Coaching Real Leaders

He’s had a long, successful career as an attorney, in spite of the challenges he’s faced as a neurodivergent leader. Now he wants to parlay his legal experience and interest in advocacy into a different career in diversity, equity, and inclusion, but he’s having a hard time landing the role he wants. Host Muriel Wilkins coaches this leader through how to move forward with his career plans even when it feels like the odds are stacked against him. Further reading: 4 Steps to Making a Successful Career Change Neurodiversity: The Benefits of Recruiting Employees with Cognitive Disabilities The Right Way to Make a Big Career Transition Job Seeking When You’re Over 50 Neurodiversity as a Competitive Advantage

She’s had a successful career leading in the corporate world and now she’s decided to venture out on her own to build a consulting business from scratch. But she’s struggling with her move into entrepreneurship and wonders if she made the right decision. Host Muriel Wilkins coaches her through how to make the most out of her entrepreneurial journey. Further reading: So You Want to Be an Entrepreneur? Starting a New Job as a Mid-Career Professional Making the Leap to Entrepreneurship

He’s a self-professed “natural finance guy” and has shown himself to be invaluable to his company. His long-term goal is to become a CFO, but he’s gotten little feedback on what to do  to get to the executive level. Now he’s starting to feel stuck in middle management. Host Muriel Wilkins coaches him through managing his career, even when the plan isn’t always clear. Further reading: 6 Ways to Take Control of Your Career Development If Your Company Doesn’t Care About It How to Make Progress on Your Long-Term Career Goals Setting Career Priorities When Everything Is Uncertain

Coaching Real Leaders returns October 3 for another season of real-life coaching sessions, where host and longtime executive coach Muriel Wilkins takes you behind closed doors as she helps executives, managers, and entrepreneurs work through the challenges they face. This season, Muriel coaches real leaders from around the globe who are struggling with questions like: How do I make a career change later in life? How do I transition from a corporate job to an entrepreneurial one – and make the most of it? How do I manage my career when I don’t have a clear path ahead of me? Listen in for new coaching sessions, new career challenges, and new leadership lessons.

Every workplace has “difficult” people. No matter how hard we try, getting along with these colleagues is tough. But if we had better tools and approaches, could we not just improve our interactions with them but maybe even turn them into allies? This episode is an exclusive introduction to a new special podcast series from HBR’s Women at Work. It’s called “Getting Along” and is in Women at Work’s feed this September. Each of the four episodes is hosted by Women at Work’s Amy Gallo. In this one, Amy speaks with a leader who is struggling in her new role because her boss (the company’s founder and CEO) keeps rejecting any changes she recommends. Amy helps her figure out how to communicate her proposals in a way that will get the approval she needs. It’s a useful conversation for anyone who needs to manage up more effectively and wants to feel less stress dealing with a challenging boss. Amy is a sought-after expert in workplace dynamics, conflict, and communication and has helped thousands of leaders learn how to handle conflict at work. The series offers targeted tactics for dealing with tough coworkers, based on Amy’s book Getting Along: How to Work with Anyone (Even Difficult People), through one-on-one coaching sessions with guests who are dealing with difficult colleagues. Listen to all four episodes of the “Getting Along” series at https://hbr.org/2018/01/podcast-women-at-work or wherever you get your podcasts.

He’s had a successful career in the military and is deeply invested in his professional growth. As his transition out of the military approaches, he wants to figure out what’s next for him professionally. Host Muriel Wilkins coaches him through how to best prepare for the next phase of his career. Further reading: 4 Steps to Making a Successful Career Change The Right Way to Make a Big Career Transition Navigating the Emotional Side of a Career Transition

She took on a leadership role as a scrum master because she wanted a new challenge. But after a few months on the job, she worries that she lacks the technical knowledge and years of experience to truly lead her team. Host Muriel Wilkins coaches her through how to build credibility with her older, more experienced colleagues. Further reading: When You’re Younger than the People You Manage When Your Boss Is Younger Than You The Challenges (and Triumphs) of a Young Manager Can You Be a Great Leader Without Technical Expertise?

He’s developed a stellar reputation at his organization as the go-to person to solve some very specific, complicated problems. But he worries that the organization has pigeon-holed him as a subject matter expert, limiting his ability to lead more broadly. He speaks with host Muriel Wilkins about how he can break out of the specialist role to reach his goal of becoming a more general business leader. Further reading: All Hail the Generalist Generalists Get Better Job Offers Than Specialists Generalists Versus Specialists: The Winner Doesn’t Take It All When Generalists Are Better Than Specialists, and Vice Versa

She has risen very quickly in her career, often being the youngest in the room. She’s ambitious and wants to make it to the C-suite eventually, but she doesn’t know the right moves to make in the short term to fast-track her way to the top. Host Muriel Wilkins coaches her through how to align her career path with her goals. Further reading: How Ambitious Should You Be? (HBR.org) Do You Want the Corner Office Someday? (Dear HBR)

She’s heading toward the apex of her career and wants to play a more strategic role in her company because she feels that’s where her strengths lie. While she’s great at creating the vision, she’s struggling to set direction and then follow through with her team. Host Muriel Wilkins coaches her through how to lead with more accountability. Further reading: More About the Myers-Briggs Personality Test The Right Way to Hold People Accountable Does Your Team Have an Accountability Problem? Managers: Compassion and Accountability Aren’t Mutually Exclusive