I coach leaders at all levels, from a variety of sectors and fields, who want to develop the potential in people and processes to create positive, impactful change.
I wasn’t always a leader; my first career was in law where I worked as a lawyer in private and public sector practice. When I began my journey into leadership, I did not have any formal training. I felt ill-equipped, uncertain, and at times, overwhelmed. What I did know was that I wanted to improve legal processes to better serve the public, and that would require different types of skills than I had learned in law school or used in legal practice.
My journey from lawyer to leader began with a lot of work on myself. As a lawyer, I felt I had to act in ways that others expected; always being prepared to defend or have the ‘right’ answer and never revealing any weaknesses or vulnerabilities. One of the most important lessons I learned was that leaders can be strong and caring and compassionate (and more!), and that the most effective leaders do not have all of the answers, but they will search for them with head and heart.
Over the course of my leadership journey, I led teams of 2 to 275, and worked with all kinds of people facing all kinds of challenges in dealing with change. Throughout this time I learned that the harder I pushed or tried to convince others to change, the harder they pushed back. I eventually learned to listen deeply for others’ concerns and challenges, ask questions that invited different ideas or opinions, and hold space for respectful dialogues that helped to bridge differences. This is what I now refer to as “taking a coach approach to leadership”.
One of the most important things I have learned so far on my leadership journey is that it takes a lot of courage for leaders to develop the potential in others, and to be clear, I don’t believe you need to have a title or formal position to be a leader.
Are you ready to feel clearer and more confident about the difference you can make as a leader? I would love to support and champion you on your leadership journey through one-on-one coaching or workshops. If you would like to talk and see if we might be a good fit, schedule a complimentary consultation with me by filling out the contact form below.
Testimonial
“Karmen is fiercely intelligent and intuitive, with a heart of gold and amazing listening skills, always bringing clarity to the core of matters as we spoke.” -L.J.
Looking for lawyer coaching? Check out my site Your Best Practice – Coaching for Lawyers
