Coaching Real Leaders

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.

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.

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.

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.

He’s moving up a level to take on a new leadership role at his company. Now he’s managing other managers for the first time and realizing that it’s a big leap to go from managing individual contributors to managing other managers. Host Muriel Wilkins helps this leader understand how to approach his new role and what new skills he must develop in order to succeed.

She made it to a coveted senior role, but she isn’t feeling excited about her future career path. And now she’s wondering how to balance all the competing commitments in her life – children, spouse, elderly parents, and work – while still pursuing what she really cares about. Host Muriel Wilkins coaches this leader through discovering what’s important to her, so that she can figure out what’s next.

He’s a senior leader in a hospital, who has long seen himself as an advocate for equality for his female colleagues. But in the past few years, he’s faced a few instances where women he works with have been offended by exchanges with him. Host Muriel Wilkins coaches this leader toward a stronger understanding of his own assumptions and how he can manage across differences.

She’s a C-suite-level executive with 20 years of experience working in corporate finance. Earlier in her career, she stayed at companies for long periods of time. But in her last few roles, she’s been jumping ship as soon as the going gets tough. Is she leaving too quickly, or has she not yet found the right role? Host Muriel Wilkins coaches this leader through her discomfort and toward strategies that can help her see her role through to a successful conclusion.

Coaching Real Leaders returns October 6 to tackle new leadership challenges – from when to quit your job to communicating across differences, navigating imposter syndrome, and more. Listen in on coaching sessions with real leaders from all walks of life, as they work out the challenges they face at work, with host and longtime executive coach Muriel Wilkins.