Donnie W. Downs
Speaking and consulting for business leaders and their teams. Donnie draws on his years leading Plan B Technologies to talk about preparation, accountability, character, and the responsibility leaders have for their people.
Hear from Donnie
Watch a short excerpt from Donnie’s talks and conversations about standards, care, and character.
Bring Donnie to your teamRead the film transcript
By a show of hands, how many leaders do we have here?
You are all leaders.
And what you’re talking about are, at the end of the day, standards. What are the standards that we’re going to abide by?
Every single thing that is going on, be at the ready to jump in and assist.
Care. Act like you care. Your body language says more than your words.
You have to be connected.
We do it all with character.
Your words have power. Use them wisely.
Use it for good, ladies and gentlemen.
On screen: Donnie W. Downs. Demanding standards. Responsibility for people. Speaking & consulting. TheCrimsonStag.org.
What Donnie asks of leaders
Donnie expects people to prepare, do the work, and follow through. He also expects leaders to provide the tools, clear expectations, and environment people need to do that work well.
That perspective took shape through competitive basketball, running technology businesses, and working on culture through organizational change. His speaking connects those experiences to the decisions leaders face every day.
Speaking, coaching & workshopsA career spent leading people
Donnie co-founded Plan B Technologies in 2001 and later led it as president and CEO. Following its acquisition by CDI in 2020, he served as Director of Corporate Culture.
In recalling that work, he returns to the people: colleagues willing to take the next step together, leaders responsible for their teams, and workplace relationships that lasted beyond the task.
WASHINGTON BUSINESS JOURNAL · MOST ADMIRED CEOS HONOREE · 2014
The Six C’s
Committed
Give the work the effort you say it deserves.
02Competent
Prepare. Practice. Keep learning.
03Consistent
Meet the standard again tomorrow.
04Courageous
Work beyond the edge of your comfort zone.
05Community
Make service part of an ordinary day.
06Character
Bring your words, decisions, and actions into line.
The Invisible Foundation
Unlocking ‘The 6 Cs’ of High-Trust, High-Performance Cultures
In The Invisible Foundation, Donnie Downs examines the choices, standards, and relationships beneath organizational culture through his experience and the Six C’s.
Crimson Stag Farm
Crimson Stag Farm in Lothian, Maryland offers countryside stays through Airbnb and space for gatherings. Contact the venue team for event questions and custom quotes; speaking and consulting use a separate inquiry contact.
Book a countryside stay through Airbnb, or contact the farm’s events team to talk about your gathering.
Donnie Downs speaking with a basketball team seated on a gymnasium court
Lessons from basketball
Donnie traces many of his leadership lessons to basketball: preparation, team expectations, and responsibility for the people alongside you. Those experiences run through the stories he shares today.
Explore Donnie’s story