Our leaders speak for themselves.Executive Leadership Case Study
Bennett Graham
President
Main Street Health
I realized it wasn't going to be as beneficial for some of these leaders to be meeting with somebody who is also hiring and firing them and giving them performance reviews. I needed a third party who could engage them and coach them.
“We had a relatively young leadership team at the time. There were a few of our leaders who had really high potential and were already very charismatic and very likable, but missing something.
One of our leaders was really trying to navigate the balance of prioritization and trying to figure out, ‘How do I get all of the work done?’ In a previous role, they had been really focused on one thing and now they were expected to do a lot of things. I realized it wasn't going to be as beneficial for some of these leaders to be meeting with somebody who is also hiring and firing them and giving them performance reviews. I needed a third party who could engage them and coach them.”
I know Jonathan is somebody who understands that work is a really important part of what we do and what we're called to do, but it is also interconnected to the rest of life.
“A great executive coach ultimately is a good listener. Coaches are able to give a leader space to process whatever they're trying to navigate. On several occasions, we have engaged Jonathan and the team to work with leaders for a season. ‘Hey, you're coming into our company with strong skills and experience, but there's also an opportunity for introspection and to have somebody ask you some hard questions that you might not necessarily feel comfortable answering to your boss or somebody else at the firm.’
I know Jonathan is somebody who understands that work is a really important part of what we do and what we're called to do, but it is also interconnected to the rest of life—family, marriage, friendship, and everything else we do. That was a value that resonated with our team, because a core part of the culture we've tried to build is one where we really are loving people, not just in their capacity as a particular title, but as a whole person. It was important to me to know that a coach wasn't just thinking about these leaders solely through the lens of their vocation in the office, but also explores, ‘How does the rest of their life intersect?’ and ‘How do they think about what matters to them and their values and their family?’ I knew that Jonathan would bring that perspective and that it would be well received.”
“What sets Author Leadership apart is this balance between enough structure and enough space. There is an intentional thoughtfulness around a person's whole life experience without necessarily pretending to be a licensed counselor. The program is focused on how this individual can progress as a leader, but in the context of their whole life.
What I appreciated about Author Leadership’s process is that there actually is a real trellis to build off of. The part that jump-started the engagement really effectively was the combination of a 360º Assessment and an intensive on the front end.
There’s also structure around a regular meeting cadence. I knew that it wasn't going to be willy-nilly engagement. It wasn't going to be just, ‘Jonathan's a nice guy and he's fun to talk to,’ but it was going to have some structure to it. At the same time, you could tell that Jonathan had really consulted experts who had done this for a long time and then honed his own craft, with enough structure to give people something to hold on to, but not so much that it was going to constrain the conversation and not let it go where it needed to go.
One of my executives who worked with Jonathan began showing up as more of an executive, as far as balancing time and priorities. Another was really able to leap forward in regard to the intentionality of their leadership.”
I don't know if it is possible to be a great leader without having somebody who is playing the role of coach.
“Jonathan is going to shine, whether it's with a broad team or one-on-one coaching. He has the experience to understand team dynamics and how those play themselves out, and he’s able to work with an individual who is looking for a space to process things and figure out how to lead. I don't know if it is possible to be a great leader without having somebody who is playing the role of coach, whether it's formal or not. I've never seen someone lead effectively without someone in their lives who is at least playing that role of coach, whether it's formal or not.”
Start owning
your story
If you sense drift—professionally or personally—this is your invitation to slow down and take an honest look. A simple conversation can open the path to clarity, courage, and renewal.