An ambitious leader knows she’ll need to network to achieve her career goals. But, to her, networking feels slimy, so she asks her coach for help.  Some core concepts from this episode: The purpose of networking is to know people. Don’t target people. Nurture a relationship. Make networking 5% of your job every week. Networking makes you a more valuable employee. Show interest in the other person. No monologuing about yourself. Listen to Tom’s “Flow” and “Fall” stories on the Coaching Stories podcast with Dr. Sam Humphrey.  COACHES! Join us at the Executive Coaching Special Int ..read more

Before testifying in a high-stakes case, a theorist and his coach swap horror stories about their nerves hijacking them and the lessons they learned.  Tom’s Top Three Ideas for Mastering Nerves: Celebrate Incremental Improvement Write Happy Endings Ignore Your Nerves Here is the clip of Emma Stone battling her anxiety. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkN0sPQ76E0 Email Tom and tell him he’s crazy here. For Coaches! 2 Resources! 1.  Coaching Stories Podcast 2.  Executive Coaching Special Interest Group sponsored by ICF-LA. CCE’s given! Tom’s conversations with Neha Singh o ..read more

Angry at himself for continually putting others’ needs before his own, a leader turns to his coach for tools. He learns a new way to think and a behavior to try.  Be in touch with Tom here. Listen to Tom’s conversations with Neha on “Bridge to Leadership” podcast here and here. Our Essential Tools bin has free resources to help you build your look and sound of leadership.  G.W. Bailey’s imdb page is here. This episode lives in the podcast archive in these three categories: For Women Managing Yourself Self-Talk Five episodes to help conquer your people pleasing tendencies:  ..read more

A vice president, struggling to control his team of artists, learns a technique for managing bad behavior from his coach. He likes it so much, he uses it with his high performers, too. The tool described in this episode is simple to understand but may take a bit of courage to implement. Courage can be taught. Brené Brown created her Dare to Lead course for exactly that purpose. Ready to build your courage? Reach out to us here. Find more resources to build your skills in the podcast archive. Search these categories: Assertiveness Feedback Management Skills Five episodes you might listen to ..read more

A leader is so furious with his self-absorbed boss, he considers quitting the company. He asks his coach to help him manage himself and defuse his triggers. In addition to the five strategies Tom talks about in this episode, there are lots more strategies in his conversation with Dave Stachowiak on Coaching For Leaders “How to Deal with a Boss Who’s a Jerk.”  Tom’s wide-ranging conversation with Josh Dittmer can be found here. Free tools to support your professional development are in our Essential Tools bin. Please help yourself. Ready to explore coaching? Reach out to Tom here. Othe ..read more

Tired of losing to more savvy players, a leader seeks to decode the secrets of playing politics, focusing particularly on company culture. Download our free Political Style Chart here. “The Secret Handshake” is a great tool for mastering workplace politics. Looking for a transcript of the show?  Read it here. More tools are in our podcast library. This episode is in three categories: For WomenPerception – how you perceive othersRelationship Building Here are five episodes to help develop your political savvy: 188 - Boundaries210 - How to grow your self-management67 - “I hate poli ..read more

A leader feels stuck. She sees others winning resources she felt should have been hers, but she hates playing politics. What to do? Download our free Political Style Chart here. “The Secret Handshake” is a great tool for mastering workplace politics.  Many more tools are in our podcast library. This episode is in three categories: Self-Talk Leadership For Women Here are five episodes to help develop your political savvy: 187 - Agreeable Disagreement 215 - How to Stay Calm Under Fire 192 - Pursuing a Promotion 207 - Tough Conversations 67 - “I Hate Politics” Our monthly Essential New ..read more

A co-founder, at odds with his partner (also his best friend!), reaches out to his coach for help saving the business and the friendship.  The episode introduces The Conflict Resolution Wheel. Download it for free from our Essential Tools bin along with other communication tools like the Feeling Words Grid. The Wheel is based on a tool in the Couple Communication course, a program to help you understand and connect with your partner better. The course’s workbook, Talking and Listening Together, is meant for self-study. It’s available for purchase online.  Another book Tom reference ..read more

A senior leader, having risen through the ranks, ends her coaching engagement by comparing notes with her coach about the skills that have helped her most.  This episode identified seven essential leadership skills: Conquer catastrophic thinking; Use fewer words; Value relationships as highly as results; Don’t take anything personally; Commitment to Development; Reflection; Speak for Yourself. Resources to develop those last three: Commitment to Development The Executive Executive – an episode with a different list of essential skills Four Factors Executives Need to be Successful – ano ..read more

During her first C-suite years, a leader burned a lot of bridges. Her boss, who’d traveled a similar path, gets her a coach and sets only one goal: repair relations through emotional intelligence. Lots and lots of tools and resources this month: Free downloads: The Feeling Words Grid EQ Model Books and papers to sharpen your skills “Executive Presence: The Missing Link between Merit and Success”  “The EQ Edge: Emotional Intelligence and Your Success” “Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well” “Executive Presence” from Center for Talent Innovation This ep ..read more