Adrian Close Leadership and Management Training Consultant

Husband and Dad

Strategic Leadership & Culture Trainer

Author of 'Focused Leadership'

Founder of Ultimate Leadership Training

• Multi-Award Winning Business Owner/Manager

• Volunteer Duke of Edinburgh Supervisor & Outdoor Leadership Mentor

• Eternal optimist

• Adventurer

My business development and management experience has always been customer facing and always very busy. The teams I have managed have varied from 15 to around 55 (as a manager and business owner) and around 1000 in an area role (managing 22 managers).

My focus has always been on People, Planet and then Profit (in that order).

On 21 September 2019 I created Ultimate Leadership Training Ltd with the sole goal of helping businesses and organisations create a culture where it's normal for the new generation of managers and aspiring managers to lead and manage their teams with compassion, empathy, drive and enthusiasm and to not feel trapped by the old ways of leadership that no longer work.

I strongly believe that if you concentrate on the performance of your team members (at every level) the results will take care of themselves. The results, of course, will be at a higher level if both the values of the organisation and those that work for it are aligned - This belief was inspired by Ben Hunt-Davies and sits at the heart of all the training I deliver and teams I manage.

The Ultimate Leadership Training Team consists of 5 other team members. Firstly there's our fabulously well organised VA and secondly our four highly qualified and awesome training consultants who take on the courses I can't fit into my very busy diary or deliver the courses I am not qualified to deliver.

I help new and aspiring managers become the kind of leader everyone loves to work with - yes, everyone.

Because great management isn’t about authority or titles; it’s about emotional intelligence, integrity, and leading with a strong set of personal values that guide every decision.

When I say “everyone’s favourite manager,” I really mean everyone - their team who feels supported, their colleagues who respect them, their HR manager who trusts them, their customers who feel the difference, and even their friends and family who see them thriving.
It’s leadership that creates a ripple effect - across the people, the business, and even the planet.

I know that being a manager today can feel like juggling in a circus - spinning plates, swapping hats, and somehow keeping everything moving. I’ve been there. I’ve lived it. And that’s why the managers I train connect with me so quickly - because they know I understand what their day really looks like.

Whether they’re sitting in one of my in-person leadership courses or joining the 12-Month Online Growth Academy, they know one thing:

• I’m not here to lecture - I’m here to guide

• I meet them where they are, help them see where they could be, and give them the practical tools, confidence, and mindset to get there

Because when managers grow, everyone wins.

Leadership isn’t about titles - it’s about how you show up for people.

The Leadership and Management Growth Academy was created for new and aspiring managers who want to lead with confidence, clarity, and humanity. It’s a practical, supportive online learning space where real-world management skills meet thoughtful people leadership - no jargon, no theory without application.

As a multi-award-winning manager, I know that great managers aren’t born - they’re developed. That’s why Academy members don’t just access structured learning; they also receive monthly support from me, helping them reflect, grow, and turn learning into everyday leadership impact.

If you’re stepping into management, finding your feet, or simply want to become the kind of leader people trust and want to follow, the Academy offers a powerful, supportive way to learn - and to grow into the manager your team deserves.

Because better managers create better workplaces.