Expertise got you here.

Lasting leadership requires more.

Michelle Cantor

Leadership & Team Development

Most people spend years building expertise in something specific.

Finance. Marketing. Operations.

Almost nobody spends the same amount of time learning how to lead.

That gap doesn't belong to one career moment — it shows up for the first-time manager, for the director inheriting a dysfunctional team, and for the executive fifteen years in who hits something new.

I'm Michelle Cantor, a leadership and team development coach and consultant.

My clients are good at their work.

I help them get just as good at leading it — how to show up, communicate, navigate challenges, and lead with confidence. 

Insight is the easy part.

Most people I work with have already worked out what needs to change. The gap is between knowing that and doing it.

I spent thirty years in and around organizational change before I started coaching, which is why the work doesn't stop at clarity.

Self-knowledge starts the movement.

Application creates the results.

VOLAR — verb, Spanish. To fly.

Flying isn't floating. It takes lift, direction, and something to push against. So does this work.

Coaching

One-to-one coaching for leaders at any level and any stage.

We start with how you actually show up — your behaviors, your strengths, and what those do to the people around you. Then we build the tools and techniques for the parts nobody prepared you for.

See How Coaching Works

Team Development

Assessment-based programs for teams that are technically excellent and functionally stuck.

Everything DiSC. The Five Behaviors. Multi-generational workforce. Busting Biases. Same problem as coaching, at a different scale.

View Programs

Client Testimonials

  • “Since Michelle’s approach has leadership being an active and critical part of the entire process, our leadership team is already embedding a more inclusive and equitable mindset into everything we do.”

    Linda Lutz

    CFO, Detroit Symphony Orchestra

  • “Michelle’s facilitation empowered our staff by allowing this diverse group of people to work together to identify bottlenecks, agree on solutions, and implement the changes. Staff are now communicating more often and more effectively with improved accountability.”

    Paul Blatt

    CEO, Gesher Human Services

  • “Michelle was an incredible coach, guiding me to understand how to leverage my strengths to meet my goals, and lean on other resources that complimented my strengths.”

    Susanna Borgelt

    Senior Manager of Partnerships & Development

  • “Michelle is a tremendous asset to Living Arts. Her ability to synthesize information quickly and provide insightful suggestions has provided tremendous value. Her innate demeanor as a coach and mentor is palpable upon introduction. Michelle’s deep understanding of complex systems and people’s motivations are her “secret sauce.”

    Alissa Novoselick

    CFOO, Empowerment Plan (Former Executive Director of Living Arts)

  • "Michelle’s knowledge of the work, including meeting facilitation, strategic planning, and the all-around DEI space, has added tremendous value to our team. Additionally, she has demonstrated the right presence to lead amongst organization and sector leaders in our region."

    Dustin McClellan

    Founder & CEO, Pontiac Community Foundation

  • “Michelle Cantor has provided her coaching and consulting expertise to facilitate webinars for our organization. No matter the topic, she facilitates an impactful discussion that enables participants to feel comfortable, be honest, and shift their perspectives. We have received exceptional feedback."

    Amber Martin

    Director of Member Relations, The Society for Diversity

  • “As a two-person company, it didn’t seem obvious that I needed help with diversity, equity and inclusion. But when I reached out to Michelle with a personnel issue, she helped me identify the greater issue: I needed diversity of thought.”

    Pamela Victor

    President & Founder, Happier Valley Comedy

  • “I would highly recommend Ms. Cantor whether you are just starting to explore the implementation of a DEI program, or if you are looking for further advancement of a system already in place."

    Kyle Kamidoi

    DEI Committee Chair, Garan, Lucow, Miller P.C.

  • "As a result of Michelle’s work, we were able to improve our diversity and inclusion metrics by the targeted amount and create great positive buzz throughout the Strategy Practice."

    Deborah Brecher

    Strategy Managing Director, Accenture NA

  • “We had not done a staff training encompassing everyone from C-Suite team members to facility staff before this time with Michelle. Many of these team members have never partaken in such a presentation before. The staff walked away from its interaction with Michelle feeling good about the time spent, the lessons learned and optimistic about how we could utilize the takeaways to further lift our community.”

    Jason Plotkin

    Executive Director, Temple Israel

Who I’ve Worked With:

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One leader or an entire team.

Either way, it starts with a conversation.

Schedule a Conversation