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How to “Coach Your Boss” (and Keep Your Job)

August 28, 2025August 17, 2021 by Jeannette Seibly

Photo creaetd by metamorworks, used via Canva — “If you want to be an effective coach, and want others to listen and use what you have to say, first, you must be coachable.” Jeannette Seibly

When your boss gets stuck and could use your insights and coaching, it may be time to coach your boss.

“First off you may not want to use the term coaching. Consider it an open and honest conversation with your boss that focuses on feedback. Framing it this way opens the door for more honest dialogue.” (Forbes)

But beware! If it’s not done diplomatically, you could find yourself sidelined in your job.

A director hated his boss, a VP. When the executive coach asked the director to have an honest conversation with the VP, he resisted. He used the excuse “Everyone else hates the VP since he is difficult to work with.” Under the guidance of his coach, the director had an honest conversation to clear the air with the VP. Afterward, he started treating his boss with more respect and appreciating his boss’s insights when stuck in projects. Soon thereafter, the director became viewed as one of the very few people who could work well with this VP. If the director hadn’t been open to the coaching he received, he could have been sidelined in his job instead of being promoted.

Many team members today have insights, concerns, or problems with their bosses. The challenge is learning how to have an honest conversation to create a positive outcome.

Note for bosses and leaders: Encourage your team members and co-workers to give you honest feedback. It’s the only way you learn and grow, and catch those blind spots before they get in your way.

6 Tips to Coach or Have an Honest Conversation with Higher-Ups

Be Diplomatic. Egos get in the way. So, it’s important to be diplomatic and set aside your own ego. Remember, there are always at least two sides to any issue. Be open to hearing what your boss has to say before offering your insights.
Be Clear About the Issue. Take time to write down the specifics about “why” this conversation is important. Rehearse in front of the mirror until the person looking back at you feels comfortable and confident. Otherwise, your boss will dismiss what you have to say.
Visualize the Conversation. Take the time to visualize or mentally think through the entire conversation. If you hit a snag, rewind, and replay in a positive manner.
Breathe to Calm Your Nerves and Anxiety. Breathe to calm down the urge to go in too strong. Remember, being assertive is important; but, being aggressive will only limit your future job opportunities. Breathe in for a count of 10, pause, then, exhale for a count of 10. Do this at least 3 times before your conversation. This simple exercise will reduce stress and positively impact your results.
Work Through Your Anger or Righteousness First. It’s natural for you to feel that your boss won’t understand or get what you have to say. But if you go into the meeting assuming your boss won’t understand and feel angry or righteous, your boss will only defend his/her actions. Work with your own executive coach first and role-play the conversation. Write out an agenda outlining facts and key points. Stay on-point during the conversation.
Ask Permission. Start with a soft approach to get your boss’s attention. “I have something I need to talk about with you. And, I’m nervous about doing this. I fear you’ll hear it the wrong way.” Do this in a respectful manner. The boss is more likely to hear what you have to say.

Jeannette Seibly is The Leadership Results Coach. She has been an award-winning executive coach, management consultant, and keynote speaker for over 28 years. Her focus is getting leaders and their teams unstuck and able to achieve dynamic results. Contact Jeannette for a confidential conversation.

A note from Jeannette about coaching your boss (and keeping your job): Everyone can benefit from feedback. This includes your boss! Your challenge is the boss may not appreciate how you “coach” them. Instead, take the time to prepare for an honest conversation. If you know you need to have a difficult conversation with your boss but don’t know how contact me for a confidential conversation.

How to Be an Effective Coach

August 10, 2021 by Jeannette Seibly

Photo by the Author Provided by Mikko Lemola via Canva.com — “If you want to be an effective coach, and want others to listen and use what you have to say, first, you must be coachable.” Jeannette Seibly

Many believe being coached is no big deal when they are the coach. Coaches love giving advice and it provides an ego boost. The challenge is, many have learned from a traditional approach of, “Do as I say, not as I do.” Or, they lack the confidence and insight required to be an effective coach.

Do you experience (check all that apply):

Giving advice that doesn’t reflect the person’s struggles?
Coming across as critical about how it should be done?
A lack of insight into what the true issue is?
Not having credibility in the listener’s eyes?
People ignoring your coaching and doing it their way?

If you answered “yes” to more than one question, it’s important to keep reading!

Today, it’s critical that leaders and managers effectively coach team members for success. The quality of the coaching provided impacts business growth, team member retention, and customer satisfaction.

Remember, if you lack the skills to effectively coach others, it can tarnish your working relationships for a very long time.

Nine Essential Coaching Skills to Improve Your Effectiveness

1. Set a Positive Example. Leaders, bosses, and managers are not perfect. But ethical issues, being late for meetings, or multitasking during conversations (to name a few) hurts your credibility as a coach. Improve your effectiveness by working with your executive coach to address these issues and blind spots.

2. Visualize a Positive Outcome. Take the time to visualize or mentally think through what you want to say. If you hit a snag during this visualization process, rewind and restart to ensure a positive outcome. Read Dr. Lynn Hellerstein’s newest book: Expand Your Vision: How to Gain Clarity, Courage, and Confidence for more information.

3. Be Specific. Write down the specific issues to organize your thoughts about why you need to coach a team member. Saying you found problems with the sales report or you don’t like a graphic is of no value. Instead, be specific about where the report is inaccurate or why the graphic doesn’t have visual appeal. Remember to manage the task, not a person’s personality.

4. Use a Job Fit Tool for Clarity. These tools often include “coaching” reports guiding the leader to be on-target when providing feedback.

One company president uses the coaching information when talking with his direct reports. When there is a problem, he scans the report for insights and adjusts his coaching style. By doing this, the other person feels valued and becomes coachable.

5. Talk Straight and Stay On-Point. Talking in generalities or going off on tangents leaves the team member or co-worker confused and frustrated.

A human resources director (HRD) counseled a financial director (FD) to stop the negative gossip about a vice president (VP). A week later, the FD continued to make negative comments about the VP. FD’s coach said, “I thought HRD had counselled you to stop making negative comments about the VP.” FD’s reply, “No… he stated we need to operate as a team. I was unclear what his point was since I am a team player.”

This level of confusion is what happens when you speak in generalities.

6. Keep It Confidential and Private. Criticizing a team member in public has repercussions, even when the person says, “No problem. I don’t care if anyone else hears this.” If the person has a public negative reaction, it will often reflect negatively on you. Instead, set up a 1:1 private and confidential meeting immediately after an issue or problem has occurred. Don’t share publicly. During the 1:1, remember to share facts, not opinions. Otherwise, what you say will not be heard as objective feedback.

7. Choose the Appropriate Coaching Approach.

a. When to Use the Direct Approach. Be clear and concise with those that can handle or want that style of feedback. Keep in mind this approach will always depend on the situation (e.g., illness, passing away of a family member, etc.).

“Good report. But when including numbers in a report, you need to include a graph and bullet point the numbers. Any questions? How soon can you get this report updated and back to me?”

b. When to Use the Sandwich Approach. Talk straight and be specific. Use this approach when the situation may cause an emotional reaction, or the person is easily triggered. Share 2 positive actions the person has taken, 2 specific areas for improvement, and close with 2 positive actions the person has taken.

“Your proposal was good. The numbers supported the importance of this project. But when providing this type of information, it’s important to include a graph so the reader can visually see the value. And, bullet point the numbers to make them easier to read and understand. Again, good proposal and I appreciate you getting this done so fast. Any questions? How soon can you get this report updated and back to me?”

8. Have Compassion. Everyone has challenges, especially during this ongoing pandemic. Be empathetic, while sticking to the point.

“It’s hard when a family member has COVID. My heart goes out to those struggling during this pandemic. But when providing written reports, the information and spelling need to be proofread before submitting. Let me know what you need and how I can help.”

9. Share a Story. An effective way to coach others is by sharing a story about your own similar challenge and what you did to work through it. Then, offer one or two ideas for them to implement.

A note from Jeannette about how to be an effective coach: Successful people have coaches. When leaders and others talk with their coach regularly, their productivity, confidence, and results improve. The challenge is, many don’t believe they need a coach, and hear feedback as criticism. As an entrepreneurial leader, make a commitment to coach others for success by being an effective coach. Want to get started, but don’t know how? Contact me for a confidential conversation.

Do You Want to Succeed and Make a Lot of Money? Then, Be Coachable!

August 3, 2021 by Jeannette Seibly

Photo provided by tumsasedgars vis Canva — “Do you want to excel professionally and financially? Being coachable is the #1 way to make it happen.” Jeannette Seibly

“The paradox is that the very things that hold us back are the reasons we need a coach in the first place.” Seth Godin

Successful leaders and future leaders have coaches! They have developed the skills to succeed by being coachable.

There are many things in business and in life that you don’t know that you don’t know. Being coachable uncovers the blind spots that get in your way of receiving promotions and special assignments. Making lots of money and achieving huge goals. And, being a leader others want to follow.

What Does Being Coachable Mean?

“Coachability is not a technical skill or an inherent ability. It is a mental attitude.” It reflects your ability to ask for feedback, listen, and make appropriate changes. It is also a reflection of your emotional ability or emotional intelligence (EQ) to learn from constructive criticism. (mvorganizing.org)

What Does Being Uncoachable Look Like?

When someone is uncoachable, they often will roll their eyes, take things personally, and have a myriad of excuses. They also misinterpret comments and resist taking the right action. It reflects their fears of having others think of them as “weak.” Or, their unwillingness to stretch their mindset outside their comfort zones.

One entrepreneur loved creating new products and was very talented. He dreamed of resigning from the day job he hated. The problem was, he didn’t want to focus on the business requirements to create a foundation for growth. As a result, he ignored the coach and did things his way. He’s still dreaming about one day being a successful business owner and giving up his hated day job.

Why Do Employers Fail to Offer Coaching?

Many companies agree coaching is a must. But they fail to work through the resistance teams and team members put up as barriers. Companies must then fire poor performers (90% of the time it’s due to poor interpersonal skills) because they are not coachable.

How Can You Improve Your Coachability?

Seek Out Feedback. Ask team members, customers, and your boss for feedback. “What’s one thing that would help me improve …” (e.g., interactions with others, project results, ability to work well with others, etc.). Listen and be respectful, especially if the feedback isn’t what you want to hear. Don’t forget to say thank you!
Be Open to Learning. You can learn something from anyone! While you may selectively seek out people more experienced than you, be open to hearing from co-workers and direct reports too. Their insights can be invaluable.
Be Willing to Stretch Beyond Your Comfort Zone. We all love our comfort zones. But successful leaders and future leaders know they must move beyond these confining spaces! When you’ve already tried something that didn’t work or don’t feel comfortable with the recommendation, ask clarifying questions. “I tried this approach and it didn’t work for me. What do you believe is missing?” Listen and don’t debate. This helps you discover your blind spots and how to overcome them.
Become Self-aware by Being Present. Self-awareness is critical to your success. It requires being present during ALL interactions. This means setting aside thoughts and distractions while listening and learning. During the process, you will discover insights between what you say you want and what you are doing.
Make Positive Behavior and Attitude Changes. Talking the talk won’t make a difference. You must do the work! If you don’t know what to do, ask an experienced coach and use a qualified job fit assessment to guide you through the steps required. Then, immediately take the first step!
Check Your Ego at the Door! Even if you believe your results are the best they can be, be willing to accept criticism, especially around tough issues. It’s a golden opportunity to learn from your successes and If you are unclear what the problem is, deep dive by asking clarifying questions. Be aware of your tone of voice and other non-verbal communication (e.g., rolling your eyes). Otherwise, you can shut down the opportunity to receive invaluable feedback and have amazing breakthroughs.
Hire the Right Coach. Successful leaders and future leaders have coaches. They seek out and find the coach that can guide them to achieve what they really really really Also, select a coach that has a coach too! (Yes, coaches need to be coachable too!)

A note from Jeannette about the lesson we all need to learn: “Many of us have the assumption that someday life will be easy. We will coast along effortlessly and will be successful. … But this assumption that it gets easier is not true. It is never true because you change, the organization changes and the business environment is constantly evolving. A successful life means constant change and continuous learning. So set a goal now to remain coachable throughout your career.” (Forbes)

Not sure where to begin, contact me for a confidential conversation.

Today’s Hiring Failures Are Due to Being Uncoachable!

July 27, 2021 by Jeannette Seibly

Many new hires today are failing in their jobs. The #1 reason? They are not coachable!” Jeannette Seibly

Poor interpersonal skills are the reason why there are so many hiring failures today! The #1 issue? They are uncoachable!

Why is being coachable important? It reflects the ability to accept and put in place feedback from bosses, team members, customers, and others! (Leadership IQ) Being coachable is why leaders and teams succeed in business!

Here’s are shocking stats:

Almost half of new employees today will fail within 18 months of hire.
Almost 90% of the time it’s due to the new hires’ attitudes and poor interpersonal skills.
Only 11% of failures are due to technical skills. (Leadership IQ)

Many hiring managers admit overlooking or explaining away flaws they saw during interviews. But they were unsure what to do with these insights or biases because they failed to use real consistent data that job fit assessments offer. They hired the job candidates based on technical and other hard skills, but fired them due to poor interpersonal skills!

To improve your hiring and selection process, it starts during the interview by making this important time count!

7 Keys to Improve Your Hiring Success

1. Job Fit Is #1. According to a Harvard Business Review study, job fit is why people succeed! Use a qualified job fit assessment to ensure you’re seeing the whole person objectively. When using real and consistent data, you can delve deeper and learn more about the person before hiring them! This avoids surprises!

2. Determine Coachability by Asking These Two Interview Questions. A coachable person is looking to improve and is willing to ask for help to do so.

Ask: “When was the last time you made a mistake?” and “How did you handle it?”

Then, listen for:

“What did s/he learn?”
“Who did s/he talk with?”
“Why did the mistake happen?”
“What were the results?”

This is perhaps the most important revealing part of the interview.

3. Gain Insight During Reference Checks with Previous Co-Workers. Ask this question: “Would you work for this person? Why?” Listen. I’ve found this question to be a very good indicator of a person’s on-the-job interpersonal skills.

4. Talk Straight. Share with the job candidate about your company’s ongoing training and development programs. During each interview, emphasize your expectation that the person participates. If there is any pushback (e.g., “What if I already…?” “I already know that.”), you may need to reconsider hiring this candidate since you are looking for team players that are open to learning and expanding all their job skills.

5. Focus on Results Required for the Position. Put together a 180-Day Success Plan. Share it during each interview with the job candidate and listen. The person’s reactions may change over time, so it’s important to address any change. Remember, you are seeking team players with the attitude of, “I’m open to learning from my mistakes and contributing to the success of everyone.”

6. Provide a Coach and a Mentor. Provide teams and future leaders in your company with an internal company mentor and an external executive coach. One fast-growing company shared this expectation with job candidates. Those that didn’t believe they would need a coach were not considered further. Several years later, the coachable team members achieved executive and leadership levels in their careers. It was due to their focus on coaching, developing, and learning.

7. Be Coachable! Yes, many successful leaders have coaches. Be sure you have one and be sure you are learning how to be a good coach, while developing and learning along with the team. Believe it or not, it can be a lot of fun!

A note from Jeannette about how to hire coachable people. We’re in a talent tsunami, where 20% to 50% of employees are seeking new jobs. One of the top reasons is they are uncoachable in their current job and believe the grass will be greener in other companies. It’s up to you to use real and consistent data to make good hiring decisions and uncover a job candidate’s coachability before you hire them. This impacts your ability to attract and keep top talent and great customers, while improving your bottom line. Unsure of how to get started? Contact me for a confidential conversation.

How to Improve Leadership Results Before You Need to Fire Them

July 6, 2021July 6, 2021 by Jeannette Seibly

Due to the talent tsunami, experts warn 20-50 percent of employees are looking for new jobs or are planning to quit once the pandemic is behind us. To attract top talent, you must have leaders that are considered good leaders. Now is the time to make a positive difference.

A bad leader is someone who fails to work with and through others to keep customers happy and satisfied while building successful teams.

Examples:

When the oldest sibling was promoted to President of the family business, everyone expressed concern. She was insecure and relied only on her favorite people when making decisions. As a result, after losing several key customers, the family fired her.

In another company, a leader wasn’t a strong boss, but did make good decisions and cared about the customers. But a disgruntled employee scrutinized and gossiped about him to the point where he was considered a bad leader and felt forced to leave.

7 Signs of Poor Leadership

This list is endless…what are your key indicators of a bad leader?

Loses focus on the goal by getting lost in the “weeds”
Lacks empathy
Stifles creativity and new ideas
Is unable to motivate the team to achieve intended results
Is indecisive
Is unable to talk straight
Plays favorites when assigning work

Too often, we wait until we’ve lost good customers or top talent before getting the leader the help and guidance needed for success.

7 Tips to Improve Leadership Results Now Before It’s Too Late

Provide Executive Coaching. Many bad leaders are overwhelmed by the challenges they face. The right executive coach guides these leaders to improve communication, navigate politics, and manage sticky situations. Hire an executive coach from outside the company to ensure confidentiality. If the person isn’t coachable, it’s time to create an exit plan or job reassignment.
Use qualified assessments. Use a qualified 360-degree feedback assessment and a job fit assessment. These provide objective insights and guidance based on consistent real data.
Design a performance plan. It’s important to require bad leaders to participate in workshops. This helps them to acknowledge what they don’t know that they don’t know. Focus on one specific area at a time and team them with an internal company mentor (in addition to the outside executive coach). Courses must include addressing leadership blind spots (e.g., emotional intelligence, working with and through others, diversity, ethics, critical thinking, to name a few).
Analyze the cost. Too often, we overlook bad leadership because we don’t see or understand the impact. When conducting a cost analysis, review turnover of top talent and customers, quality issues, and complaints. NOTE: If there are little or no problems, look deeper. The leader may be the scapegoat to distract from the real issue.
Talk with disgruntled team members. Don’t be surprised if the bad leader’s problem is due to the inability to handle group think, cliques, and subjective expectations. Have the executive coach work with the team and the leader to get everyone on the same page. Remember, change is a process, not an event. And, no leader is perfect.
Some bad leaders are good individual contributors as long as they don’t have people management responsibilities. Also, look for a special project or new opportunity that can use the leader’s good skills. NOTE: When making a transfer, the new position may have a new job title. But it’s best to avoid adjusting the paycheck or it could trigger a dissatisfied leader with an axe to grind.
When All Else Fails Let the Bad Leader Go. Be sure you work with HR and/or an attorney to dot the I’s and cross the T’s. If you don’t, this can be very costly, especially if you’ve allowed it to go on for too long.

A note from Jeannette about turning around bad leaders. Turning bad leaders around is one of my primary strengths. As an executive coach, I’ve worked with many poor leaders to transform them, or help them move on. When a bad leader needs help, the best solution is to do the right things now. If a team views their leader as needing help, don’t wait! Otherwise, s/he may need to leave the company! Remember, a bad leader cannot transform into a good one on his/her own! Contact me for a confidential conversation.

Entrepreneurial Leaders Who Believe They Know Everything Will Fail

June 22, 2021 by Jeannette Seibly

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash — “There are known knowns. These are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we know we don’t know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we don’t know we don’t know.” Donald Rumsfeld

A CEO shared ideas with an executive team member on how to achieve better results with her team. Instead of listening and learning, she replied, “I already know that.” OR “I’m already doing that.” In other words, she was not willing to admit what she was doing wasn’t working! She believed her past successes would somehow resolve the current issues. But, when she was unable to improve her results, six months later she left. Her parting comment was, “I don’t know what I could have done differently or better.”

Clearly, there were things she didn’t know that she didn’t know.

Many entrepreneurial leaders believe it’s important for young leaders to be open to learning new things. The truth is, it’s important for ALL leaders! Even long-time leaders don’t know everything!

The #1 challenge that gets in our way is our egos! Especially those with long-time experiences in a profession or industry. We stop being open and learning from others and believe we know everything! Or, we fear being thought of as incompetent by hiring a coach, even though, most leaders have coaches! As a result, failure is right around the corner for those leaders who believe they know it all!

Remember, knowing something doesn’t mean you have the skills to perform at the level required.

5 Tips to Expand Your Ability to Learn

Listen to Learn. Building a confident team that produces consistent and intended results starts here! As an effective entrepreneurial leader, listening is a two-way street. You need to listen to your team, just as they need to listen to you! Provide persuasive listening training and attend as a participant!
Practice is Required for Mastery. A new leader had done two board room presentations with his boss. He believed he now had the skills to go solo and would hit his goal for a promotion. When his boss recommended he take a workshop to learn the fundamentals, he declined. “I have it handled and don’t have time,” he replied. But, during the next two presentations, he failed to keep the board members engaged and answer questions truthfully. Instead of a promotion, he was sidelined. Effective practice depends on the quality of the practice. As every martial arts person will tell you, the right practice is required daily, over and over, even as a master. It starts with learning the basics, practicing them, then, expanding on them.
Pay Attention to Job Fit. Many leaders fail to get real about their strengths and weaknesses and that of their team members! They believe anyone can do anything well. This arrogance results in miscommunication, missed deadlines, and customers leaving! Take the time to get clear about “why” you and your team members are successful…and, why they are not! Now, use this objective information to build a solid foundation for your business, teams, and customers to succeed.
Learn How to Be An Effective Coach. When your team does not follow your advice, you will label them as not being coachable. Your attitude will get in the way of expanding your skills to become an effective entrepreneurial leader and coach.

Questions to ask yourself and review with your coach:

Have you asked them about actions already taken?
Have you been clear that their performance isn’t hitting the goal?
Are you clear about your expectations? Are they realistic? Have you used straight talk when explaining them?
Are you using a “Rule of 3” to deep dive into their responses by having a two-way conversation, not an interrogation?

Note: To be an effective coach, you, yourself, must be coachable.

Who is your coach?
How often do you talk?
What stops you from listening when your coach shares knowledge you don’t like or disagree with?

Critical Thinking. Remember, not all ideas will provide a positive ROI! Get real by deep diving into a topic and understanding the pros and cons. This requires reading more than the headlines on social media posts. Also, it requires you to talk it out with several industries and/or company contacts to get the inside scoop. The most important questions to ask, “Why did it work there? What are the challenges for it to work here?” Once you set aside your belief that you know how it should work, you can build on the structure you already have in place with your team.

Jeannette Seibly is The Leadership Results Coach. She has been an award-winning executive coach, management consultant, and keynote speaker for over 28 years. She is an expert in guiding entrepreneurial leaders and their teams to get unstuck and achieve dynamic results. Contact Jeannette for a confidential conversation.

A note from Jeannette about know-it-all leaders. As an entrepreneurial leader, success requires being open to new ideas, systems, and people. When you are willing to set aside your beliefs that you know how it should work, you can achieve dynamic results. When you hit a wall (and you will), reach out. It can mean the difference between success and so-so results! Contact me for a confidential conversation.

How Do You Build a Confident Team?

June 15, 2021 by Jeannette Seibly

Daria Nepriakhina on Unsplash — “Your team’s success depends on you building their confidence.” Jeannette Seibly

Building a team that is confident and focused on achieving intended results takes time, energy, and awareness. As the leader, it’s one of your key job responsibilities. And, when you pay attention, the results can be fabulous!

The challenge is when you have team members concerned by what others think, fearful of asking for feedback, and are not coachable. That is the time for you to zero in, build their confidence, and help them succeed. If you don’t, it will diminish their (and your) results.

7 Tips to Build a Confident Team

Patience is a Virtue. When a team member is too concerned about others’ opinions, it can be frustrating. Be patient and take time to listen to their concerns. The problem could be they don’t see the value of the goal or they don’t feel comfortable with the process of getting there. Partner the person with a team member to review the written timeline, milestones, and goals. Also, have them create a graph and/or talk through different scenarios. This helps the team member gain confidence, alleviate his/her concerns, and get on the same page with the team.
Everyone Make Mistakes. When you have team members that fear making mistakes, it will often bring out their insecurities. Use the three-step process and debrief: “What Worked?” “What Didn’t Work?” “What Would You Like to be Acknowledged For?” Beware of the same mistake being made over and over because that indicates additional training is required.
Use a Qualified Assessment. These help team members value and become aware of different thinking styles, core behaviors, and occupational interests. Using the right assessment shows natural differences and builds confidence.
Believe Your Team Members Can Develop Solutions. When your team hits a wall (and they will) or has an overwhelming problem, first(!) clarify the true problem. This will require straight talk and listening. Then, brainstorm the solution. Do not interject your ideas until after each team member has shared. If you do, you risk shutting down your team and diminishing their confidence.
Provide 1:1 Constructive Feedback. Many times, when team members are feeling insecure, they can be defensive. When this occurs, within 48 hours provide 1:1 feedback. For example, “During our weekly team meeting, you ignored a team member’s idea to resolve your issue. This resulted in you losing feedback that would have moved the project forward. Plus, you diminished the other’s confidence in you to create a solution.”
Acknowledge Each and Every Person. When acknowledging team members, take the time to be specific and generous. Remember, whatever you acknowledge them for, it builds confidence and encourages more of the same great behaviors and attitudes!
When Nothing Is Working. Since you’ve already made changes without success, you need objective input! Work with your executive coach to determine changes required. Otherwise, you’ll continue hurting your team’s confidence and their ability to achieve intended results.

A note from Jeannette about building a confident team. As a leader, one of your key job responsibilities is building a confident team. A confident team achieves intended results. If you’ve hit a wall with your team’s confidence or your own confidence needs a boost, contact me for a confidential conversation now before mischief shows up.

Do You Bring Your A-Game to Work Each Day?

June 1, 2021 by Jeannette Seibly

Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay — “It’s fun to experience your A-Game at work…but it’s up to you to bring it with you each day!” Jeannette Seibly

Your A-Game occurs when you are playing like a top-performing leader. This means you are working well with people, focused on the right business challenges, and bringing resources to your team. And, getting the results you want. It’s a great feeling. At the end of the day, you want to do it again!

But top performance doesn’t happen by accident. It takes doing the right things the right way…and starts by being present and aware.

How to Experience A-Game Days

Self-Care Is Critical. Taking care of yourself is important. It’s difficult to operate at top performance while denying your health and well-being. Hire a coach if your normal days seem like B-type days.
Resolve Conflict Instead of Hoping It’ll Go Away. Team conflict doesn’t mean you’re off-track. It means you need to address the core issue(s) you’ve been ignoring. This will make the difference between achieving dynamic results or experiencing costly hit-or-miss results.
Delegate to Your Team and BELIEVE They Will Come Up with the Answers. Your belief and trust in others will make projects easier to accomplish. (Or, more difficult if you’re micromanaging.) Remember, your team can take the initiative, be resourceful, and wants to be trained. A-Game leaders value the learning process and lead by example.
Brainstorm Solutions and Then Get Out of the Way. Lack of true brainstorming is a key reason teams fail! Trust the process of brainstorming and don’t latch on to the first and easiest answer. Now, get out of the way and allow your team to explore these new options.
Keep Your Eye on the End Results While Managing the Process. There will be times you will go off-track and into the weeds! It’s important to objectively ask and answer whether or not the current actions will lead you to the desired results. Watch out for busywork that occurs when a team member doesn’t have the skills or interest in using these skills to get the job done. Now, manage the process to stay on track. Remember, don’t manage your team members’ personalities, manage their actions.
Dial-Down Your Ego. Being humble every day is important when bragging about your successes! It also builds trust from your team.

Jeannette Seibly is The Leadership Results Coach. She has been an award-winning executive coach, management consultant, and keynote speaker for over 28 years. She is an expert in guiding leaders and their teams to get unstuck and achieve dynamic results. Contact Jeannette for a confidential conversation.

A note from Jeannette about bringing your A-Game to work each day. Your A-Game occurs when you are operating at top performance levels. But those levels don’t happen by accident. They require you to consistently do the right things the right way…and that starts with you being present and aware. If you find that many of your days are B-, contact me to understand how to reach A-Game levels consistently!

Are you frustrated that your team loves conflict and chaos more than achieving intended results? Discover how to step up and work through these saboteurs now, before it’s too late!

Have You Uncovered Your New Leadership Blind Spots?

May 25, 2021 by Jeannette Seibly

Image by David Bruyland from Pixabay — “Uncovering new blind spots occurs daily during this new normal.” Jeannette Seibly

Due to “new normal” changes, your leadership blind spots have changed too! Now is the time to uncover them. If you don’t, it will cost you and your team business results, job satisfaction, and career advancement.

What Are Blind Spots?

Leadership blind spots are the specific areas where a leader…even a very successful leader…is missing something. A blind spot can be a lack of attention to a certain area or a part of your skillset that never really developed. All leaders have blind spots. Exceptional Leader’s Lab

Self-analysis is of little value. By definition, it’s impossible to know what your blind spots are and how they impact others.

Common Leadership Blind Spots to Get You Thinking

Research by Dale Carnegie revealed that many leaders have blind spots around:

Showing appreciation
Admitting when they’re wrong
Truly listening
Honesty with self and others

Other blind spots include (just to name a few):

Believing you have all the answers
Allowing team conflict to be the norm
Treating your commitments casually
Failing to understand the difference between virtual and on-site meetings

6 Tips on How to See These Blind Spots and Become Effective

Use assessments and 360-degree feedback to discover your inherent strengths and weaknesses. There are three types of assessments: 1) assessments that reflect how you want to be seen, 2) assessments to show who you truly are, and 3) assessments that share how others see you. All three provide you with 20/20 insights. But, now, the real work begins. Review your results with a qualified executive coach. Then, create a plan (e.g., workshops, videos, weekly coaching calls, etc.) to develop these new skills during this new normal.

Hire an executive coach and DO THE WORK. Hiring the right executive coach to guide you through this discovery process is priceless. It eliminates the normal trial and error that otherwise occurs. Hire one that supports you to be in action. Stay away from conceptual discussions since these will not improve your leadership effectiveness or your results.

Engage with an industry or company mentor. The right mentor is an invaluable source of information. His/her knowledge about your industry and company can guide you through complex situations and sticky political relationships.

Listen to your team’s feedback. Your team wants you to succeed. And, while you may believe you want to hear feedback from your team, many of you would rather not. For valid feedback, use a qualified 360-feedback assessment. This will encourage team members to be honest when sharing their insights and feel comfortable doing so.

Dial up your humbleness. Take part in emotional intelligence workshops and learn how to tame your ego! It’s the biggest challenge for many leaders and where most blind spots live. Create awareness of your impact on others. And, hire a coach to guide you to create win-win-win outcomes, especially when your ego is the loudest!

Improve your all-important communication skills. Your ability to write, speak, and talk with others is crucial to your success. Improve these skills by recognizing your biases (and, yes, your blind spots). Take responsibility when talking with different people and focus on everyone getting on the same page.

Jeannette Seibly is The Leadership Results Coach. She has been an award-winning executive coach, management consultant, and keynote speaker for over 28 years. She is an expert in guiding leaders and their teams to get unstuck and achieve dynamic results. Contact Jeannette for a confidential conversation.

It’s awful to be the leader of a project that is full of conflict and saboteurs. What do you need to do to manage these before they end your career?

A Note from Jeannette about uncovering new leadership blind spots due to the “new normal.” There have been many business changes since the pandemic. These “new normal” changes also impact your leadership blind spots, since they have changed too! Now is the time to uncover them. If you don’t, it will cost you and your team business results, job satisfaction, and career advancement. Contact me for a confidential conversation.

I Want My New Career Opportunities Now…I’m Ready

May 11, 2021May 11, 2021 by Jeannette Seibly

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay — “Ambitious people believe they are career-ready for their next opportunity. Unfortunately, many lack the required set of skills to succeed.” Jeannette Seibly

Many leaders and ambitious business professionals want their new career opportunities right now. The challenge? Many times, they are not ready!

A couple of weeks ago, I spoke with a college junior. He’s a go-getter. He’s in a hurry to graduate and get on with his career! This summer he has an internship, a part-time job, and is taking two classes.

I shared with him, “Slow down. Consider you’ll most likely have more than 7 careers in your lifetime. So, it’s important now to build a solid foundation of skills in each job and class. Take the time to learn and grow. Sometimes you don’t get a second chance when attracting great career opportunities.”

This ambitious young man will go far as long as he’s able to curb his impatience and build a strong set of foundational skills as he moves forward in his career.

Many ambitious people leap too fast into new jobs and career opportunities. They’re not skill-ready. And, they lack the awareness of what these skills are and are impatient while waiting to move up to the “next level.”

Consider for a moment people getting what they want before they are ready:

70% of lottery winners end up broke (National Endowment for Financial Education)
40% of executives fail within the first 18 months (Business2Community)
It’s typical to find the grass is not greener in the next job or career (Forbes)

It’s important to build a solid foundation of skills in each job and task now. This enables you to take those skills and enjoy the benefits of your success tomorrow.

Build a Solid Foundation of Skills Today to Prepare You for New Career Opportunities

Get Real. Many times, you will create goals based on ideals (e.g., being a millionaire, having the title of boss or executive, leading larger projects, etc.). The problem is…and I’ve seen it happen too often in my 28 years of coaching…you’re not ready! You lack the skills required to succeed at the next level (e.g., build good working relationships, execute intended results, resolve team conflicts, etc.). Work with your coach to clarify your career direction and avoid latching on to “job titles,” “paychecks,” or other compensation as “the goal.” If you don’t have your own coach, get one!

Hire a Coach and Find a Mentor. Remember, you cannot snap your fingers and transform your skillsets. It takes time, practice, and more practice before you become a master. Instead of relying on the normal DIY approach and struggling through the inevitable trial-and-error, fast-track by hiring your own coach. Don’t rely on the company to do it for you. Also, find an industry or company mentor. Make sure both of these people can guide you through difficult relationships, projects, and company politics. Next, it’s up to you to be coachable.

Conduct an Honest Evaluation About Your Current Skills. All business leaders and ambitious professionals have blind spots. Use a qualified job fit tool and a 360-degree feedback assessment to uncover them. Armed with this info, work with your coach to develop the skills required for the next level of job responsibilities.

Persist by Doing the Work. There are no short-cuts. It’s easy to go off-track and avoid potential failures or after you’ve experienced failure. Work with your coach to clarify and develop a strategic career plan that works for you. Remember, the experiences of both success and failure make you a better fit for future jobs IF you take the time to build your skillsets now.

Thank, Brag, and Celebrate!

Make it a habit to say, “Thank you.” and “I appreciate your help.”
Learn how to self-promote or brag about your accomplishments.
Celebrate all accomplishments, large and small.

Jeannette Seibly, The Leadership Results Coach

Jeannette Seibly is The Leadership Results Coach. She has been an award-winning executive coach, management consultant, and keynote speaker for over 28 years. She is an expert in guiding leaders and their teams to get unstuck and achieve dynamic results. Contact Jeannette for a confidential conversation.

It’s awful to be the leader of a project that is full of conflict and saboteurs. What do you need to do to manage these before they end your career?

Note from Jeannette: I Want My New Career Opportunities Now…I’m Ready! How many of you have heard the motto “30 and out?” It’s when employees have worked in the same company, and often the same job, before retiring after 30 years! But this is no longer a career option. Most of you, when you retire, will have had more than 7 careers in your lifetime! The challenge? As ambitious professionals and leaders, you will probably jump into your next career opportunity too soon. You won’t be ready. This is why it is important to build a solid foundation of skills in each job along the way. If you’re struggling to determine your career direction, contact me for a confidential conversation.