“The important thing is this: to be ready at any moment to sacrifice what you are for what you are to become.”
- Charles Dubois
My Spezio Tuholer
I am a seeker and an explorer.
I have walked upon each continent and tasted the air at nearly every altitude suited for humans (and in my dreams, way way beyond). I’ve nearly died 23 times (and came back from death one of those times) which has steeled my nerves and heightened my appetite for any experience that takes me beyond the edge of what I already know.
My past times are varied, but each is linked in one fundamental way – they are all about learning the patterns in which I/we operate and breaking through those patterns for the sake of both excellence in the activity as well as personal growth. Becoming aware of my patterns, rather than operating from unknown or unconscious principles, gives me choice and aliveness.
This is the essence of my personal passion as well as the source of my professional service. (Plus, breaking through patterns is a whole lot of fun.)
My Background
I am a leadership coach and facilitator.
Since 1993, I have helped leaders and organizations achieve business results by improving their skills in communication, collaboration and cross-functional innovation. I’ve led leadership programs in 80 cities in fifteen countries, including at Disney, NASA, Honda, Bombardier Aerospace, CapitalOne, ABC, Merck, Wrangler, Genentech, Xerox, ExxonMobil, REI, Starbuck’s, Mastercard, Cisco, and IBM in addition to many startups. I often work with building relationships and increasing collaboration—internally within organizations and externally with suppliers, partners, and customers.
As a coach, I most often work with leaders at high-growth startups on various aspects of leadership, decision-making, delegation and execution. I also facilitate executive teams and boards in business strategy and prioritization.
I am certified as a coach through the Strozzi Institute. Academically, I’ve taught Negotiations at Harvard Law School as a TA and taught Business Communications at Berkeley Business School (Haas) as a graduate student instructor. I have also taught Organizational Psychology as adjunct faculty at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology.
Prior to coaching, I was a consultant specializing in organizational development and restructuring. I have led major organizational change initiatives at AT&T, Cisco, the U.S. Air Force, BellSouth, Phoenix Nuclear Power Plants, the GAP, Banana Republic, U.S. West, and Ameritech. I earned a BA in Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania focused on persuasion and interpersonal dynamics. I earned an MBA from the Berkeley Business School (Haas) where I focused on linking business strategy and organizational design.
I live in Boulder, Colorado, and in my spare time, I enjoy mountain biking, kayaking, and flying airplanes and gliders. I am currently writing a book on building trust and managing conflict.
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