Valued at Work is helping organizations in STEM and technical industries align leadership, team dynamics, and culture to unlock impactful, lasting results – by making inclusive leadership a delivery driver, not a side project.
The Hidden Link Between Leadership and Performance
In high-stakes STEM projects, performance is critical – but it often comes at the expense of people. Leadership is frequently treated as separate from project outcomes, when in fact, it’s the glue that holds delivery together. When misaligned with team dynamics, leadership becomes a silent saboteur: triggering burnout, disengagement, and underperformance.
Lauren Neal, founder of Valued at Work, saw these patterns again and again during her 20+ years managing complex technical projects. Her insight was clear: when leadership is aligned with culture and communication, teams can thrive – and results rise. That realization became the foundation of Valued at Work’s approach – one that integrates inclusion, clarity, and delivery into a cohesive system.
A Mission Born from Delivery Experience
Having delivered critical engineering and infrastructure projects in male-dominated environments, Lauren knew the cost of misaligned leadership. That’s why she founded Valued at Work in March 2023: to create workplaces where trust, ownership, and communication are embedded in delivery – not left to chance.
Before launching the consultancy, Lauren led multi-million-dollar technical initiatives across the UK and internationally. As a Chartered Engineer and Chartered Project Professional, she understands the intersection of culture and complexity – and how underpowered leadership systems can quietly derail high-performing teams.
At the heart of Valued at Work’s methodology is the Valued at Work Blueprint™ – a proprietary framework that integrates leadership strategy into live delivery environments. Unlike top-down training or theoretical models, the Blueprint™ is grounded in the realities of fast-paced, high-stakes work.
The Valued at Work Blueprint™: A System That Delivers Under Pressure
What sets Valued at Work apart is its practical, performance-driven system. The Blueprint™ equips teams with a repeatable framework for building accountability, trust, and aligned leadership – all embedded in day-to-day operations.
“We don’t do culture theater. We build systems that serve people – and results,” says Lauren.
That approach shows up whether Valued at Work is coaching delivery leads, resetting project teams, or supporting executives to build high-functioning cultures. The Blueprint™ ensures that change isn’t aspirational – it’s operational. It works where it matters most: in delivery.
Thriving in STEM: Accelerating Women in Technical Roles
One of the standout features of Valued at Work’s services is their focus on supporting women and under-recognized talent in STEM through their Thriving in STEM program. This career accelerator is designed for high-potential professionals working in male-dominated industries and provides a structured path to build clarity, confidence, and leadership capability.
Participants learn to navigate complex team dynamics, manage bias, and lead with purpose – all within the practical context of STEM work. Thriving in STEM isn’t just about empowerment – it’s about equipping individuals to drive real results through systems thinking and inclusive leadership.
For organizations, sponsoring places on this program builds future leadership capacity while directly boosting retention and performance. It enhances retention, builds internal capability, and demonstrates a commitment to inclusive performance culture.
If you’re a woman in STEM ready to rise – or an organization ready to back your brightest talent – Thriving in STEM is your next step.
B2B Solutions for High-Stakes Teams
While Thriving in STEM supports individual career growth, Valued at Work’s B2B services are tailored to complex technical organizations facing leadership and performance bottlenecks. From executive coaching and team resets to culture diagnostics and performance strategy consulting, their support helps delivery leaders embed alignment and accountability into fast-paced environments.
These interventions are built for industries where delays, turnover, and friction come at a high cost. Rather than generic leadership development, Valued at Work addresses the systems and behaviors that directly influence project outcomes.
This approach has already attracted attention. Lauren Neal has been featured in leading outlets such as Forbes, HR.com, and CEO Magazine for her insights on leadership, workplace performance, and inclusive cultures – thought leadership that now underpins the systems-based approach at the heart of Valued at Work.
A Recognized Voice in STEM Leadership
Lauren’s influence extends beyond consulting. As a regular columnist for ChemicalProcessing.com and contributor to Stylist and Oilwoman, she challenges outdated leadership models and shares practical insights for inclusive, high-performing teams.
Her debut book, Valued at Work, brings these ideas to life through storytelling – using fictionalized scenarios inspired by real workplaces to explore how trust, bias, and leadership shape outcomes. It’s not a manual – it’s a reflection of the challenges and solutions facing today’s technical teams.
Combined with her consulting and speaking engagements, Lauren continues to reshape how the STEM sector approaches leadership, culture, and performance.
A Certified Diverse Supplier with a Systems Mindset
As a certified diverse supplier and member of MSDUK, Valued at Work brings both lived experience and delivery credibility to the leadership space. But this work goes far beyond representation.
The consultancy helps clients embed trust, ownership, and equity into the systems that shape performance – turning inclusion into an operational advantage. Their involvement in public grant-supported programs and supplier diversity networks reflects their growing impact across both corporate and public sectors.
Transform Leadership. Transform Results.
Valued at Work delivers more than training. It delivers a repeatable system that fuses inclusive leadership with live project delivery – built for industries where complexity is high, stakes are real, and results matter.
If you’re a technical leader seeking to boost retention, align your teams, or strengthen performance under pressure, Valued at Work can help.
If you’re a woman in STEM ready to lead – or an organization ready to sponsor high-potential talent – the Thriving in STEM program offers a strategic path forward.
Visit Valued at Work to discover how your team can lead better, deliver stronger, and thrive together.
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