From Grounded to Great
Caterpillar Leadership Institute is where growth gets real and wings take shape. We’re all about helping young leaders break out of the cocoon, trading hesitation for boldness, and potential for purpose. Fueled by a founder who blends storytelling magic with no-fluff skills, our programs equip you to step up, shine bright, and lead with impact. It’s not just leadership; it’s your transformation in motion.
Our Mission
We exist to awaken the bold within young professionals and to help them stretch, grow, and break through. Through custom-crafted, story-powered leadership experiences, we turn raw potential into skillful action, quiet doubt into fearless confidence, and untapped dreams into clear, purposeful impact. From cocoon to changemaker, we’re here to guide every step toward lift-off in career, community, and calling.
Why We’re Different
We don’t just train leaders, we guide metamorphosis. At Caterpillar Leadership Institute, everything we do mimics the butterfly’s journey: grounded beginnings, stretching struggles, and triumphant flight. Like the caterpillar inside the chrysalis, our participants enter with untapped potential and emerge with clarity, confidence, and wings built for purpose. Inspired by our founder’s own evolution, from commanding troops as a Military Intelligence Officer to architecting transformation in communities and careers, we’ve built a model that fuses immersive storytelling, real-world pressure, and Monday-ready strategies. This is more than leadership training, it’s a launchpad for changemakers who shift culture, spark growth, and paint the sky with impact.
- Transformation That Leaves a Trail Every leader who emerges from our institute doesn’t just take flight, they leave behind a trail of inspiration, impact, and growth that ripples through teams, communities, and careers.
Our Approach: Built for Transformation, Designed to Fly
Just like a caterpillar doesn’t stay grounded forever, we guide young professionals through their full metamorphosis while unlocking confidence, capability, and leadership wings. Our hybrid model blends the freedom of online learning with the energy of hands-on workshops, so no matter where you’re planted, you’ll grow bold, rise strong, and lead with purpose.
Founder
Jonathan Pride is a transformation specialist forged in high-stakes environments, from military intelligence briefings to breakthrough leadership labs. As a U.S. Army combat veteran and former Military Intelligence Officer, Jonathan began empowering others the moment he stepped into leadership. With decades of real-world leadership under pressure, he’s guided individuals through growth, grit, and game-changing decisions.
Now, as the founder of Caterpillar Leadership Institute, Jonathan channels his experience into story-driven leadership training that ignites confidence and unlocks purpose. He’s also the author of Caterpillars Don’t Fly, a powerful memoir-meets-manifesto that reveals how transformation starts on the ground and ends with fearless flight.
Whether in a war zone or a workshop, Jonathan’s mission has never changed: build leaders who rise, lead, and leave a lasting impact.
Training that Fits your Wingspan
From coast to coast, Caterpillar Leadership Institute delivers transformation tailored to your flight path. We don’t do cookie-cutter, we craft immersive, story-driven programs shaped by your unique challenges, career goals, and industry vibe. Rooted in the vision of our founder, a combat-tested leader turned transformation architect, our mission is to help every young professional grow bold, lead free, and fly far. Because real leadership training doesn’t clip wings, it custom-builds them.
Shaping the Leaders who will Shape the Future
At Caterpillar Leadership Institute, we believe the next generation of changemakers won’t just lead—they’ll lift others, shift culture, and spark real impact. The future belongs to leaders who communicate with clarity, think strategically under pressure, and build authentic connections that ripple through teams and communities. Fueled by the founder’s vision, born in combat zones, and built through decades of transformation work; we go beyond principles. We’re building leadership labs where young professionals stretch their wings, find their voice, and take flight with purpose.
Your Flight Path Awaits
Step out of the chrysalis and into your calling. This is where your metamorphosis begins. Let’s chart your journey and launch the leader within.
© 2025 The Caterpillar Leadership Institute