There is a fallacy that leaders are born. Not true. Leadership skills are acquired through trial and error and more errors. Leaders make mistakes and they talk about those mistakes and work with others to find the path forward. Leaders have awkward conversations. They make poor decisions. They learn and get better.

Leadership skills can be painful in the acquisition phase. Leaders in training can micromanage and fail to empower and engage team members.

The path forward is self-awareness, a willingness to be vulnerable, and desire to look inward. A coach can make the difference. A coach provides leaders and leaders in training with a mirror and a thought partner. A coach can also provide critical feedback regarding specific behaviors and skills ripe for development. 

 If you are interested in that journey towards leadership, email me. 

I met with a potential client the other day. I was blown away by what she has created, her energy and drive. We had a great conversation, but it ended abruptly when she had to jump to another meeting. I am pretty sure I will not hear from her again. That is just fine, but I cannot stop thinking about her. Here’s why: As awesome a job as this leader has done bootstrapping, pulling her organization up from nothing to where it is now, what was very clear from our conversation is that she is not stopping to breathe. 

 Endless motion can only get us so far. As leaders, we have to pause, listen, think, and ask questions. We need to consider our strategy and the critical action steps that will help us reach our long-term goals. It’s easy to be in constant motion, to check off items on a to-do list. The to-do list will never end. What is far harder is to make sure that we are moving in the right direction, the direction that is mission critical. 

What I provide my clients is that breath. I am a thought partner. I ask really hard questions and encourage reflection. If you are considering executive coaching, taking a breath, and accomplishing more than just putting out today’s fires, I can help.