Coaching
Effective Coaching Conquers Distractions
Staying focused today is difficult. Digital distractions, constant challenges, and a plethora of priorities draw leaders away from what’s most important. Does this sound like you? In my conversation with Farrukh Khawaja, I shared a core truth: one of the best ways to conquer distractions through effective coaching is to help people stay focused on…
Read MoreListen as You Learn
Good authors write good books; great authors, however, provide versatility in how their stories are offered. Inspired, Not Retired: Leadership Lessons from Father to Son is available as an audiobook for multitaskers, combining work and entertainment. At least that’s what some clients told me. If you want to enjoy even monotonous tasks while listening to…
Read MoreMy Transformation: Why I Needed A Coach, Part IV
“Old Soldiers never die, we just change uniforms.” Spending over half your life working in your chosen profession and then changing to something new doesn’t require a transition, but a transformation. We transition between positions at a job, but when you break a glass ceiling, a transformation is required. When we relocate from one location…
Read MoreTalent is Never Enough: Why I Needed a Coach, Part III
“Proceeding from a false premise usually produces false results.” At the beginning of my Army career, I believed that the key to success was competency, often referred to as talent. With my recent successes in promotion and CEO selections (Why I Needed a Coach, Part II), I assumed this proved my hypothesis, but my premise…
Read MoreUnconsciously Competent: Why I Needed a Coach, Part II
“Sometimes we do not truly appreciate our abilities.” A coach identifies those blind spots to help us become our best selves. In the Conscious Competence Learning Model (Curtiss & Warren, 1973), we may all experience the four stages. But my interpretation and application of the stages are a little different than what the model may…
Read MoreManaging Oneself: Why I Needed a Coach, Part 1
As a junior leader in the early 1990s, adequately trained in my craft and fully competent, I still had things I did not know. Before switching specialties from Field Artillery (FA) to Military Intelligence (MI), I was filled with apprehension. I had no mentor, there were no other officers to ask, so, in normal Burl…
Read MoreCEO Professional Development: I’m No Superperson
Long ago, as a junior leader, I learned that, “Everything I know is not everything there is to know.” Fast forward 15 years to when I became a CEO; this maxim was even more prevalent. There was much more to know, leading 400 versus leading 40. The number of moving pieces, the complexity of problems,…
Read MoreMentoring in the Moment: Who Coaches the Coach?
In our last segment for National Mentoring Month, I am discussing why coaches need mentors. As an Executive Coach, I can personally attest to having a mentor. While I may have a wealth of education and experience, I adhere to the philosophy that, “Everything I know is not everything there is to know.” Because a major part…
Read MoreMyWingman, LLC: The Wingman for Every CEO
” It’s lonely at the top, but it does not need to be.” I am honored to share some thoughts in CEO Weekly on navigating the tough jobs of leadership and the CEO. No matter how well prepared you are to become a CEO, the education may not exactly align with the experience. That is…
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