Coaching Real Leaders

He’s part of a real estate organization and loves his work but wonders what his future looks like at the company and how his role could grow in the coming decades. Host Muriel Wilkins coaches this leader through how he might use some of his entrepreneurial muscles to shift his career track toward a business leadership role within his current organization. Further reading: Why You Should Become an Intrapreneur Recognize Intrapreneurs Before They Leave The Strategic Side Gig

Coaching Real Leaders returns May 2 with new coaching sessions, new career challenges, and new leadership lessons. This season, host and longtime executive coach Muriel Wilkins will tackle questions like: How do I move from subject matter expert to business leader? How do I hold myself and my team more accountable? How do I navigate my entrepreneurial interests within a large established company? Listen in on coaching sessions with real leaders from around the globe, as they work out the challenges they face at work.

No matter how driven and capable you are, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by a promotion and a new seat at the table. Host Muriel Wilkins speaks with a newly promoted leader who wants to make sure she’s as effective at this new level as she has been in past roles. Further reading: The Next Level, 3rd Edition: What Insiders Know About Executive Success Own the Room: Discover Your Signature Voice to Master Your Leadership Presence

He’s a senior-level executive with a goal to make it to the C-suite. While he’s come close, he’s been turned down and is not sure why. Host Muriel Wilkins helps this leader plan his next moves. Further reading: What to Do After a Final-Round Job Interview Cracking the Code That Stalls People of Color What Do Black Executives Really Want?

As we head into the holidays after a very stressful year, many of us are struggling with burnout. This week, we revisit a conversation from earlier in the year with a leader on the brink of burnout. She’s ambitious and has always leaned into opportunities to lead. But in her leadership role, her responsibilities just keep growing, making her feel like she can’t keep up. Now she’s questioning whether she even wants to lead anymore. Host Muriel Wilkins coaches this leader through her burnout toward strategies she can take to focus her energy and scale up her leadership. Further reading: ●      “6 Causes of Burnout, and How to Avoid Them” ●      “If You’re Overworked, Learn Which Tasks to Hand Off” ●      “Stop Doing Low-Value Work”

He’s been at his company for many years and has worked his way up from an entry-level position to a director role. Now, he wants to get to the next level in his career, but he feels stuck and unsure of himself. Host Muriel Wilkins coaches this leader on how to regain his confidence so that he can move forward. Further reading: To Strengthen Your Confidence, Look to Your Past Mojo: How to Get It, How to Keep It, How to Get It Back If You Lose It Don’t Let Self-Doubt Hold You Back

No matter how hard you work and how good you are at executing tasks, there are always less tangible reasons people get tapped for more senior roles. Executive presence matters, as does finding the right sponsors. Host Muriel Wilkins speaks with a rising leader who understands the importance of sponsorship but doesn’t know how to get there – starting with learning to tell her own story. Further reading: The Relationship You Need to Get Right The Key to Landing Your Next Job? Storytelling. Sponsorship: Defining the Relationship

There are all different kinds of leadership styles, but it’s hard to know what is authentic to you, or how much you should try to adapt to your environment. In this episode, host Muriel Wilkins speaks with a senior leader who is having trouble drawing a line between what is expected of her, and what feels true to her core.

We check in with three guests from Season 1 to see what they took with them from their coaching meetings and where they are now. First, we hear from a leader who had been struggling to communicate effectively, especially in high-level management meetings. Then we get an update from a leader who had been on the brink of burnout. Finally, we catch up with a leader who had been managing racial tensions between her team and her boss. Season 1 episodes referenced in this episode: Finding My Leadership Voice On the Brink of Burnout Caught in the Middle

She’s recently been promoted to a senior role, after working her way up in the industry from an entry level position. But she’s become a leader at a time when there’s also a lot of change. Now she’s the legacy person on her new team, and she feels constantly questioned and defensive about the way things work and the culture she helped build. Host Muriel Wilkins coaches this leader on how to figure out what to keep from the past and what to let go of, so she can be effective. Further reading: The Right Way to Respond to Negative Feedback Don’t Let Your Brain’s Defense Mechanisms Thwart Effective Feedback Defend Your Idea Without Being Defensive