Where leadership meets responsibility

As organizations grow and complexity increases, leadership challenges are rarely solved by individual effort alone. They are shaped by decision-making structures, clarity of roles, accountability, and how leadership is supported day to day.

My work focuses on strengthening leadership by addressing those conditions directly. Depending on what is needed, I support organizations through leadership systems advisory, embedded fractional COO engagements, or context-aware executive coaching. Each offering reflects a different way of working, but all are grounded in the same philosophy: strong leadership depends on systems that match the organization’s reality.

Leadership Systems Advisory

For public, private, and non-profit organizations

Leadership challenges are rarely individual failures.
More often, they are the result of systems that no longer match the organization’s size, complexity, or governance environment.

Through Leadership Systems Advisory, I work with senior leaders, boards, and executive teams to strengthen the systems that support leadership — including decision-making, authority, accountability, and leadership rhythms.

The leader is often the entry point.
The system is the work.

 When this support is most valuable

This work is particularly effective when:

  • Leadership roles are expanding or changing

  • Decision-making feels unclear or overly centralized

  • Governance structures exist but are under strain

  • Leaders are carrying too much responsibility personally

  • Informal ways of working no longer scale

In these situations, even capable leaders can feel stretched or reactive — not because of a lack of skill, but because the system relies too heavily on them to compensate.

 What this work focuses on

Each engagement is tailored, but commonly includes work in areas such as:

  • Leadership role clarity and decision rights

  • Governance and board–executive interface

  • Accountability and performance rhythms

  • Leadership team structure and cadence

  • Decision-making pathways and escalation

  • Organizational transitions and role evolution

This is not about adding bureaucracy or fixing people. It is about aligning leadership systems with organizational reality.

How engagements are structured

Leadership Systems Advisory is offered on a retainer basis, typically over six to nine months.

This structure allows the work to:

  • evolve as the organization changes

  • respond to real-time leadership challenges

  • focus on continuity rather than isolated sessions

Engagements may include a mix of executive advisory, leadership teamwork, and governance support, depending on the context.

Who this is best suited for

This work is a strong fit for organizations that are ready to look beyond individual performance and address the systems shaping leadership effectiveness.

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Fractional COO Engagements

Embedded operational leadership, part-time

Some organizations don’t need a full-time Chief Operating Officer.
They need experienced operational leadership embedded in the business at the right level and pace.

As a Fractional COO, I step in as a part-time member of the leadership team, providing senior operational leadership, execution, and structure.

This role is designed for organizations that need high-level operational leadership without the commitment or cost of a full-time executive.

What this role looks like in practice

Fractional COO engagements are embedded, not advisory.

This work may include:

  • Oversight of operational execution and follow-through

  • Translating strategy into priorities, plans, and rhythms

  • Supporting and developing managers or emerging leaders

  • Clarifying roles, accountability, and decision-making

  • Acting as a senior operational partner to the CEO or founder

The focus is on creating operational stability and leadership capacity, so the organization does not depend on one person to hold everything together.

Focus of my Fractional COO work

My practice is intentionally focused on Foundation and Embedded engagements:

  • Foundation — establishing structure, rhythm, and clarity while founders or CEOs remain closely involved

  • Embedded — acting as a true member of the leadership team with shared responsibility for operational outcomes

In select situations, I may take on a time-bound transitional COO role, with the explicit goal of preparing the organization for a permanent full-time COO.

How engagements are structured

Fractional COO work is offered on a monthly retainer.

  • Minimum engagement: 6 months

  • Most engagements are ongoing, evolving as the organization grows

Scope, authority, and expectations are defined upfront and revisited as needed.

When this work is a strong fit

Fractional COO engagements work best when:

  • The organization is growing in complexity

  • The CEO or founder needs senior operational partnership

  • Leadership responsibilities have outpaced internal capacity

  • There is clarity around authority and shared leadership

This model works particularly well for small and growing organizations that need senior leadership.

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1:1 Executive Coaching

1:1 Executive Coaching

Leadership growth, grounded in context

Leadership development does not happen in a vacuum.

I offer 1:1 executive coaching for senior leaders who want to strengthen their leadership effectiveness within the context they operate in including organizational dynamics, governance realities, and system-level constraints.

This work recognizes that individual leadership is shaped by the systems around it.

What this coaching focuses on

Executive coaching may include work on:

  • Leadership presence and decision-making

  • Navigating complexity and competing demands

  • Role clarity and boundaries

  • Stakeholder and governance relationships

  • Transition into new or expanded leadership roles

Where appropriate, coaching conversations may also explore how organizational systems are helping or hindering leadership effectiveness.

How this differs from Leadership Systems Advisory

  • Executive Coaching focuses on the individual leader’s growth and effectiveness

  • Leadership Systems Advisory focuses on strengthening the systems around leadership

In some cases, coaching may be the right starting point.
In others, coaching alone may not be sufficient without addressing system-level issues.

Engagement structure

Coaching engagements are typically:

  • Retainer-based or structured over a defined term

  • Designed to support leaders through periods of growth or transition

This offering is best suited for leaders who are open to reflection, feedback, and development and who recognize the influence of context on leadership.

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