“Do you think I am a weenie?” a client asked me at the completion of a leadership coaching session. I was surprised by the question because the client is an incredibly accomplished fellow who started and has managed a professional partnership for some thirty years.
Greatness begins with awareness.
Susan’s Insights
Informal interviews help identify opportunities for professional growth
Informal interviews are used early in a leadership development engagement. The coach interviews about 8-10 people in the client’s work environment (peers, direct reports, bosses and even clients) and provides a themes report. The report, which doesn’t reveal the...
Leadership and Self-Deception helps leader understand his blind spots
Leadership and Self-Deception by The Arbinger Institute is an insightful book that can help executives make breakthrough leadership changes.
Self-awareness shows path to better leadership
The cornerstone of a powerful leader lies in the self-awareness to know what your strengths are and when it is best to use them. Even more important is the ability to
Leadership and Self-Deception – Your Way of Being
Leadership and Self-Deception, Getting Out of the Box, by The Arbinger Institute uses a powerful model that is often used to support executive leadership coaching work. The model demonstrates when we do not honor our initial sense; we betray ourselves and go in a...
Feature article on Susan
Kolbe Corp sends out a monthly newsletter, Kolbe Connections. This month the newsletter featured Susan and how she uses the Kolbe tools to serve individual and team clients. Enjoy the article: Coaching and Consulting that is Kolbe Inspired
Hire a well-trained coach
Coaching has exploded in the last decade. If you are thinking about retaining a coach for you or your team, make sure you hire one with training and experience. Anyone can call themself a coach; there is no license or experience required. There are many coaches in...
Why innate energy matters
Understanding how you naturally solve problems can make a huge difference in your ability to get the job done well with lots of energy. Everyone has an innate way of taking action which does not change over our lifetime. These problem-solving patterns are present in...
Improve team effectiveness
Working on a team can be a rewarding experience or an incredible challenge. How well does your team work together? Are projects done on time and within budget? There are simple insights and strategies that can help your team be more productive. Susan leads teams...
In Leadership Coaching, Everything’s on the Table!
For those new to leadership coaching, it can be a bit surprising to hear their coach ask them about what is happening outside of the job. Yet, leadership coaching is most successful when
What’s Next: A Cornerstone of Leadership Development
Leadership development can be a transformative experience when you put the right questions on the table and use them to drive the process. As an Executive Coach, a question I often use with my Leadership Development clients is: What’s next? For the person on the...
How Do I Find the Right Executive Coach for ME?
A decade ago people were asking, “Why would I hire an Executive Coach?” Now that the benefits of coaching have been well established, the focus has changed to, “How do I hire the Executive Coach that is best for me?” The International Coaching Federation provides...
From Job Exhaustion to Thriving Leadership
One of my Executive Coaching clients, Scott came to me because he couldn’t understand why he was experiencing job exhaustion in a leadership role he really liked.
“Leadership and Self-Deception” contributes to better leadership skills
Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting Out of the Box by The Arbinger Institute presents a powerful model that is often used in executive coaching to improve a person’s leadership skills.
When Your Leadership Strengths Become A Liability
A lot has been written about how important it is to identify our leadership strengths and work from them. When we do that, we feel fulfilled and energized, and are able to achieve
An Individual Performer Learns The Power Of Collaborative Leadership
George, a 30-something media executive, was well regarded by his clients and bosses but was experiencing quite a high turnover of his direct reports and wasn’t quite sure what was the root of the problem.
In Leadership, Emotional Intelligence Makes a Huge Difference
As a leadership coach, I am often hired to help executives increase their emotional intelligence because, in today’s world, leadership success is not possible without strong EQ skills.
Is Stress Affecting Your Leadership?
A lot of my Leadership Coaching clients come to their sessions and report feeling so stressed out that they are having trouble focusing on what they need to accomplish. That’s hardly surprising.
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Questions about the Kolbe System
Q: I've heard of Myers-Briggs™ and many other "personality" tests. What makes the Kolbe system unique? A: Skills can be taught, personalities can change, but instincts are hardwired into every individual. Instead, the Kolbe system is based on unchangeable...
Who uses the Kolbe System?
While the Kolbe system is a great help to individuals who want to understand and better utilize their innate talents, the system becomes even more valuable in the team/group setting. For more than 20 years, the Kolbe system has helped small groups and larger companies...
Cherish your moments
My intentions were to write a few blog posts this past weekend about the holidays and year-end thoughts. Those topics went out the window with the horrific story about the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary this past Friday. I was enjoying a birthday lunch with three...
Changing traditions
For many of us, Thanksgiving is a favorite holiday, filled with traditions. It is often a wonderful home cooked meal with friends and family. I enjoy hosting at home; we love to cook, entertain and create a table of love, thankfulness and humor! This year I am in...
Reunion coaching homework
I recently had the pleasure of attending a high school reunion. The conversations were sweet and magical. I left wondering why I so love to connect with the pals of my youth. I suppose because it was a time of innocence, self-exploration and learning. We were witness...
Reading – a life pleasure
I love to lose myself in a good book. This week I read Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier for my book club. Rebecca was written in 1939 and Hitchcock made it into a movie in 1940. The book is a classic, as it is certainly timely today and I am really looking forward to...
What’s life all about, anyway?
I am painfully aware of the circle of life. I lost both of my parents in the last few years. I am watching my middle school kids come to life, with true excitement and curiosity for the lives that lie before them. It does not seem that long ago that my kids’ roles...
When do we think of ourselves as old?
Feeling old is all in the perspective of how we view ourselves. I often hear clients say they are too old in their 50s, 40s and even 30s to learn a new profession or make significant changes. A recent visit with an older friend reminded me just how important our...
Letting go of limiting beliefs
I believe letting go of our limiting beliefs and judgments is one of the hardest things we may attempt to do in a lifetime and yet, one of the most rewarding. I grew up in a home where my parents had strong beliefs and judgments on many subjects and they shared them...
Cooking comfort
I believe in home-cooked meals. I love everything about a home-cooked meal. I love going to the grocery store and I go often. I have a ton of cookbooks; so many that I have divided them into active and inactive ones. My favorite part of a home-cooked meal is the...
Big life lessons
On June 3, 2010 my mother died at about 11 in the morning. She had not been well for many years, so it was a relief and blessing that she could finally leave her body. I thought after a few weeks of settling things for my parents including moving my Dad to an assisted...
LEADERSHIP COACHING
Reach new heights in the role you love by bringing more of what’s amazing about you into it.
TEAM DEVELOPMENT
Learn how to work together in the most productive way by leveraging the strengths of every person on the team.
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