“People pay me for my head, trust me because of my heart, and keep coming back to work with me because of the results we co-create.”
Pat is a recognized expert in developing individuals and teams to consistently achieve exceptional results. A coach and consultant to Fortune 100 companies, she has been specializing in this field for over 25 years.
You may be wondering why you would want to learn from me. I come from a family that has always focused on developing businesses. Initially, I thought I wanted to be a therapist and started training in that field, but I quickly decided that it was not for me. Too much of our family’s focus on leading others to be successful turned out to be part of my DNA. It wasn’t surprising when I realized that my desire was to help others be the best they could be on the front lines of business. This required that I spend many years learning and applying respected business models in my corporate work. The methods were valuable, but they were not always enough. That was reinforced when I was put on probation in my first corporate job (more about that in a later chapter). After that lesson, I wanted my focus to be on helping others in business to be the best they could be in their jobs and lives.
Through the years, I always seemed to take a leadership role in whatever organization I joined. It was my way of “showing up,” as I mentioned previously. I continued to learn practical methods to apply with both individuals and teams as I served. Then I moved into assisting leaders (at any level) to achieve their leadership goals, whether that was moving up, standing out, or developing direct reports. To do that better, I spent years studying and applying the psychology of coaching, which led me to achieve the international certified business coach designation and the coveted title of master certified coach in the International Coaching Federation. Helping those in leadership succeed became my passion, driving me to support emerging leaders as well as those in the C-suite.
Whether new clients came to me on their own (leaders are always interested in learning) or were given the opportunity to work with me by their organization, there were always some common behaviors they needed to improve:
- Be adaptable in and within the culture they worked (both large and small)
- Put the customer (internal or external) first by being curious as problems arise
- Develop techniques to improve their direct reports to free up time for themselves
- Risk more to initiate creative solutions when tricky situations arise
Along with my executive coaching, I taught and coached at several universities in the United States as well as the United Kingdom. At that time coaching curriculum was focused on life coaching; anything else was considered consulting. I brought the focus of supporting people in business to these schools, developing material that combined both life and corporate approaches. I included the tools needed when interacting with others in business. Part of what I bring to this book is the material I used to develop some of the best business coaches in the field. You will not have to take courses for every topic you need to understand—all the key elements are here!
I live near Nashville, Tennessee, where we have a saying: “Talent is a given.” Everyone, including your waiter, could be a music star. It is all the other components that get you on a bigger stage. It is the same with leadership. Arthur Miller, a well-known playwright, may have said it best with, “Success doesn’t happen by chance,” and I agree. The real power of leadership is being prepared and making a positive difference in organizations and people’s lives—including your own.
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