Nurturing leadership
February 11, 2025
nurturing leadership for this time
When I was in training as a grassroots organizer, we talked a lot about “organizing yourself out of a job.” The idea is that as you develop the leadership and skills of your volunteers, eventually, your organizing support will no longer be needed.
Ever since, I’ve been working to deepen the leadership capacity of those around me. Early in my career, I was tapped to facilitate a process to define what leadership looked like at my organization. I had never facilitated such a process before and was given a lot of leeway to design the process and outcome in accordance with my own vision. It was a real turning point in my career, the first time I was trusted to lead an organization-wide initiative from start to finish.
Those early experiences taught me that developing the leadership of others is built on a foundation of trust and belief in their inherent gifts and potential contributions. As I work with managers and leaders through my 1-1 and group coaching offerings, I see how this foundation of trust and belief can transform not just individual relationships but entire organizations.
Given the intensity of the current moment, I’ve been thinking a lot about cultivating and nurturing leadership. What does it look like to be a leader who supports and prioritizes deepening the leadership of those around them? I believe each of us has a contribution to make, and sometimes, we need support to see clearly what it is.
I was talking to a friend last night who was struggling with a directive from her manager to “lead or improve” a process for the team this year. She was given little guidance on what to focus on and, in turn, was discouraged and worried she wouldn’t do well in her upcoming performance review. She was thinking about teaching herself to code, something her colleagues are skilled at and is not one of her own strengths. She thought it would impress her manager.
I asked her what difference it might have made for her if her manager set her up for this year by naming the strengths he sees her contributing to the team. Or if he had supported her to see how she could leverage her existing skills to make a meaningful improvement to a project or system this year.
She said that thinking about what strengths she’s already offering the team and how she could build upon those felt like lifting a weight off her shoulders. She could see a path, and she felt more empowered.
The impact of clearly naming the capacity and potential of your team as a manager is so powerful. It’s amazing how things shift when we focus on supporting them to see how their unique superpowers can make a meaningful contribution toward the whole team’s success. When we see and name their gifts, we can support them in seeing their gifts too.
Right now, we are being made to believe we cannot change what is happening at the national level. But what might happen if each of us started naming each other’s gifts and encouraging us to use them in our spheres of influence?
This is the supportive leadership we cultivate in our Rooted and Rising group coaching cohort for Managers. I would appreciate it if you’d share this with any colleagues who might be interested in receiving more support this spring. More information is included below.
Rooted & Rising: A group coaching cohort for managers
During this era of compounding and intersecting crises and uncertainty, the work of purpose-driven leaders, especially managers, is essential and demanding. We are launching Rooted and Rising: A Group Coaching Cohort for Managers in 2025 to offer sanctuary and strategy: a space for managers to envision the type of leader they wish to be through this time, ground themselves in their core values and purpose, and build the leadership skills necessary to make a positive–and sustainable– contribution.
This four-month program will run from March through June. It will include eight virtual group coaching sessions and a monthly community space.
Join us for an info session on February 12th or 21st to learn more.
Personalized Executive Coaching Support for Managers
If you're looking for more specialized, focused support for your organization's management team, I'm happy to discuss my executive coaching offerings for managers and emerging leaders.
These are tailored to your team's unique skills and experience as they grow as leaders within your organization. Package options include coaching, 360 assessments, and personalized support around emotional intelligence growth areas, leadership skills, and behaviors.
Career Coaching for Purpose-Driven Professionals
Are you feeling stuck in your professional journey?
My 1:1 career coaching supports purpose-driven professionals who want to discover their next steps. Our partnership goes beyond typical career coaching - we'll explore how to leverage your unique strengths, create career priorities, and navigate transitions with clarity and ease.
I believe each of us has important contributions to make in our work and communities. Sometimes we just need support to see the path forward clearly. Whether you're considering a career pivot, stepping into a new role, or seeking greater alignment between your values and work, I'll support you to chart your path.
Next Steps
I would appreciate it if you could support me by:
sharing this email with managers or folks who work with managers in your network
Amplify, comment on, and share this post on LinkedIn.
Send me a message if you are someone on your team is interested in working together.
With gratitude,
Michaela