Career Development Accelerator (new leader, promotion)
What is Executive Coaching? Executive coaching is a confidential and customized process that partners a leader with a professional coach to facilitate personal and professional development (co-active coaching). The coach works with the leader to identify their strengths, challenge areas, and potential and then creates a customized coaching program to help them achieve their desired outcomes. Coaching is the vessel toward meaningful discovery and sustainable change. Executive coaching isn’t just for executives – leaders of all levels, including new leaders, can benefit significantly from executive coaching. I especially enjoy working with leaders transitioning from individual contributor to leadership roles, technical to leadership roles: i.e. CTO to CEO, Principal Engineer to VP of Engineering, VP of Finance to CFO, Director to VP or C-Suite, Women in Leadership. My Approach My approach is based on creating a trusting and safe environment in which you can discuss challenges and explore ideas and beliefs that can empower you to overcome obstacles and identify and achieve “what’s possible.” As a former professional athlete and corporate executive, I understand the relentless demands that high-performing individuals face. As a result, I take a holistic approach to executive coaching that recognizes the integral role that emotional and physical agility plays in every aspect of our lives. Strengths-focused Approach Using a strengths-focused approach as a certified Strengthscope certified partner, my coaching program is designed with the goal of connecting our coaching to the key activities of your role, so you can practice your capabilities in real-time situations, and so that these capabilities address the obstacles to your ability to perform at your very best.
What's included
My approach is direct, human, and rooted in experience. I blend real-world leadership across industries (Intel, Dow, The Honest Company, Chevron, Habitat for Humanity, tech startups), hold coaching credentials, and have a background in performance and resilience—including my time as a professional downhill mountain biker. I know what it takes to establish boundaries and leverage your team in order to stay focused under pressure. I have a direct communication style - my role is to help you move the needle and have those hard conversations to get there. I am your cheerleader and your reality-check. I suggest a coaching cadence of one hour every three weeks - this ensures that you keep the momentum going, which takes into consideration your busy schedule. The Executive Coaching Process ‘typically’ involves the following stages: 1. Chemistry Meeting: Introductory meeting to determine coaching fit and synergy 2. Coaching Intake: Discuss career aspirations, challenges, energizers, and values as the baseline for the coaching engagement (an intake questionnaire will be provided). 3. Professional Assessment (optional): We work together to determine the best Assessment from my toolbox based on your current situation, goals, and development needs (i.e. DiSC, Emotional Intelligence, Strengthscope). 4. Goal Setting: we will establish leadership capability strengthening areas and customized action plan for the coaching engagement. 5. Implementation: implement the action plan with ongoing support and guidance from your coach. This could include coaching observations, short assignments/worksheets, articles, case studies, weekly reflections, podcasts, videos, etc. 5. Coaching Program Progress: We regularly evaluate progress and adjust as needed. Depending on the coaching engagement model, your manager may be part of this process at midpoint and at the completion of coaching 6. Coaching Transition: We develop a transition plan at the completion of your coaching program to ensure you have the tools, resources, and support moving forward.
- 30-60-90 Day Leadership Acceleration Plan
- Coaching Goals as applicable
- Professional Assessment (Strengthscope, DiSC, 360, or EQ)
- Stakeholder Relationship Mapping if applicable
- Coaching Transition Plan
- Deepening Leadership Capabilities
Meet your expert
Michelle S.
Executive Coach | Former C-Suite | 100+ Leaders Developed | ICF-LA BOD
COO | PMP | MSc | Ex-Intel | Executive Coach | Tech Startup Exec | HealthTech | ICF LA Former Board Member | Ex-Pro Athlete | University of Michigan Alumni | UCLA Anderson School of Management Adjunct Professor 🎙️Breaking Boundaries: A Podcast of my Leadership Journey 🔹Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/breaking-boundaries-from-intel-to-pro-athlete-to-executive/id1769047061?i=1000708555318 🔹 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/64kqS1nYpXX5ykmj41kgSb?si=3DMFY04CSWiJBsJ5mX6PgA I was once described as a "Swiss Army Knife," and it stuck. For the past 25 years, I've had my hands in a bit of everything from startups to global giants (Intel, Nike, DIRECTV, Dow, Chevron, Kaiser, Blue Shield of CA, The Honest Company), as an Adjunct Professor in the MBA program at UCLA, and living abroad for 10 years in Ireland, France, and Mexico. I've navigated a diverse landscape of industries and roles from software engineer, project/program/product manager, general manager, to Chief Operating Officer - always drawn to the challenge of building something exceptional. Driven by meaningful work, what is of utmost importance to me is having a positive impact. I'm a "change maker" with a "people first" attitude. You can have a great idea or product, but the most successful, profitable, and sustainable organizations are built on their people, culture and values. In 2014, I made the transition from my role as COO and acting CEO of a technology startup in San Francisco to going full-time on my own with two different consulting companies that spanned executive coaching, leadership development, executive consulting, and technology consulting. I've been able to work with some of the smartest founders and leaders in technology and business, including Jessica Alba, executives in the succession path for the CIO role at Chevron, and a CEO who has over 300 patents and an Edison Award - whose company was recently acquired by Amazon. Excellence is my mantra. It was the only option when managing complex enterprise change initiatives while ensuring continuous alignment with strategy. One of the most complex programs that I helped to manage was a multi-year enterprise initiative to migrate disparate platforms on 275 servers to a standardized Enterprise Content Management system (ECM) and delivery platform (CDN). During this time, I increased Intel’s overall website health and active user base by over 60%, across 200,000 webpages in 21 languages. • Global, virtual team management: EMEA, LATAM, and North America with a specialization in India, Ireland, UK, Germany, Argentina, and Mexico • 10 years abroad experience in Mexico, Argentina, France, Ireland. EU work authorization. • Former professional downhill mountain biker • Leadership Development expertise and Executive Coaching (ICF qualified) • Project, Program, Product Life Cycle & Standards expertise • Staffing budget responsibility over 60M out of 700M+ budget • Managed 10 technology teams and an indirect global team of over 300