An inside look into the coaching experience with Claire LeBeau
One of the great joys of my role as a Coach is building personal relationships with my clients, which allows me to get to know them in a deep and meaningful way. Through the journey of our work together, I have a front-row seat to their achievements, championing their growth, and helping them reach their fullest potential. It’s always an honor to share in their successes and coach them through the difficult patches.
The stories of my wonderful engagements have always been one-to-one between my client and myself. Today, I’m thrilled to shine a spotlight on a dear client of mine, Claire LeBeau, Executive Director of STAR/PAL, a non-profit which empowers underserved youth in the San Diego area to build safer and happier communities through free, law enforcement-led programming and mentoring.
Claire and I began our work together through a non-profit board retreat that has grown into an ongoing coaching engagement. She recently sat down for an interview to share her coaching experience, and I’m thrilled to share it with you all today. I hope it highlights the impactful gains of coaching and inspires you to start dreaming about the possibilities of coaching in your own life.
What services/coaching did Marsha provide for you, specifically?
My STAR/PAL team and I needed an in-depth bonding experience for the board to connect and address our organization’s vision. Marsha came in to lead an offsite board retreat to help us examine a bird’s eye view of the future of the mission.
Interestingly, one of our board members is certified in Organizational Leadership and has a lot of experience in strategic planning, but I knew we needed someone with an outside perspective who could lead and guide the discussion with fresh eyes and allow for all our board members to fully engage in the day’s conversations.
Marsha spent a lot of time before the retreat understanding our challenges and getting to know us, which made the retreat all the more successful. Throughout the retreat, she helped us identify best practices in the non-profit world and, overall, kept us from going too in the weeds, which helped re-enforce the strategic mission of the day.
How did the facilitation change your way of thinking, conducting business, or impact team dynamics?
The biggest and most immediate change was the shift in energy on the board. Everyone had a refreshed enthusiasm for the organization, which translated to a deeper and renewed commitment to our work.
On a more tangible level, the retreat opened eyes to the possibility of reorganizing our operations to increase the efficiency of our programs and better accomplish our mission. This was my “ah ha” moment with Marsha that eventually led to her becoming my personal coach as well. At this point in our engagement, she had not only gotten to know the organization but had gotten to know each of us on a personal level. Her personal insights and expertise in the non-profit world combined to identify an opportunity for strategic growth that could be the key to future program expansion. It clicked for me that Marsha was not only a coach but a true blue non-profit consultant, and she demonstrated that big picture thinking, which we deeply benefitted from.
On a personal level, I wanted to lean into how I could be a stronger leader and amplify my role as Executive Director for STAR/PAL. One of the biggest revelations to come out of my coaching with Marsha that’s been especially useful during COVID-19 is how to avoid burnout. Because she takes a Strengths-based approach, I learned how to lean into my duties from a place of strength and positivity and how to move through challenges in a way that sustains you as a leader.
What about Marsha makes her so special as a coach?
In the process of learning how to become a stronger leader, I’ve gained self-awareness on a personal level as well. Sometimes when you’re experienced in leadership, you have your habits and tendencies — while she supports and listens, she also gives you suggestions/ and feedback to hold you accountable. All this helped me create momentum that kept me going and prevented burnout while gaining a support system and soundboard in Marsha for my thoughts, needs, and ideas.
What would you want potential/future clients of Marsha’s to know about her or your experience working with her?
As a leader, we’re never done learning, and Marsha is the person who helps unlock that next level of growth and potential in you. There are always healthy habits and practices we can implement daily for ourselves or our team that get us to that next level. The beautiful thing about the way Marsha works with her clients is that she meets you where you are and gives you realistic, tangible goals. For me, that’s been the most potent catalyst for growth and development.
Strengths Coaching provides a powerful jumpstart to your professional and personal growth. Whether you’re considering Coaching for yourself or your team for the first time or need a refresher session, there is no limit to the ways you can engage me in helping you with your needs. Now more than ever, we could all use a little boost, and I’m ready to support and guide you in hitting your career milestones and achieving your personal goals.