A year ago, she came to coaching feeling lost.
My client asked if she could show me something. Immediately, she shared her screen and proudly announced that she was a finalist for her very large organization’s annual awards! The category? EXCELLENCE IN LEADERSHIP !!!!
I could not be more proud of and thrilled for her. When she first came to executive coaching, she was feeling lost in a bigger, broader, more strategic role. She felt insecure about no longer being the expert and having to lead multiple departments and strategic agendas. She was self-critical and second-guessing of her leadership effectiveness.
By the time she announced this significant and very public recognition, her year-long coaching engagement was concluding. And she had already started showing up in high-pressure rooms with new levels of self-confidence and leadership effectiveness because, through coaching, we had diligently worked on:
- a clear leadership vision that felt true to her and fulfilled the needs of her team and stakeholders
- a prioritization practice that kept her focused and accountable for high impact outcomes
- presentation confidence grounded in audience-centric delivery and executive gravitas
- a team retreat that bridged silos between peers and laid the groundwork for more cohesive teamwork and decision-making
This was all possible because she came to each session with the vulnerability to be coachable. She understood that coaching was a safe, dedicated space to work on the things she felt most insecure about, even when that insecurity was not obvious to others. She was committed to being better, doing better, putting in the work to achieve it, and being held accountable for her journey to becoming a strategic leader.
The best part of this story? This award was not among her professional goals, nor was it expected in anyway.
Sometimes that’s what happens when you’re crushing it: people can’t help but notice! (Even those who you didn’t think noticed.)
