Who am I to lead them? 

Every leader asks themselves this question.

Even the most experienced and confident leader, asks. The more humble, the more we ask. This is why I coach.  The discovery and strengthening of one’s personal leadership is a process that we as leaders must experience if we are to lead our people with integrity.

I was first thrown into the coach role while wearing a pair of high-waisted, white jean shorts, a set of braces, and I’m certain a gigantic smile.  At thirteen years they placed this farm kid in a summer camp cabin full of rowdy, fast-talking, 10-year-olds from the big city. Totally inexperienced, but willing to try just about anything to connect with them, I found myself quite literally following them into adventure.

We explored the woods. We dove headfirst down a rickety waterslide. We painstakingly worked the marshmallow roasting process to perfection. We suffered the tears of homesickness, unrequited camp crushes, and finally, our goodbyes. They loved it. They loved each other. And by the end, I believe each one of them loved who they were becoming. Who was I to lead them? With listening ears, a curious mind, a loving heart, and unfailing determination, I was just a human kid. That’s who.

Fifteen years later, when I stepped boldly and awkwardly into the tech world, many of the early lessons made ’round the campfire proved true in the pristine conference rooms of the corporate world. People are people, teams are teams, and systems have patterns. I learned to see and read patterns.

Years later I peered into the science and research behind my experiences in the field. I discovered the humans behind the scenes of it all– organizational development practitioners, executive coaches, thought leaders, and community organizers were diligently lifting up the people who found themselves with the responsibility to lead and steward their companies and their communities.

You are likely one of those leaders.

Whether at the helm of a Fortune 5oo company and/or managing a household, you have taken up the challenge.  I want to know your story, witness your development, and not rest until we’ve aligned your visions with your reality and set you on your chosen path.

Who are you to lead them?

But first, let’s check a few boxes.

Coaching

What is coaching, really?  

My simplest definition: Coaching is the stewardship of human development and empowered change. It is a creative act. Coach and client collaborate to discover the client’s values, purpose, what brings fulfillment. Together they create paths toward goal achievement, and “whole self” living.

Coaching focuses on your present, your future, and what’s possible. In contrast, therapy typically explores one’s present, past, and/or is issue-focused. This distinction is important, as both therapy and coaching are invaluable processes which can work together beautifully – holding and witnessing the full spectrum of your life and legacy.

Coaches don’t give advice. Yes, great coaches may have been there or we’ve witnessed others deep in the glorious muck of life.  They have their own life stories and experiences, many rich in lessons.  However, a coach will always hold your agenda and experiences central to the work. This works because coaches believe in the wholeness, creativity, and resourcefulness of their clients. You are not someone to fix. Your life, your career, your teams are not broken. Living is experiencing, changing, and growing.  The mess means you’re doing it right.

As your coach, I’m making a commitment to serve as your witness, guide, and champion as you creatively intervene in your own unfolding life.

Consulting

Small Plot, LLC was formed as a response to what I was witnessing in teams– the desire for instant results with minimal risk, the desire to purchase tidy, industry-known solutions rather than doing the work on the ground to enable and sustain change, and finally (most painfully) dedicated individuals committing time and resources to their efforts, while simultaneously shying away from the intimacy and recognition of interdependence it takes to become a team.

Team Craft, that proprietary mix of team-building, team development, and the formation of team identity, is making the headlines (aka high-functioning teams) in the business world as a crucial part of any successful business. We know that thoughtful team design, consistent care of our people, and organizational adaptation are fundamental to company resilience.

Human-based resources of empathy, desire for connection, ability to recognize shared experiences, skills in leveraging differences, engaging in productive conflict that drives innovation– these are all within our selves, our teams, and our organizations. Together we’ll tap that latent potential.

Sustained change comes about due to many small and intentional shifts in both mindset and action.  We all need partners to hold us accountable, even if that means simply witnessing our learning — like the buddy-system.

CLIENTS

Tala.    Creative Market.    Even.    Community.    The Wax Bar.    Nike.    Geocaching    Camp Ten Trees.    Simple Finance

EDUCATION

Antioch University, Seattle – M.A. Organizational Development

Coaches Training Institute

NeuroLeadership Institute

Applications, Influences, and Favorites

StrengthsFinder (Gallup)

Emergent Strategy (Brown)

Humble Consulting (Schein)

Adaptive Leadership (Heifetz)

Thanks for the Feedback (Heen)

Three Bold Steps (Dobrowolski)

Group Works | Group Pattern Language Project

Paradoxes of Group Life (Smith, Berg)

Thinking in Systems (Meadows)

Turning to One Another (Wheatley)

The Center for Ethical Leadership, Seattle

Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team (Lencioni)

Community: The Structure of Belonging (Block)

The People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond, Seattle

The Surprising Power of Liberating Structures (Lipmanowicz, McCandless)