The importance of taking a walk
Many great thinkers have used walking to help them generate ideas, including Beethoven, Steve Jobs, and Aristotle. While all forms of exercise have been [...]
Strategies to strengthen your (virtual) leadership presence
Communication strategies that work well in-person don’t always transfer to a virtual meeting. Strengthening your presence in a Zoom, Teams, or Skype call means [...]
The surprising power of open-ended questions
Learning how to ask open-ended questions is a powerful tool for unlocking value in organizations. It helps your team be self-reliant, spurs learning, fuels [...]
Manage your energy and focus, not your time
Author and Wharton professor Adam Grant says we all have periods of both productivity and procrastination. He proposes that by slowing down we allow [...]
If you have to fail (and you do), fail forward
As a business leader, you routinely jump into experiences that are new to you. And when things don’t go exactly as planned, it can [...]
How to be highly effective and successful without burning out
There’s a reason Eileen Fisher, founder of a legendary $450 million fashion design business starts every meeting by ringing a bell. And then, strange as [...]
Why the most successful leaders take time to think
You may think that working longer, harder, and smarter than your team will inspire by example. But leadership is both active and reflective, and requires [...]
The power of discovering your authentic personal brand
As a leader and manager, chances are you’ve probably considered your personal brand. Awesome, just know discovering an authentic personal brand that resonates requires some [...]
The difference between appreciation and recognition, and how to use each
When I meet with clients, they often use “recognition” and “appreciation” interchangeably when sharing how they’re praising their team. But there’s a difference between these [...]
“I truly do feel that my coaching sessions with Debra allowed me to evolve both as a manager and as a person. She took both inward and outward-looking approaches; assigned self-reflective exercises to define my core values and an outward focus on techniques to build relationships with my team, ensuring I create an environment of support and trust for them.”
— Melissa Carmichael, former Product Design Manager at SurveyMonkey
“The great value in Debra’s coaching lies in her highly personalized suggestions. There are many principles in good management, but which ones are most applicable to you? Debra’s style felt more akin to “massaging” the issue with me until the concepts fell clearly into place. This made me feel greater ownership over the solutions and made me confident that she was always addressing what was most important to me.”
— David Lee, Ph.D., Head of Assay Development at Color
“I have recently been promoted to a managerial role. As I navigate in this unknown territory I am very appreciative of the great insights, guidance, help, support, feedback, and encouragement I receive from my coach Debra. She is a great listener and she selflessly invests in my development and growth. She shares resources with me to help me brainstorm, learn and practice new skills. I always walk away feeling encouraged and positive. I feel blessed to have this opportunity and to have been paired up with such an amazing coach and mentor.“
— Aleksandra Doeing, Senior Manager at Capital One
“I value Debra for her insight into difficult situations. She is amazing at actively listening and teasing out an actionable plan. She has also helped me craft team building activities for an amazing offsite that helped bring my team closer.”
— Xin Yang, Engineering Manager Fleet Firmware, Samsara
“Debra’s coaching skills are profoundly effective. She asks the challenging questions and helped me to find the solutions that worked for me. Her approach is both persistent and graceful and she knows just when to challenge and when to encourage with her positivity. The coaching with Debra has been a valuable investment in improving the way I work and the final results.”
— Nina Mullen, Founder and Landscape Designer, Mullen Designs
“Debra is an excellent coach. She came at the right moment and with the right approach. Her capacity as a listener and her very precise feedback when asked, allowed me to find clarity in a very delicate moment.“
— Alejandro Pacheco, UN Development Programme
