Leader as Coach

My most requested work right now. Leaders develop the skills and capacities to coach their people: asking better questions, giving feedback that lands, and building teams that take ownership. Delivered across North America for a global real estate organization, Toyota, a regional fire and rescue leadership team, graduate and executive programs at DU and Michigan, and inside larger cohort programs.

“The pace that Ali teaches is perfect, the amount of learning and interactive time is spot on and I appreciate being able to focus in on this one area and go deep.” — Participant, Coaching and Feedback Workshop, Toyota

Cohort leadership programs

Multi-month journeys where senior leaders learn and grow together, combining 360 assessment, individual coaching and in-person sessions designed for depth. Engaging alongside peers accelerates both individual and system change. Current work includes: a year-long, six-phase program for senior global executives at a global Fortune 500 manufacturer.

Leadership team journeys

Year-long development woven into a senior team’s regular rhythm rather than bolted on. Each phase pairs one big idea with a small experiment the team tries between sessions: vertical development, leading through inquiry instead of answers, Immunity to Change, and working with polarities like “culture of nice AND truth-telling.” Current work includes: a year-long trajectory for an independent school’s senior leadership team.

Strategy, culture and system work

Strategic planning, culture development and collaboration work with executive teams and boards. Current work includes: guiding a major Boston arts institution’s strategic planning from early working sessions through a board retreat and vote.

Retreats and workshops

Bespoke retreats, workshops and talks, built for the specific people in the room. Recent audiences include a Fortune 100 aerospace company, Toyota, YPO Colorado, the Economic Club of Colorado and Inspirato.

Executive coaching

For selected senior leaders, usually as part of a cohort or system-change engagement. Work begins with a 360, looks at how you see and make sense of your world, then turns to the actions that change your impact.

“My work with Ali was absolutely transformative. Ali supported me in navigating some big questions in life and career. I achieved the results I sought, but more importantly, the personal and leadership development work I did during our coaching engagement has made me a better person, colleague and leader.” — Jeremy H., Managing Director, Venture Capital

The conditions for success

Teams and systems get the best results when their leaders are all in: sponsoring the work, modeling it, and investing in their own development alongside their teams. In nearly all my client work, the senior leader is both sponsor and participant, rolling up their sleeves with everyone else. That commitment from the top is what makes change last.