topics range from leadership and learning styles, to what makes a business meeting successful, to engaging communication. Every person will receive a learning and leadership style assessment using the 4MAT LTM. Participants will delve into the big picture of what the entire 4MAT system can do for their business.

When Jeanine moved to Covington nearly twenty years ago, she was immediately enamored with the wonderful amalgamation of all the best southeast Louisiana has to offer. “One of the cool things about living right here on the Northshore is that you’ve got a vibrant community of business leaders, cultural events and this family atmosphere where there’s always something going on.” This setting seems to be something her out-of-town clients relish. With her company nestled in the heart of downtown Covington, the retreat-like backdrop helps to personalize the workshop experience.

Jeanine openly admits she has many things for which to be grateful. Her family, the community where she is raising her family, the people she works with, and mostly doing what she loves best as her life’s work. “I think everybody wants to craft a life for themselves where they get to do what they want to do and where they find pleasure in that. And that’s a big part of our message.”

For more information on the 4MAT Immersion Experience go to 4mat4business.com, call 866.888.4MAT, or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .