One-on-One Executive Coaching For Ambitious Executives Serious About Big Results

How to determine if this is for you…

The coaching I do is not for everyone. You’re here on this page either out of mere curiosity, or you’re looking for help and you want to know if I might be able to help you. If you’re looking for help and want to know if I’m the right person here’s what I recommend:

  1. Step 1 - Read the statements below titled “What’s holding you back from the life and career you want?” If you don’t identify with at least two of those statements, I’m not the coach for you, you can stop. 
  2. Step 2 - Read the section titled “How I Help,” which describes how I help my clients. If that makes sense to you then continue reading.
  3. Step 3 - Schedule a time to talk with me. We’ll meet for 30-minutes. During that time we’ll discuss your goals, what’s holding you back, and determine if we’re a fit for one another. No pressure, just a frank conversation.

I would have never thought of finding the time to meet with EVP if I wasn’t thinking of “Power”

Back in 2018, I was scheduled to go abroad to meet a customer. Later I learned that a top EVP was going to be in a nearby city meeting a customer I was going to meet the next week. I decided to cancel my original trip and changed my plans to sync up with the EVP, so I could help him, convince him 1-1 about my ideas and seek his support convincing the CEO to invest $4M in my team. Several things happened because of the trip. I had a 20 min 1:1 with CEO (which ended up being 80 min) and I eventually got the $4M I was asking for. I would have never thought of finding the time with EVP if I wasn’t thinking of “Power.”

RK, Director (now VP) at a Global Technology Firm

What’s holding you back from the life and career you want?

  • “I am smart and work really hard – but I am not getting ahead in my career.”
  • “Over time, I have seen less competent peers rise ahead of me. It is frustrating!”
  • “Recently I got ‘de-railed‘ (fired, demoted, had someone brought in over me). I am angry, upset and depressed.”
  • “Our company just got acquired and new executive management is coming in. I want to be ready for the shift.”
  • “I am shifting roles from an individual contributor role to being a manager and leader. My success is now through others, and I need to better delegate, inspire others to get the job done, deal with different personalities – and manage up.”
  • “I work in a complex, geographically distributed team or work remote and do not sit in headquarters. How do I make sure I am not forgotten by those in control?”
  • “I do my job extremely well and my role is critical at my company.. but I usually only get attention when things go wrong. My KPIs each year get ratcheted up and people forget the great work I do. How do I ensure I am not taken for granted?”
  • “I am getting ready for a career/life change. I am afraid of making a sudden or dumb move – and frankly a bit scared to leave my current position, which is comfortable.”
  • “I am happy where I am, but am planning for a larger leap in 2-5 years (probably go independent). I believe I could be more aggressive laying the groundwork for that now – what are ways to do that?”
  • “I am introverted or feel uncomfortable just thinking about ‘networking’, even though I know it is important. I feel this may be detrimental to my long-term career but how can I get over this fear?”
  • “How can I build my reputation as a thought leader or recognized go-to-person in my company, industry and country?
  • “How do I bridge being authentic, positive and liked with being forceful and making tough or unpopular decisions?”
  • “I am a [woman, minority, introvert, or Asian] and feel I get bypassed or overlooked at my company because of that.”
  • “I am white, male, extroverted – and amazing at what I do – but feel the organization wants to promote other types to improve diversity. How do I keep my career moving?”
  • "I've just landed a high-stakes assignment, that could make or break my career. I know I am missing 1-2 elements in my skillset, but don't know what they are. I don't want to mess around or guess: I need the extra edge quickly, and have a small window to show it."
  • “I am a start-up person and recently joined a larger corporation. There is lots of bureaucracy and politics. How can I make an impact quickly and over the long-term? I know making a first impression is critical.”
  • “I am trying to land my first job post-MBA – or now that I have accepted my job offer, I want to make sure I become successful there.”
  • “I have to deal with adversaries in my company who would like nothing more than to see me fail, and they look for every opportunity to undercut me or keep me in place. How can I creatively and productively deal with that?”
  • “I have gotten feedback that I do not come across well or as executive material, and I believe it has hurt me. I need help with executive presence.”
  • “I want to better mobilize key stakeholders and my team.”
  • “I am told I am a great boss but find I spend too much time helping my team – but I find I do not spend enough time focusing on myself and my own career trajectory and advancement!”
  • “I am preparing for an overseas assignment, outside my country. How should I best get ready?”
  • “I had a coach but after we stopped working with each other, I realize I had become dependent on him/her to push me. I need someone who will help me, but give me the tools to coach myself in the long-term.”
  • “I know the things I need to do to improve, but I fall back into old habits. What are ways to ensure new habits and behaviors stick?”
  • “People love me and my work and praise me, but they don’t seem to want to work with me. In other words, people come and listen but they don’t select or hire me for projects.”
  • “I am smart and know my stuff, but top leaders seem to look past me. How can I become more effective communicating and getting the people I want to embrace me and seek me out?
  • “I cringe when I think that I have to better market and sell myself, but I realize I have a ton to learn. I am very uncomfortable about “selling myself.” Where do I start?

Michael pulls out things in me that I wouldn't otherwise do myself...

"We don't know what we don't know - it's very important to have somebody nudge you in the right direction, and that is what you have been doing for me."

XM

Regional Director
Global 100 Tech Firm

"

Go to Michael if you have the courage to hear the truth...

"...the grit to work through what he recommends and the commitment to keep practicing your learnings. If you don't then don't waste your time or money as you may not be ready for the change you wish!

BR

Director

Healthcare Industry

"

I got a huge promotion to a job that I love...

"You really challenged me to step out of my comfort zone, take actions on things that I would not naturally be inclined to do, and open myself to organizational power dynamics."


TU

Finance Executive

Higher Education

"

How I help

If any of the situations above resonated with you, you are not alone.

Working with an Executive Coach may help. Coaches can help you see your challenge in a new light, provide you a valuable sounding board and the tools, feedback and a framework to work through it — and keep you accountable.

I coach MBA’s, rising professionals, and senior executives on precisely these topics. In fact, the 27 quotes above are ones that executives have worked with me on. They are issues I see regularly and have become my areas of focus:

  • ACCELERATING YOUR CAREER: Help you “Lean In” to accelerate your advancement (“my career is stalling, I keep getting bypassed for promotions”)
  • ROLE/RESPONSIBILITY TRANSITIONS: Help you make the critical shift from individual contributor to Manager – or Manager to Senior Leader. (“I know the skills that that got me promoted are not the same skills I will need to succeed in my new role.”)
  • CAREER CHANGES / RECOVERING FROM DERAILMENT: Help you plan a change of role/industry/company – or recover and get back on your feet after a nasty setback (“I want to be proactive.”)
  • EXECUTIVE PRESENCE: Help you ensure people remember you, want to work you, want to follow you. (“I need to improve how people perceive me.”)
  • BECOME KNOWN: Help you increase your visibility as a subject matter expert or go-to-person in your organization or outside. (“Becoming known will have a huge long-term impact on my career.”)
  • MOVING/WORKING ABROAD: Help you prepare for an assignment abroad (“This is the posting/opportunity of a lifetime that I need to be prepared for, especially since it is so foreign for me.”)

My clients are smart, hardworking, diverse global leaders, from senior managers to the C-Suite. They want to get promoted, break barriers and get more done — but can’t figure out exactly what they are missing.

Executives who have worked with me have:

  • Gotten promoted
  • Received outsized bonuses and raises
  • Successfully launched major transformations 
  • ..and continue to get approached for highly coveted roles, assignments and career opportunities long after working with me

Let's find out if we're a fit...

If you've read this page and are ready to accelerate your career growth with 1-on-1 help, click the button and request a call with me. We'll meet for 30-minutes. There will be no pressure on you to become a client, and no pressure on me to "sell" you. If, by the end of the call we both feel we're a fit, we'll discuss the options and decide what to do next.

"I'm 300% happier in my day to day life. It's not the same thing everyday like my previous job, which is great! I am WAY more happy doing what I am doing now. The freedom is its own reward. I would not have gotten there had I not gone through Michael's process."

TX, Senior Vice President - Financial Services