Danette Shaifer, MBA

pronouns: she/her/hers

DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMMING | SENIOR FACULTY

Coaching • Training • Instructional Design

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As Director of Programming, Danette leads the design and delivery of LeadWise’s high-impact talent development programs, helping lawyers and law firm professionals strengthen their leadership, management, and business development capabilities. She combines strategic insight, learning design expertise, and a deep understanding of organizational behavior to ensure every program drives measurable growth for both individuals and firms.

Throughout her 20 years of experience working in law firms, Danette developed deep expertise in leadership strategy, relationship management, and learning and development. She has built a reputation for turning complex goals into clear, actionable learning experiences. Danette excels at aligning talent development with organizational strategy, enhancing onboarding and performance systems, and developing and facilitating workshops that create lasting behavior change. Her work has consistently delivered measurable impact by improving efficiency, engagement, and alignment across teams and functions.

Danette holds an Executive MBA from the University of Colorado Denver Business School and a BS in Business and Project Management from the University of Phoenix. She is also a certified SDI 2.0 facilitator and Relationship Intelligence™ Coach, known for helping leaders and teams deepen self-awareness, improve collaboration, and build trust-based relationships.

FUN FACTS ABOUT DANETTE

Originally from North Carolina, Danette spent years living between the East Coast and Florida before settling in Colorado with her husband and two children. She loves the outdoor lifestyle of the Rockies and regularly attends concerts at Red Rocks Amphitheatre. A passionate traveler, she’s explored cultures and cuisines around the world – her most adventurous experiences include diving with reef sharks in the French Polynesia (no cage!) and zip-lining through the jungles of Costa Rica.

AREAS OF FOCUS:

  • Leadership development
  • People management skills
  • High-performing team dynamics
  • Resilience, Agile EQ and growth mindset
  • Executive presence
  • Communication
  • Marketing and business development
  • Managing the intensity of the job
  • Productive conflict / managing difficult personalities

EDUCATION & CERTIFICATIONS:

  • Executive MBA | University of Colorado Denver Business School
  • BS in Business and Project Management | University of Phoenix
  • Certified Facilitator | SDI 2.0 Assessment