How to Run an Efficient Leadership Meeting: A Guide for Martial Arts School Owners 🥋📈

Hi, I’m Nicole! If you're part of CORE OS or IMPAKT Mastermind, you may have already seen my name or we’ve met in person! For those of you who don’t know me… now you do! I assist with everything related to The KICK, CORE OS, IMPAKT Mastermind, and I’m Adam’s Executive Assistant. I also have two kids who keep me busy with school, martial arts, and baseball. Oh, and did I mention that my husband and I own a martial arts school in Canada while we live here in sunny Arizona? ☀️

My point is… we are BUSY. And I’m sure many martial arts school owners feel the same way! Despite our busy schedules, we want to make the most of our time when meeting with our leadership team. So, I thought I’d share what works really well for us to have productive and efficient meetings. 💪

Now, I’m talking about our Weekly Leadership Meeting. This is a meeting we conduct each week with the owners (me and Josh), the head instructor, and the studio manager. The purpose of this meeting is to exchange essential information, review the school’s performance, and determine where to focus our time and attention in the week ahead. I generally schedule 45 minutes per week for this meeting. Other shorter pre-shift meetings and weekly instructor meetings happen separately, but even those meetings follow a very similar approach. By applying the same structure across all meetings, we ensure consistency, clarity, and alignment throughout the team. 📅

Important Note: This is our Leadership Meeting, not a training session. Training (whether for instructors or admin) is scheduled outside of meeting times. However, scheduling instructor or admin training right after the meeting can work well since all the right people are present.

Step 1: Assign the Meeting Leader – And Prepare the Agenda! 📝

I’ll be honest—the meeting leader is a role I’ve naturally assumed. With my high energy and organizational skills, I prepare the agenda and know approximately how much time we have to spend on each topic. If we can’t fully complete a section, I simply say, “STOP—we need to set another time to finish this conversation” (which might be immediately after the main meeting).

Doing this keeps the meeting on task and ensures we don’t go off on tangents. Sometimes, one of us brings up a complex situation, challenge, or problem that requires attention. While it’s important to briefly discuss it as a group, more often than not, these complex situations are best addressed in a separate, scheduled conversation with the appropriate people. It’s unlikely that all four of us need to be involved in every issue, and we certainly don’t want to turn our leadership meeting into a work session. The point of the meeting is to exchange essential information, set goals, and discuss key actions—not to dive into lengthy problem-solving or detailed brainstorming sessions. 🧠

2. Start with Wins & Challenges 🏆⚖️

Opening the meeting with wins and challenges sets the tone for a positive and constructive conversation. This is my favorite part! We start with wins to pump everyone up.

• Wins: Celebrate successes from the previous week, whether it's an increase in student enrollments, a positive review, or winning Best of the Best in our community (which we celebrated with a little online fist-pumping excitement)! 🙌 Acknowledging victories boosts morale and sets a positive tone. We also make a note of how to repeat these wins in the future.

• Challenges: Be transparent about what didn’t go as planned. Discuss any hurdles and use this time to collaborate with your leadership team on overcoming them. This section is about learning and growing from setbacks—creating an action plan to ensure future success.

3. Review Stats & Goals 📊🎯

Measuring progress against your goals keeps everyone aligned and focused.

• Gross Revenue: We set our monthly revenue goals in the first leadership meeting of the month, and then review them in each subsequent weekly meeting. If we're on track, great! If not, we discuss strategies to close the gap.

• Enrollments/Closing Percentage: Review conversion rates and whether the team is hitting enrollment targets. Celebrate high performers and identify areas for improvement.

• Pro Shop or Other Program Sales: Are sales on target? Discuss strategies to boost them—perhaps through promotions or new product offerings.

• Attrition Review: Review cancellations and exit survey feedback. This gives us a better understanding of why students are leaving and helps us refine retention strategies.

• Future Opportunities: Review upcoming events or untapped markets. This ensures the leadership team is thinking ahead and focusing on long-term goals.

We also compare these stats to the same time last year. This gives everyone a clear view of progress and highlights areas needing attention.

4. Post-Event Debriefs 📝🎉

After any significant event or promotion, a debrief is essential to review what went well and what can be improved.

• What Went Well?: Gather feedback from the leadership team on what worked. Maybe an event was well-attended, or we gained a lot of leads from a recent promotion. Why did it go well? Let’s celebrate these successes! 🎉

• What Can We Improve?: Identify any issues, like scheduling conflicts or communication breakdowns. Use this feedback to refine processes and improve future events.

5. Plan for Upcoming Events 📅🔮

Next, focus on the upcoming events. This ensures that everyone is prepared and aligned.

• Event Overview: Make sure everyone knows the key dates and details for upcoming events.

• Tasks & Responsibilities: Assign specific roles to each team member—who’s handling registrations, setting up the space, or running the event? Clear responsibilities ensure nothing slips through the cracks.

6. Reading Recap 📚🔖

Books and resources help your leadership team stay aligned with the school’s values and vision. Assign a chapter or article for each meeting and use this time to discuss key takeaways.

• What were your biggest takeaways from last week’s reading? This allows everyone to reflect on and share their insights.

• Assign next week’s reading: Continuous learning helps your team grow both personally and professionally.

Wrap It Up 🎬✅

With this meeting outline, your leadership meetings will become more focused, productive, and goal-oriented. By creating a clear structure that balances celebration, accountability, and training, your meetings will drive progress and inspire action. Your team will leave the meeting energized and ready to tackle the week’s challenges.

Pro Tip: Always stick to the agenda and keep meetings on time. Long meetings can lead to disengagement, so be concise, stay focused, and respect everyone’s time. And if a specific topic requires more attention, schedule another time to discuss it with the right people. Not every leadership team member needs to be part of every conversation, so keep it relevant to everyone present. ⏰

Important Note for Solo Operators: Even if you're the only owner-operator, these steps are still incredibly valuable. When it was just Josh and me, we used this exact approach for our meetings, even when there were no staff to discuss things with. It’s still important to take this time to review the big picture and plan your strategy. By following this structure, you’ll keep your school running efficiently and profitably, whether you have a full leadership team or just yourself! 🙌👊

What’s Kickin’ on Social This Week 👊🔥

This week’s social highlights bring powerful insights on leadership, mindset, and taking action. Check out these must-see posts and start applying these lessons to your school today!

🔥 Jadi Tention – Play is Not a Break from Learning
Martial arts isn’t just about structure—it’s about engagement and play. Jadi shares why play is essential for deeper learning and skill development.
👉 Watch Here 

🔥 Taylor Welch – True Power Comes from Resilience
Real strength isn’t about being the loudest—it’s about resilience, quiet confidence, and lifting others up. Taylor breaks down what real power looks like.
👉 Read Here 

🔥 Alex Hormozi – No One Cares How Hard You Work
Hard work doesn’t come with applause. Alex shares why success comes from consistency, not external validation.
👉 Watch Here 

🔥 Kelly Murray & Adam Kifer – Treat Your Leads Like Gold
Your follow-up process can make or break your enrollment numbers. Kelly and Adam share why treating leads like gold is the key to long-term growth.
👉 Watch Here 

🔥 Dave Kovar – Control Your Response
The most important thing you can control? How you respond. Dave explains how emotional discipline can elevate your leadership and decision-making.
👉 Read Here 

🔥 Take a few minutes to check these out, drop a comment, and bring fresh insights back to your school this week! 💪🔥 

😂 Martial Memes

These memes hit home for all of us martial artists and gave us a good chuckle. Click on the image to view the original account that posted each meme. Enjoy!

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