We welcome new VP Michael Feinstein
I am delighted to announce that Michael Feinstein has joined CP as Vice President. He will make our very strong team even stronger. I’m particularly thrilled because Michael’s expertise in both the nonprofit and commercial worlds will deepen our capabilities in serving small and large nonprofits, both locally and nationally. He brings a business mindset to mission-driven organizations. His wealth of experience in strategic planning and board governance will strengthen the services CP has to offer. I also am excited he will be introducing business planning services to meet the varied needs of our clients. On a personal level, I have known Michael for a decade and have been mightily impressed by his creativity and leadership at Bender JCC. We are very lucky he is bringing his talents to CP as we mark 20 years of providing full-service consulting to nonprofits.
You can learn more about Michael here.
How Coaching Can Make You a More Intuitive Leader and a More Creative Innovator
If someone offered you a magic elixir that would increase productivity, improve communications, deepen staff commitment, decrease stress, develop a culture of trust, prevent burnout, better manage risk, and leverage your personal power, wouldn’t you buy it?
Leadership coaching is that elixir, and contrary to what many may believe, it’s not only for those who aren’t performing as well as might be expected; it’s also for those who want to take their leadership from very good to extraordinary or for those who are experiencing significant challenges (like running a nonprofit during a pandemic and recession.)
A national nonprofit leader recently worked with one of Capacity Partners’ leadership coaches, Louise Stoner Crawford, and said, “I feel like a better person as a result of my coaching experience….the positive changes are showing up in all of my relationships in my life….work, family, and friends. This speaks to the transformative power of coaching and the dramatic effect that this can have on individuals and our communities.”
Coaching can develop those leadership qualities that have been empirically proven to be associated with success. These include: cognitive capacity, social capacities, personality style, motivation, knowledge. Focused on the future, not the past, the right leadership coach can enhance performance, build confidence, and help tackle difficult problems.
One leader Jeanine Cogan worked with for years said, "Leadership coaching is a wonderful source of support for me - smart, wise, and compassionate. I had obstacles that were getting in the way of my success. Jeanine helped me identify, understand, and address those obstacles so I could get out of my own way."
Here’s what the experts who study leadership coaching say:
- Coaching dramatically improves working relationships, resulting in a 5:1 return on investment.
- Return on training that is paired with coaching can be productivity increases of up to 88% – four times the increase without coaching.
- When a leader is unsuccessful and derails from their position, it typically costs an organization 150% of salary. This figure is in addition to productivity loss and team disruption.
How does leadership coaching work? Through one-to-one conversations – conversations that can happen remotely in this era of Covid – a leadership coach will help you or your key staff members move past an impasse, learn new skills, and work through communication challenges. Leadership coaches are not therapists; they are sounding boards, guides, and problem-solvers.
But leadership coaching isn’t for everyone. It works best when someone has a genuine desire to learn and grow. People who tend to blame others for their failures or act as victims rarely benefit from leadership coaching
Of course, a good fit is essential; the ineffable chemistry between two people must be right to build the trust required for optimal results. You don’t want just any leadership coach – you want an experienced, savvy, personable coach whose only focus is meeting your goals.
Capacity Partners has two outstanding coaches – Louise Stoner Crawford and Jeanine Cogan – who are ready to help you, your key staff, and your board members meet the unique challenges of leading a nonprofit organization in 2020. Want to learn more? Louise and Jeanine would be delighted to chat with you. Simply email them at louise@capacitypartners.com and jeanine@capacitypartners.com.
How Leadership Coaching Can Help You
Are you wondering exactly how leadership coaching can help you be a better leader?
Leadership coaches partner with clients in a structured, challenging, and creative process, often focused on a particular issue or problem.
Some issues clients bring to leadership coaching include:
- An upcoming opportunity they’d like to leverage
- Wanting to change how they manage or show up as leaders
- Feeling stuck in a certain pattern or management style
- Exploring ways to increase effectiveness
- Navigating a difficult work challenge
Professional coaching focuses on setting goals, creating outcomes, and managing personal change. It is present and future-goal oriented. Your coach will ask powerful questions, act as a sounding board, provide objective assessment and observations, listen fully and actively, challenge your blind spots, and foster shifts in thinking that reveal fresh perspectives
Coaching starts with a clear agreement about the topics to be explored and the desired outcome. The engagement starts with a 3-to-6-month contract which can be amended as needed. It works best when the client brings a desire to change, a willingness to explore new behaviors, and openness to challenging established patterns.
As the old saying goes, leaders aren’t born, they’re made. And leadership coaching can help you become the leader you want to be.
Capacity Partners offers proven leadership coaching so nonprofit leaders can develop their potential and guide their organizations more effectively. For more information, email Louise Stoner Crawford.
