Professional Summary
I've had the privilege to see and experience some wonderful life and professional adventures from traveling and talking to people in numerous countries to sitting down with organizational leaders and hearing their professional and personal stories. I am passionate about helping leaders fulfill their calling to the benefit of others and self.
Within the context of my profession, I specialize in leadership and management development, organizational culture development, employee engagement, life coaching, counseling, and practical spirituality as related to transcendent leadership practices and organization culture. My diverse management and leadership career spanning 30 years enables me to coach, consult, facilitate, speak, and educate on a variety of organizational and leadership success competencies within a variety of industries such as aerospace-defense, broadcasting, high tech, pharmaceutical, executive search, agriculture, business management, non-profit organizations, and educational institutions.
I've been involved in the start-up of new departments and business ventures; developed, executed, and managed strategic business plans; designed and implemented quality improvement programs and assisted multiple managers and leaders in helping them achieve strategic goals. I have also developed, taught, and facilitated courses in corporate and higher education environments related to leadership/management development and models, systems theory, organizational management, organizational culture and change, interpersonal relations, continuous quality improvement, business development, and spiritual formation for domestic and international organizations.
On a more personal level, I have experienced the landscapes of life: deserts, valleys, and "mountain-tops." I know what it's like to lose the sense of "true north" and the joy of rediscovering true-calling and purpose. I've learned that the biggest obstacles in life are often self-imposed boundaries that negatively influence our life journey. I've learned that applying a "transcendent life-style approach" where I integrate and align my character values, practices, leadership behaviors, and spiritual formation with my dreams, life goals, and mission and vision enable me to see and experience life adventures that go beyond my expectations and imagination!
Educationally, I have a B.S. In Speech/Broadcasting from Iowa State University, a M.S. in Counseling from Texas A&M, and a PhD. in Educational Leadership and Innovation from the University of Colorado at Denver.
I am qualified/certified in the use of Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), Emotional Intelligence (EQi), Denison Leadership/Organizational Survey, Pro-Scan (PDP), Tracom-Social Styles, Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation (Firo-B), and other personal and leadership oriented assessments.
Wild Goose Coaching
Optimizing Your Inner Leadership Potential
Personal Interview
Q: Wild Goose is an unusual name for a coaching business. How did you come up with that?
A: The ancient Celts had a name for the Wild Goose, An Geadh-Glas, To them, the Wild Goose symbolized mystery, adventure, sacredness, service and wisdom. Since these were elements I wanted to characterize my coaching practice, Wild Goose fit the bill (pun intended).
Q: That emphasis is a bit different than what you would find with traditional coaches. How does that work?
A: Certainly I offer what traditional coaches offer—strategic goal setting, personality assessments, leadership and management competency development, stress and time management, strategic develop, and so forth. But, if my clients desire, I go beyond that and encourage them to go within themselves and assess their own values and principles related to their personal and professional aspirations. You see, changing behavior is more than just doing things differently. For genuine change to happen, a leader must look at his or her inner leadership beliefs and principles and determine if they truly believe that the desired change is of great value to themselves and to those impacted by the change. I urge them to explore the significance of what they do in the context of a greater purpose – a larger story.
Q: You seem pretty passionate about that?
A: I am. For years I’ve worked with leaders and managers who sought to change their way of doing things. The motivation to adopt new behaviors and competencies was often provided by their organization and manager who mandated, “change or else.” Such changes tended to be short lived. I believe that for permanent change to occur, leaders must begin with a self evaluation of their own inner leadership beliefs and principles. Do they genuinely believe that the desired change is important? Do they believe that they can have greater positive significance in the lives of their followers and organization if they make the change?
Q: Tell us a bit about your business background.
A: Well, it’s a mixed bag. I’ve worked in and with small businesses to large Fortune 200 organizations. I know the mindset and challenges of organizational founders, executive leaders, management, supervisors and staff. I understand the complexities of the corporate cultural world domestically and internationally. I’ve held staff, management, and leadership positions. I continue to work as a mentor, coach, consultant, and educator for multiple industries.
Q: Your personal philosophies influence your coaching practice. Tell us about them.
A: Two ideas thread through most everything I do. The first idea is that I believe “all of life is a learning experience” which means that I have an ongoing hunger for learning. The second idea is based on this quote: “the basis of motivation is a vision of hope”. My vision of hope is that I can help others discover their uniqueness and value for the betterment of others. Finally, I truly believe that there is a larger story continually being written by an amazing Creator. I am reminded of this whenever I gaze through my telescope on a dark Colorado night into the realm of the Cosmos. We each have a part in that larger story.
The question is: What do I want my part to be? What do you want your part to be?
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WildGooseCoaching@gmail.com 719.650.8786
