Christian Executive Leadership Coaching

Coaching Christian Leaders, Executives, and Senior Level Professionals

Should I retain Gary Wood for Christian executive leadership coaching?

You serve a secular or faith-based company or organization in United States or Canada. Your walk with Christ is essential.

You are addressing a situation or season that is unusually pressured. There may be a disconnection from others who could or should listen, understand, care, or act.

You want discernment and wisdom for next steps.

You require a proven Christian Executive Coach you feel can understand:

• Where you are coming from 
• The stresses you are under 
• What you are trying to achieve
• What faith’s response might be

Will We Have a Faith-Based Reference Point for Executive Coaching?

When an executive or professional calls me, they need to perform and deliver in a period of particular uncertainty and complexity. There may be little clarity but a lot riding on the next decision they make or conversation they have. 

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 is important to them, they want a Christian Coach who has the maturity and experience to both understand the the situation they're talking about, and speak into it from a position of biblical insight. 

We may not talk about spiritual things each and every time we are together. Coaching is not a Bible study or a discipleship program.

But, throughout Christian executive leadership coaching we always have that Christ-centered reference point in mind, even if we happen to be discussing some strategic or tactical business or nonprofit concern. In brief:

• Like any other leader or executive, you have personal, professional and organizational concerns you want to use coaching to address. 

• In addition, you want to work with a professional Coach who shares a common Lord, spiritual understanding, and ultimate 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. 

How Does Faith Inform a Leader's Coaching 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 us fresh insight or perspective on the situation at hand. They can help us think about how we might handle some particular situation. 

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.  

In Discussing 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 discussed 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 Leaders and Executives Talk About During Coaching?

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 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. 

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 to speak with you. Send me a message here.

How Do I Prepare for Our Coaching Conversations?

I understand how to coach to the rigors of everyday leadership and the long-term aspirations of the individual.

During our coaching time we'll probably have four types of discussion. I've included some examples from the two sample weeks of coaching for each. 

1. Real-Time Situations and Concerns - Planning, troubleshooting, decision-making, interpersonal situations that you are dealing with today or this week.

• Getting prepared to assume a senior position in a few days
• Not letting this really intense quarter turn into burnout
• Dealing with the results of a major failure 

Click here if you'd like to read more about the benefits of Executive Coaching for a Christian leader. 

2. Growth Goals that Take More Time - Dealing with overload, burnout or burn-on, Increasing daily productivity and effectiveness, changing possible career limiting behaviours. You can't simply snap your fingers, and ... bingo, got that solved in an hour. 

• How to raise that one team out of their lethargic performance
• Raising my contribution and impact in senior leadership team meetings
• Improving confidence as a newer member of the executive team

3. Stretch Discussions Around Common Challenges - Avoiding responsibility, micromanaging, lack of awareness, poor communication culture, team dynamics.

Some things require longer, often exhilarating but challenging conversation that gets to the heart of blind spots or tightly held behaviors, or persistent and disturbing organizational cultures. These are the "you really pushed me and made me think," conversations. (More like we really challenged each other to deeper observation and reflection.) 

• Trusting the systems and people put in place to take pressure off
• Taking true down time during upcoming holidays
• Incentivizing performance to attract quality contributors

4. Long-game - Business expansion nationally or globally, establishing a new company or ministry, having 100% of a key staffing area developed and promoted from within, fostering multinational action on some important initiative.

These initiatives span months or years. (Yes, clients stay on that long.) Execution and adjustment continues over time. On coaching calls the initiative comes up again and again as we explore some next step or new phase. 

• Overseeing the transfer of critical public infrastructure
• Working on next strategic steps of a global initiative with multiple stakeholders
• Processing whether to leave or stay in this senior role

Hundreds of executives and leaders have taken advantage of one-to-one Christian executive leadership coaching to advance projects and programs with greater focus and less stress, even while they were decreasing those things that lead to overload and burnout.

If you are looking for a seasoned, Christian Leadership Coach, Phone my office at 705.687.2711 or send a message on the contact form.

Can You Help Me Deal with Overload and Burnout?

We as a society need your contribution to continue from a position of strength.

I've put a special emphasis on coaching for avoiding burnout, and dealing with burnout, for over 26 years. I've supported a lot of executives on the edge of burnout.

I've also seen "coaching" for avoiding burnout become what I perceive to be a fad. But, I've been here and supporting executives all along, sometimes after they've had a poor experience elsewhere. 

You understand that I am not a physician, therapist, or a researcher. I am an executive coach, a seasoned Christian who has depth of experience and knows how to provide understanding, professional, and live (not something AI generated,) coaching SUPPORT. 

I work with YOU, YOUR situation and YOUR context, so you can beat burnout and regain effectiveness. Sometimes I put it this way, "I help you see yourself and your situation clearly, and know what to do next."

Bottom line - We need YOU. I'd welcome the opportunity to be of help.

Here's some real time encouragement. If you are having a rough time right now with the intensity of your situation, try reading these encouraging words of Scripture. Remember, David "strengthened himself in the Lord."

What Improvements Can I Look Forward To as a Result of Executive Coaching?

Through our one to one Christian executive leadership coaching work you can:

• Move from a loss of energy to an increase of energy 

• Move from a loss of effectiveness to increasing effectiveness 

• Move from a pull back of involvement to being engaged again

• Move from a loss of health and a sense of well-being closer to optimum health and positive attitude 

• Move from feeling a loss of control to a sense of control 

Coaching is the Catalyst for the Most Significant Leadership Development

After several decades of Christian executive leadership coaching, 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. You are making an investment in you (or your team,) and by extension all God allows you to influence and impact. Coaching pays 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 isn't about the cost. It's about investing in 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.

I Bring Years of Coaching Leadership Experience

In addition to directly providing Christian executive leadership coaching, I've been around Coaching as a profession since early on, playing a part in its development. For many years I also trained prospective professional coaches, developing original training materials and courses.  

• As a participant in the development of the International Coaching Federation
• As a participant in the development of the International Association of Coaching
• Developing coarse material and training prospective professional coaches for Institute for Life Coach Training
• Developing coarse material and training prospective professional coaches for Professional Christian Coaching Institute
• Owning, leading and nurturing Christian Coaches Network, now Christian Coaches Network International
• Doing original research to develop key tools and frameworks used in modern coaching

For Christian Executive Leadership Coaching, I Invite You to Contact Me

I welcome the opportunity to assist you, or coach a member of your leadership team. Contact me to explore how I might be of assistance and how soon an opening might be available.

Don't hesitate. Contact me now. There is no charge for a conversation to explore your situation and see how I might be able to be of some assistance. 

Christian Executive Leadership Coaching with Gary Wood

To learn a bit more about me, here are a few frequently asked questions that I get.  

Recap

On this page we have discussed: 

• We have a shared faith-based reference point for our relationship and coaching together
• What this mindset means when we meet
• Real life examples of what leaders and executives have worked on using Christian executive leadership coaching
• How to prepare for our coaching conversations
• The support provided if you are dealing with overload or burnout
• The improvements you can expect as a result of coaching
• 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