Effective but Pushy Nicole was feeling pressured on two fronts. First, her senior management had made it clear: she was on their high-potential list, if she could stop being so prickly. To that end, they’d given her a coach – me. The second front had just appeared. She’d been told she’d be inheriting a small […]
Humility as Strength Read More »
“In Her Own Way.” Maxine was going to be a star – if she could just “get out of her own way.” Those were the words people used when they talked about Maxine. They were even her words for herself. During a coaching session, after she’d spoken the phrase again, I asked her what it
The Dread of Discovery Anastasia felt like a fraud. She’d landed a position that was five times greater in scope and responsibility than any she’d held before. During our first coaching conversation, she told me, “Everything’s been fine on the job so far, but I’m walking on needles. I can feel it in my gut.
Coaching versus Therapy Read More »
Stepping in a Heap Edwin was already shaking his head when he popped onto my screen for our coaching call. “Oh, boy, I really stepped in it,” he said as an opener. I knew Edwin had a sincere drive to do the right thing. When he felt himself off the mark, he suffered. Although he
How to Act in Your Own Best Interest Read More »
Creating upset Meg liked having things in order. As she saw it, order happened when people, including herself, followed rules. Living by rules gave Meg fierce certainty. Meg was given a coach because people were often upset with her. I asked her what she knew about people being upset with her.
How to Disarm a Trigger Read More »
Consequences of a hijacking Kimberly lowered her eyes and spoke quietly. “I didn’t like myself very much at that point.” I said nothing. “The minute I got back to my office, I knew I shouldn’t have said what I said. I can’t believe I thought, even for a minute, that Max didn’t have my best
7 Steps to Stop Emotional Hijacks Read More »
Unheard feedback Martin was described to me as clueless yet gifted. In my mind, he fell in the category of leaders too talented to lose but too troublesome to keep. Because his expertise was unique, Martin had been with the company a long time. Complaints about him stretched back years. Any people reporting to him
Teams at risk Rafael was two months into running the largest team of his career. He wasn’t certain, but he sensed the CEO was about to pit his new team against another team. If that happened, one team’s business would win out over the other’s. No jobs would be lost, but years of work would
The Rising Executive Read More »
This month’s coaching conversation includes a leader’s story about being buoyed by her team. She and Tom also swap answers to a favorite question of her team’s: “How’re ya coping?”
The Intentional Leader Read More »
Interrogation begins “You’re not a business coach,” Charlotte stated, looking at me squarely. Was there a challenge in her statement? I wasn’t sure.
Coaching Under Attack Read More »
