Christian Executive Leadership Coach

Importance of a Faith-Based Reference Point

I have been a Christian Executive Leadership Coach for many years. I've worked under, with, and leading leaders even longer.

When an executive calls me, there may be little clarity but a lot riding on the next decision they make or conversation they have. Believe me, I get it. 

Because they feel the weight of the responsibilities they carry, they want a Coach to listen, engage and provide honest feedback to inform their decision-making.

And, because their faith and walk with Christ is important to them, they want a Christian Coach who has the maturity and experience to both understand the situation they're talking about, and speak into it from a position of spiritual insight. 

We may not talk about spiritual things each and every time we are together. After all, coaching is not a Bible study or a discipleship program. Still ...

1 Cor 3:11 No one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 

We always have that Christ-centered reference point in mind, even if we happen to be discussing some strategic or management concern. In brief:

• Like any other leader or executive, you have personal, professional and organizational concerns you want to use coaching to address. You need wisdom and discernment for next steps.

• In addition, you want to work with a seasoned Coach who shares a common Lord, a spiritual depth of understanding, and a shared life purpose. 

• We both have a desire to achieve outcomes that honor God. We care about and want to contribute to the good of people. 

Contact me now and set up a complimentary conversation. 

How Does Faith Inform Our Coaching Conversation?

Faith Informs Our Conversation As We Discuss Work, Professional, and Leadership Issues

Often in the course of conversation a reference to a Biblical character, account or passage will come up. These reflections can give you fresh insight or perspective on the situation at hand. They can help you think about how you might handle some particular situation. 

Faith Informs Our Conversation In How We Talk about Work Life Balance 

For most of my clients, work-life balance is incredibly important. God doesn't burn leaders out, so what's going on? Burnout happens for different reasons. I assure you, your availability and vitality for the long term IS of vital interest to God.  

Faith Informs Our Conversation as We Discuss Anything That is Important to You

I discuss and coach around almost anything to do with work, leadership, and life. It seems there isn't much I haven't heard or been talking about with clients who follow Christ. Christians experience the same "stuff" as everyone else. But we process it through the lens of a relationship with God.

For example: Most of my Christian clients have at some time shared a few of the same 10 reasons for avoiding action, as any other client. We discuss those things through a lens of shared faith. 

What I Do Not Discuss - I will NOT cater my coaching to any type of extremism or hyper-political partisanship in a leader. If you wish "coaching" around any such views, I am not the right person for you.  

To see a short list of positions I've coached, and some of the organizations where these leaders worked, click here.  

What Do Christian Leaders and Executives Talk About During Coaching?

As a Christian executive leadership coach I help clients see themselves and their situation clearly and know what to do next.

No week's coaching is ever the same. You'll certainly notice below that any discussion of spiritual things would weave its way through everyday issues. 

For example, here’s what my clients brought to the table for discussion during two sample weeks of coaching:

WEEK # 1

• Making progress on dealing with burnout
• Thinking through implications around the purchase of a new business
• Creating a plan for hiring a key team contributor after a valued one left
• Overseeing the transfer of critical public infrastructure
• How to raise a particular team out of their lethargic performance
• Seeking to understand what God might be up to in a personal situation
• Work on strategic steps for a global initiative with many stakeholders
• Improving contribution (and therefore impact) in executive team meetings 
• Improving confidence as a newer member of the executive team
• Dealing with the results of a major failure

You can see that the coaching conversations covered a lot of ground. Most often clients limit the actual coaching call to one topic, sometimes two. All of the above were separate Christian executive and leadership coaching clients.

I am often used as a sounding board for thinking through complex situations prior to the client having broader discussion with other leaders or board members.

WEEK # 2

• Review of growth over the last two years of a new position
• Processing whether to leave or stay in this senior role
• Not letting this super-stressful quarter turn into burnout
• Trusting the systems and people put in place to take pressure off
• Taking true down time during upcoming holidays
• Getting prepared to assume a more senior position in a few days
• Spiritual well-being of my spouse
• Infilling critical senior role in light of no quality job applicants
• Incentivizing performance to attract quality contributors
• Needs and care for aging parents who are moving to be closer

Here are some other things clients have worked on. 

I never reach up on some shelf behind me and say, "I'll plug [you] into "Executive Coaching 4.2." This isn't a course. It's insightfully helping you see yourself and your situation clearly, and knowing what to do next. YOU set the agenda, just like the clients I've mentioned above. 

Please initiate a conversation with me. We can explore in what way you think I might be able to be of assistance to YOU. It would be an honor as a Christian executive leadership coach to speak with you. Send me a message here.

Coaching is the Catalyst for the Most Significant Leadership Development

After several decades as a Christian executive leadership coach, two things are apparent to me.

• Coaching always lifts a willing leader and improves their leadership.  Everyday realities continue to shift in a world of evolving complexity. Like the men of Issachar, who “understood the times and knew what Israel should do.” (1 Ch 12:32) wise leaders avoid operating alone and in a vacuum. They sought God, and counselled together. We should too.

When that happens with the men and women I serve, they work with greater clarity, less stress, increased momentum, more satisfaction, and often better results. That’s it. Good coaching, by God's enabling, results in better leadership.

• Retaining a coach is not a commodity decision, like buying a car. With the right coach, it's a life transforming investment. You are making an investment in you (or your team,) and by extension all God allows you to influence and impact. Working with me as a Christian executive leadership coach will pay back in multiple ways. And that's why clients continue to retain coaching services for a significant amount of time. (Average time spent coaching with me is currently 14 months.) It's about investing in professional and spiritual growth and what's possible. 

No matter your company or organization, secular or Christian, our work together will have practical application that lasts a lifetime across all of your life, work and leadership. That's the goal and the prayer. 

Keep in mind that there are some situations, some problems, some entrenched challenges that face every Christian leader. There are hard problems to solve. If you are in this type of situation right now, read this.

Recap

On this page we have discussed: 

• We have a shared faith-based reference point for our relationship and coaching together
• This mindset can infuse the real-time insights, decisions, and actions you take next
• Real life examples of what leaders and executives have worked on with me as their Christian executive leadership coach
• Two important things I’ve learned after years of professional coaching
• I bring years of experience to coaching Christian leaders, executives, and senior-level professionals