Lead With Impact From Day One
Proven strategies to deliver impact, inspire others, and sustain success from the very start.
Available in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook
The Day One Executive Framework
Three pillars to deliver outcomes, build trust, and sustain performance.
Deliver impact that gets noticed.
- Know the Driving ForceUnderstand the core motivations and strategic priorities that propel a business forward.
- Master the Golden PyramidKnow your unique value and align it with what drives the business.
- Know Your ValueConfidently advocate for yourself in career advancement and compensation discussions.
- Be StrategicMaximize career advantage and organizational impact.
- Build Decision IntelligenceMake smart, timely choices that accelerate momentum instead of stalling it.
- Be a Change AgentNavigate uncertainty, lead transformation, and move teams forward with confidence.
Influence, connect, and build trust that lasts.
- Know ThyselfSelf-awareness is the foundation of executive success.
- Know OthersDeeply understand underlying motivations and priorities of key stakeholders.
- Create a High Value NetworkCreate meaningful connections that expand opportunities and amplify your reach.
- Be AccountableOwn your actions and model excellence so others rise to the standard you set.
- Raise the BarInspire higher performance by setting clear expectations and living them yourself.
- Don’t DerailRecognize and avoid the behaviors that sideline promising leaders.
Stay strong, centered, and unstoppable.
- Be the CEO of Your LifeTreat your career like an enterprise: manage priorities, time, and direction intentionally.
- Prize Your TimeTreat time as a strategic asset.
- Be UnstoppableAlign personal resilience with strategic self-awareness to overcome obstacles and seize career-defining opportunities.
- Walk Through FireBuild the grit to endure challenges, setbacks, and high-stakes pressure.
- Banish the ImposterSilence self-doubt and replace it with unshakable confidence.
- Care for YourselfProtect your health and vitality so you can perform at your peak long-term.
- Commit to YouGround yourself in a personal vision and values that carry you through every season.
Hear It Firsthand
View allConversations and appearances that bring The Day One Executive principles to life.
What leaders are saying
“Full of practical, easily understandable leadership wisdom that anyone can apply to their own life, starting immediately… I wish I'd had this book when I was starting out as a young professional.”
“…the essence of what it takes to be a successful executive… a 'secret decoder ring.'”
“…a clear playbook for a successful career.”
“…compresses a decade of learning to help you fast-track your success without taking any shortcuts—a must read.”
About the Author
April Armstrong is a trusted advisor to senior government and private sector officials. She is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of AHA Insight, a strategic consulting firm that supports top government officials and corporate executives leading transformational change.
April has worked extensively with senior executives from the White House, nearly every department and agency of the Executive Branch—including the U.S. Intelligence Community, and numerous private sector corporations. Her career focus has helping often divergent stakeholders achieve complex deals valued in the billions of dollars and strike enduring partnerships to see those deals through and deliver results that last.
Prior to forming her own company, April rose through the ranks to become one of the youngest—and first female—executives at the nation's largest employee-owned research and engineering company, which subsequently became a Fortune 500 company. April earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications and French from James Madison University; and a Master of Science degree in management information systems from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. She has extensive training in negotiation and mediation in the United States and in Europe, and is a certified executive and career coach.
Go Beyond the Book:
Fastrack Your Success
Turn proven leadership principles into performance and immediate impact with coaching, training, custom workshops and keynote talks—starting now.
Executive Coaching
One-on-one leadership development for senior executives and emerging leaders.
Custom Workshops
Tailored training programs designed for your organization's specific needs.
Keynote Talks
Inspiring presentations that transform audiences and drive organizational change.
Strategic Advisory
High-level consulting for complex organizational challenges and transformation.
“Even in this age of AI, successful organizations will engineer the 'people' side of success as much as the technical and business aspects. They will not leave it to chance.”
Ready to Level Up Your Leadership?
What will be most needed in the new era? Leaders at all levels and layers able to think and lead like executives. The best organizations will start NOW to embed executive capacity at every layer of their organization.
Book a call today to see whether April Armstrong and The Day One Executive leadership development services are a fit for your team's needs.
Organizations impacted
Trusted by leaders across government and industry to deliver transformational results.
Superior Court of California
Led executive leadership development for judicial administrators, enhancing court system efficiency and public service delivery.
U.S. Department of Commerce
Facilitated strategic partnerships and complex deal negotiations valued in the billions, driving economic growth initiatives.
NASA
Supported leadership transitions and organizational transformation during critical mission phases and technological advancement periods.
U.S. National Security Agency
Provided executive coaching and strategic advisory services to senior intelligence officials leading high-stakes operations.
U.S. Department of Defense
Guided military leaders through complex organizational changes and strategic planning initiatives during critical defense modernization efforts.
The White House
Advised senior officials on executive leadership strategies and stakeholder management for high-priority policy initiatives.
U.S. Department of Transportation
Supported infrastructure investment strategies and public-private partnerships that enhanced transportation systems nationwide.
Central Intelligence Agency
Provided leadership development for intelligence officers and supported organizational transformation initiatives.
Office of the Director of National Intelligence
Facilitated inter-agency coordination and strategic planning for national intelligence community initiatives.
Georgia State University
Delivered executive leadership programs for university administrators and faculty leaders, enhancing institutional effectiveness and student outcomes.
University of Southern California
Conducted leadership development workshops for academic deans and department heads, fostering innovation in higher education administration.
Penn State University
Supported strategic planning initiatives and leadership transitions within the university's executive administration and research programs.
James Madison University
Facilitated organizational development and change management for university leadership during major campus expansion and modernization efforts.
Virginia Tech
Provided executive coaching and strategic advisory services to university administrators, supporting research excellence and academic innovation initiatives.
Beyond the Book
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