[{"id":91,"date":"2026-02-18T23:44:28","date_gmt":"2026-02-18T23:44:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/?p=91"},"modified":"2026-02-18T23:44:31","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T23:44:31","slug":"5-questions-to-ask-a-potential-coach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/2026\/02\/18\/5-questions-to-ask-a-potential-coach\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Questions to Ask a Potential Coach"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>1. &#8220;How do you define the difference between coaching and mentoring?&#8221;<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A certified coach will explain that <strong>mentoring<\/strong> is about sharing their own experience and giving advice, while <strong>coaching<\/strong> is a partnership where the coach facilitates <em>your<\/em> thinking to help you find your own solutions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>2. &#8220;What is your process for managing professional boundaries and ethics?&#8221;<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>They should mention the <strong>ICF Code of Ethics<\/strong> and specific practices like confidentiality, managing conflicts of interest, and knowing when to refer you to a therapist if a topic moves into mental health territory.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>3. &#8220;How many hours of &#8216;coach-specific&#8217; training have you completed?&#8221;<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Look for at least <strong>60 hours<\/strong> (the minimum for an ICF Associate Credential). Leadership experience is valuable, but it is <strong>not<\/strong> the same as professional coach training.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>4. &#8220;What coaching model or methodology do you use?&#8221;<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>They should name a framework (e.g., the <strong>S.H.I.N.E<\/strong>. framework, the <strong>GROW <\/strong>model, the <strong>GOOD<\/strong> model). This proves they aren&#8217;t just &#8220;winging it&#8221; but are using a proven psychological structure.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>5. &#8220;How do we measure the success of our engagement?&#8221;<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>They will talk about setting <strong>S.M.A.R.T. goals<\/strong> (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) during an intake session and doing regular &#8220;check-ins&#8221; to see if you are hitting your markers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>THE BOTTOM LINE:<\/strong> Great coaching is a partnership, not a pep talk. Ensure your coach has the credentials to back up their claims.<br><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>1. &#8220;How do you define the difference between coaching and mentoring?&#8221; 2. &#8220;What is your process for managing professional boundaries and ethics?&#8221; 3. &#8220;How many hours of &#8216;coach-specific&#8217; training have you completed?&#8221; 4. &#8220;What coaching model or methodology do you use?&#8221; 5. &#8220;How do we measure the success of our engagement?&#8221; THE BOTTOM LINE: Great [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2191,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-91","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2191"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=91"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=91"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=91"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=91"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":89,"date":"2026-02-18T18:57:21","date_gmt":"2026-02-18T18:57:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/?p=89"},"modified":"2026-02-18T18:57:22","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T18:57:22","slug":"why-icf-credentialing-is-the-gold-standard-in-coaching","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/2026\/02\/18\/why-icf-credentialing-is-the-gold-standard-in-coaching\/","title":{"rendered":"Why ICF Credentialing is the Gold Standard in Coaching"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>According to Forbes (2025), there are approximately <strong>4.7 million people<\/strong> on LinkedIn with the word &#8220;coach&#8221; in their job title or headline. The coaching industry has become one of the fastest-growing sectors globally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Why? The title &#8220;Coach&#8221; is not a protected term in most countries, allowing anyone with a specific expertise to adopt it. While there are approximately <strong>4.7 million<\/strong> people using the title of &#8220;coach&#8221; on LinkedIn, the number of those who are officially <strong>ICF (International Coaching Federation) certified<\/strong> is significantly smaller.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to ICF, as of early 2026, there are approximately <strong>60,000 active ICF credential-holders<\/strong> worldwide. I\u2019m one of 34,000 credential holders based in North America. What makes me, along with the other 60,000 ICF credential-holders (only about <strong>1.3%<\/strong> of the 4.7 million people calling themselves coaches on LinkedIn), stand out?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>1. Proof of &#8220;Seat Time&#8221;<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Anyone can claim to be a coach after reading a few books. An ICF-certified coach has proven they have accomplished significantly more. ICF credentialed coaches have:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>60-200+ hours<\/strong> of specific coach training.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>100-2,500+ hours<\/strong> of actual coaching experience with real clients.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Hours<\/strong> of being coached by a credentialed Mentor Coach.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>2. Ethical Accountability<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Uncertified coaches are accountable to themselves. If they overstep boundaries or act unprofessionally, there is no governing body to report them to. ICF certified coaches are bound by a strict <strong>Code of Ethics <\/strong>and are trained to know when a client moves out of coaching and requires a licensed therapist.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>3. Measurable Performance (The &#8220;Science&#8221; of Coaching)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Studies show a clear gap in client outcomes between certified and uncertified coaches. According to the <em>2022 ICF Global Consumer Awareness Study<\/em>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Clients with certified coaches reported being <strong>&#8220;very satisfied&#8221;<\/strong> at double the rate of those with uncertified coaches (<strong>55% vs. 27%<\/strong>).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Certified coaches are trained in specific <strong>Core Competencies<\/strong>\u2014like active listening, powerful questioning, and creating awareness\u2014rather than just giving advice or &#8220;cheerleading.&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>4. Reduced &#8220;Advice Bias&#8221;<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The biggest mistake untrained coaches make is telling the client what to do (consulting) rather than helping the client find the answer (coaching).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Certification training<\/strong> focuses heavily on removing the coach\u2019s ego.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A certified coach uses frameworks to help you build <strong>internal autonomy<\/strong>, so you don&#8217;t become dependent on them for every decision.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>According to Forbes (2025), there are approximately 4.7 million people on LinkedIn with the word &#8220;coach&#8221; in their job title or headline. The coaching industry has become one of the fastest-growing sectors globally. Why? The title &#8220;Coach&#8221; is not a protected term in most countries, allowing anyone with a specific expertise to adopt it. While [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2191,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-89","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2191"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=89"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=89"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=89"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=89"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":87,"date":"2026-02-06T20:19:29","date_gmt":"2026-02-06T20:19:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/?p=87"},"modified":"2026-02-06T20:19:31","modified_gmt":"2026-02-06T20:19:31","slug":"the-return-on-investment-of-hybrid-coaching","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/2026\/02\/06\/the-return-on-investment-of-hybrid-coaching\/","title":{"rendered":"The Return on Investment of Hybrid Coaching"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Messages of Uncertainty and Fear<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThese are unprecedented times we\u2019re living in.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re busy and facing more distraction than ever before.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cArtificial Intelligence is poised to take over our workplaces.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re living in a VUCA world: Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a world that feels like it\u2019s permanently stuck on &#8220;high alert,&#8221; we\u2019ve become residents of the &#8220;unprecedented.&#8221; Between the frantic news pings on our nightstands and the doomsday headlines dominating our feeds, we are constantly told that the world is shifting under our feet at a speed we weren&#8217;t built to outrun. The relentless negative messaging doesn&#8217;t just inform us; it exhausts us and bleeds into our very beings. If everything is a crisis, how do we find the space to actually breathe, let alone adapt and flourish?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Chronic Stress Epidemic&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the World Health Organization, burnout is an \u201coccupation-related syndrome\u201d resulting from chronic stress that the workplace has not sufficiently addressed (American Psychological Association, 2023). When individuals suffer from burnout, an organization\u2019s productivity decreases (Auerbach, 2024). Stanford University recently estimated that burnout-induced turnover could cost the institution almost $8 million per year (Berg, 2017). For many, a substantial workplace stressor leading to burnout is a lack of power, support, and isolation. With the global wellness industry valued at over $4.4 trillion in 2024, individuals and organizations are becoming increasingly aware of the value of investing in health, as those who strongly agree that their organization cares about their wellness are 4.4 times more likely to be engaged at work and 73% less likely to experience burnout (Auerback, 2025).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Advantage of Coaching<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a landscape where workplace stress often feels like an immovable object, coaching serves as the psychological &#8220;circuit breaker&#8221; that prevents total burnout. Unlike traditional management\u2014which usually focuses on <em>what<\/em> you\u2019re doing\u2014coaching prioritizes <em>how<\/em> you process the demands placed on you. By creating a neutral space to deconstruct overwhelming challenges, coaching helps you shift from a reactive state of survival to a proactive state of agency. It provides the tools to sharpen emotional intelligence, set sustainable boundaries, and recalibrate your internal compass so that &#8220;unprecedented change&#8221; becomes a manageable variable rather than a constant threat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Artificial Intelligence Replacing Human-to-Human Coaching?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While traditional coaching provides the &#8220;how&#8221; of professional growth, artificial intelligence changes the &#8220;when\u201d. AI-driven coaching tools serve as a 24\/7 digital co-pilot, democratizing access to professional development once reserved for the C-suite. By leveraging real-time data and sentiment analysis, these platforms deliver immediate, personalized nudges and &#8220;in-the-flow&#8221; feedback, in a way most people cannot afford to pay a coach to provide. This allows for a proactive approach to stress management, enabling an AI to detect early signs of burnout or communication friction before they escalate. However, AI doesn\u2019t replace the human coach; it bridges the gap between sessions, turning long-term goals into consistent, daily habits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Uniquely Human Advantage of Coaching<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Coaching is built from a relational perspective (Ladegard &amp; Gjerde, 2014) as a development strategy that encourages individuals to realize their own vision and purpose to promote flourishing rather than a strategy focused on hierarchically \u201cfixing\u201d them (O\u2019Neil et al., 2015). Coaching is enacted on the premise that self-awareness and self-reflection through a partnering relationship with a coach enhances strengths inherent to the client or coachee. Coaching is a helping and caring relationship (Boyatzis, 2006; Kilburg, 1996) designed to support (Vinnicombe &amp; Singh, 2003) and facilitate a client\u2019s participation in their own leadership development through the traditionally undervalued skill of collaboration (Ruderman &amp; Ohlott, 2005).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to De Haan and Nilsson (2023), coaching is an individualized approach to personal development and growth \u201cthat promotes the client\u2019s decision-making and performance through conversations, making use of shared inquiry, reflection, support, and challenge\u201d (p. 1) that has been long established in fields such as business. Executive coaching is defined as &#8220;partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential&#8221; (International Coaching Federation, 2021). According to Alexander and colleagues (2020), one of the primary purposes of coaching is to create a \u201cself-directed\u201d learning space to explore ideas, thoughts, and feelings where the coach&#8217;s role is to facilitate self-discovery with active listening and strategic questioning. Furthermore, the focus on overall wellbeing of clients\/coachees differs from more deficit and pathology-based efforts to facilitate individual improvement (Gazelle et al., 2015).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A Message of Hope and Strategic Co-Existence<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The power of human development through coaching in a VUCA world lies not in choosing between human intuition and machine intelligence, but in the seamless co-existence of both. While AI provides the &#8220;always-on&#8221; infrastructure for habit tracking, immediate stress-relief exercises, and data-driven insights, the human coach provides the indispensable &#8220;why&#8221;\u2014the empathy, cultural nuance, and deep-seated wisdom that a set of algorithms cannot replicate. This hybrid approach creates a continuous support loop: AI handles the tactical, day-to-day behavioral nudges that keep us on track, while human sessions tackle the complex identity shifts and messy interpersonal dynamics that define leadership. By merging the precision of technology with the warmth of human connection, we create a coaching ecosystem that is both scalable and deeply personal.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Messages of Uncertainty and Fear \u201cThese are unprecedented times we\u2019re living in.\u201d&nbsp; \u201cWe\u2019re busy and facing more distraction than ever before.\u201d \u201cArtificial Intelligence is poised to take over our workplaces.\u201d \u201cWe\u2019re living in a VUCA world: Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous.\u201d In a world that feels like it\u2019s permanently stuck on &#8220;high alert,&#8221; we\u2019ve become residents [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2191,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-87","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2191"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=87"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=87"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=87"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=87"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":85,"date":"2026-02-01T17:23:57","date_gmt":"2026-02-01T17:23:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/?p=85"},"modified":"2026-02-01T17:23:58","modified_gmt":"2026-02-01T17:23:58","slug":"why-we-must-treat-the-leadership-classroom-as-a-lab-for-praxis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/2026\/02\/01\/why-we-must-treat-the-leadership-classroom-as-a-lab-for-praxis\/","title":{"rendered":"Why We Must Treat the Leadership Classroom as a Lab for Praxis"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>There is a persistent, nagging gap in our field that most of us feel but few of us have successfully closed: the space between the high-level theory of the graduate seminar room and the gritty, unpredictable reality of an educational leader\u2019s day-to-day environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As scholars and practitioners, we\u2019ve often struggled to maintain a truly cyclical relationship between theory and practice. We talk about leadership in the abstract, yet the actual <em>teaching<\/em> of leadership, the bridge-building, is often sidelined in favor of singular research. But if we accept that school leaders are second only to teachers in their impact on student outcomes, then how we prepare them isn&#8217;t just an academic exercise. It is a community-shaping responsibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Classroom as a Lens for Praxis<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Is the educational leadership classroom actually a useful lens for understanding praxis? I believe the answer is a resounding <strong>yes<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To teach leadership effectively, we cannot simply hand over a syllabus of timeless truths. We have to create a space where the new and the traditional interact. We need to view leadership preparation not as a one-time degree, but as a continuous development process that spans a career, from the first day of an induction program to the seasoned executive&#8217;s ongoing growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Art of the &#8220;Bricolage&#8221;<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In designing my latest work (with Lacey E. Seaton), <em>Teaching Educational Leadership<\/em>, I moved away from the standard, rigid textbook structure. Instead, Lacey and I embraced the concept of <strong>bricolage<\/strong>\u2014the artistic process of creating a collage from disparate materials to form a new, cohesive whole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Leadership itself is a bricolage. It\u2019s a quilt of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Autoethnographical insights:<\/strong> Lessons rooted in the raw, personal experiences of those who have been in the trenches.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Andragogical strategy:<\/strong> Understanding how adults actually learn to lead.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Pragmatic tools:<\/strong> Concrete activities to navigate crisis management, political structures, and sensitive topics like sexual misconduct prevention.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>By viewing leadership education as a tapestry rather than a checklist, we allow for the creative freedom to transform individual findings into a unified body of work with real-world implications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A Call to Recommit and Reimagine<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The current climate of education demands more than just competent managers. We need leaders who are equipped to bolster morale, champion innovation, lead for equity, and enhance teacher retention. This requires us, as faculty and mentors, to look at our own programming and ask the hard questions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Are we providing a direct line between philosophy and concrete strategy?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How are we preparing leaders for the &#8220;sensitive realities&#8221; of the job before they hit the ground?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Are we offering specialized support, such as executive coaching frameworks for female leaders, to ensure longevity in the field?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>I invite you to stop viewing &#8220;theory&#8221; and &#8220;practice&#8221; as two different islands. Instead, see the classroom, whether it&#8217;s in a university or a district boardroom, as the bridge that connects them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s move the field forward by treating our teaching as an evolving artwork, one that is as complex, diverse, and resilient as the leaders we aim to develop.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There is a persistent, nagging gap in our field that most of us feel but few of us have successfully closed: the space between the high-level theory of the graduate seminar room and the gritty, unpredictable reality of an educational leader\u2019s day-to-day environment. As scholars and practitioners, we\u2019ve often struggled to maintain a truly cyclical [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2191,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-85","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2191"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=85"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=85"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=85"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=85"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":82,"date":"2025-09-16T23:40:17","date_gmt":"2025-09-16T23:40:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/?p=82"},"modified":"2025-09-16T23:40:19","modified_gmt":"2025-09-16T23:40:19","slug":"the-quiet-acts-of-leadership","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/2025\/09\/16\/the-quiet-acts-of-leadership\/","title":{"rendered":"The Quiet Acts of Leadership"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>As a new academic year begins, it&#8217;s a great time to reflect on what <strong>leadership<\/strong> really means. We often get caught up in the idea of leadership as a formal title, a corner office, or a position of power. But the truth is, leadership is less about authority and more about influence and impact. It\u2019s a practice, not a position, and you can lead from anywhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Think about it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The graduate student who helps their group find common ground on a tough project.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The alumnus who takes the time to mentor a young professional.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The teammate who simply listens and validates another person\u2019s ideas.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These are all acts of leadership. They show that every person has the capacity to create positive change, no matter their role. It\u2019s in these moments\u2014some loud, some quiet, some big, some small\u2014that you truly cultivate influence and move ideas and people forward.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As a new academic year begins, it&#8217;s a great time to reflect on what leadership really means. We often get caught up in the idea of leadership as a formal title, a corner office, or a position of power. But the truth is, leadership is less about authority and more about influence and impact. It\u2019s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2191,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-82","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2191"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=82"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=82"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=82"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=82"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":75,"date":"2025-05-28T00:25:56","date_gmt":"2025-05-28T00:25:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/?p=75"},"modified":"2025-05-28T00:25:57","modified_gmt":"2025-05-28T00:25:57","slug":"why-invest-in-faculty-leader-development","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/2025\/05\/28\/why-invest-in-faculty-leader-development\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Invest in Faculty\/Leader Development?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Investing in faculty professional\/leadership development yields significant returns on investment for engagement and directly addresses root causes of working conditions that led to \u201cThe Great Resignation.\u201d Effective faculty\/leadership development empowers faculty to: shape their individual trajectories; contribute to the improvement of their departments\/schools\/colleges through gained ownership; and contribute to a positive work culture. Investing in faculty\/leadership development increases job satisfaction, reduces burnout, and signals to faculty that universities are prioritizing their needs.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>High Return on Investment (ROI):<\/strong> Faculty development is an investment that yields significant returns, particularly in terms of faculty engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Addressing &#8220;The Great Resignation&#8221;:<\/strong> Faculty development helps to mitigate the root causes of conditions that contributed to &#8220;The Great Resignation,&#8221; (empowered faculty are less likely to leave).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Empowerment and Ownership:<\/strong> Effective faculty\/leadership development empowers faculty by allowing them to: influence their own paths; focus on their individual strengths to also strengthen their academic units; and participate in and contribute to a positive climate\/work environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By investing in faculty development, departments\/schools\/colleges signal to their faculty\/leaders that their needs are being prioritized. Faculty\/leadership development is not just a perk, but a strategic investment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Investing in faculty professional\/leadership development yields significant returns on investment for engagement and directly addresses root causes of working conditions that led to \u201cThe Great Resignation.\u201d Effective faculty\/leadership development empowers faculty to: shape their individual trajectories; contribute to the improvement of their departments\/schools\/colleges through gained ownership; and contribute to a positive work culture. Investing in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2191,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-75","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2191"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=75"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=75"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=75"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=75"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":74,"date":"2025-05-28T00:12:23","date_gmt":"2025-05-28T00:12:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/?p=74"},"modified":"2025-05-28T00:12:24","modified_gmt":"2025-05-28T00:12:24","slug":"be-the-torque","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/2025\/05\/28\/be-the-torque\/","title":{"rendered":"Be the Torque"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>A flywheel is a rotating mechanical device that stores rotational energy. While a flywheel has continuing energy, it naturally resists changes in rotational speed. However, applying torque (or a twist of force) to it can increase the rotational speed by using its stored energy. What veteran women have managed to do for the field of educational leadership is to create a flywheel of the study of women. They demanded and created a space for the study of women and have provided continuous energy to a topic that was traditionally underserved and without energy. Veteran women created continuous energy for an energy source that was non-existent or, at best, discontinuous. However, a flywheel can be used to create pulses of energy that exceed the abilities of the original energy source. In other words, stored energy can be released at a much higher rate. This is what veteran women are calling for &#8211; pulses of energy from women new to the field that advance the study of women in new directions. So, the question becomes, &#8220;How do we apply torque to the study of women in educational leadership while also honoring the fact that, in some instances, change has not occurred?&#8221; Or, &#8220;How do we best reveal stagnation while also moving forward?&#8221; (excerpt from Women Interrupting, Disrupting, and Revolutionizing Educational Policy and Practice)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A flywheel is a rotating mechanical device that stores rotational energy. While a flywheel has continuing energy, it naturally resists changes in rotational speed. However, applying torque (or a twist of force) to it can increase the rotational speed by using its stored energy. What veteran women have managed to do for the field of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2191,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-74","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2191"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=74"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=74"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=74"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=74"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":73,"date":"2025-05-27T23:50:32","date_gmt":"2025-05-27T23:50:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/?p=73"},"modified":"2025-05-27T23:50:33","modified_gmt":"2025-05-27T23:50:33","slug":"mentoring-as-a-strategy-to-develop-women-in-higher-education","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/2025\/05\/27\/mentoring-as-a-strategy-to-develop-women-in-higher-education\/","title":{"rendered":"Mentoring as a Strategy to Develop Women in Higher Education"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Gewirtz (1998) describes social justice in action-oriented terms as the practice of the disruption of marginalization. In a previous publication, a colleague and I created a list of specific actions that disrupt traditional university practices and assert that these might also be useful to other women prot\u00e9g\u00e9s in the field. We outlined strategies for career mentoring for women in higher education below that we envision:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Develop Strength of Self \u2013 Those involved in the fitness culture understand that to be truly fit, one must make the foundation or core of the body strong. Similarly, to be able to successfully negotiate graduate school and the process toward securing a position in higher education, the most important goal for a prot\u00e9g\u00e9 \u2013 one that supersedes all others \u2013 is to understand who she is, what she stands for, and how this sense of self can be utilized to her advantage. If you are in a position to mentor someone, actively seek a prot\u00e9g\u00e9 and help her identify research and teaching interests that speak to her individuality rather than what might be more mainstream and readily acceptable by others in the field. Help your prot\u00e9g\u00e9 gain self-confidence by buffering her when necessary and helping her stand on her own when appropriate. Help her identify her strengths and formulate a plan of improvement for her weaknesses. Give her opportunities to work with you on research and teaching projects. If you are a prot\u00e9g\u00e9, be proactive, work to make connections with faculty and network with those who have similar goals and who demonstrate that they are willing to spend time with you. Actively seek a mentor(s) . Be specific about what you need your mentor to help you with. Be specific about what you desire to gain from a mentoring relationship. Strive to be an academic weight lifter \u2013 slowly work all of your muscles and work toward additional weight. Seek balance so that all areas are strong.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Grow a Core of Knowledge \u2013 Runners know that it is virtually impossible to get a good stride going if they lack knowledge about what constitutes a good stride, proper breathing and a competitive pace. Many who are new to running find it helpful to master best practices a few at a time. If you are a mentor, it is important for you to engage in \u201cthink alouds\u201d with your prot\u00e9g\u00e9. Talk out loud about the academic culture, share knowledge (especially any hidden rules) explicitly and do not assume that your prot\u00e9g\u00e9 understands the culture. Help your prot\u00e9g\u00e9 develop knowledge a little at a time by sharing information, giving instructions, modeling, and then scaffolding as your prot\u00e9g\u00e9 tries a task on her own. Teach your prot\u00e9g\u00e9 to conduct research, write and disseminate this information through publications and presentations. Do not assume that she gained this knowledge through coursework. In essence, teach your prot\u00e9g\u00e9 to be an academic runner who can go the distance and jump hurdles when necessary. If you are a prot\u00e9g\u00e9, ask questions, soak up knowledge from those who came before you, and respond to feedback positively. Your stride will eventually improve.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Live and Respond to Life \u2013 Unquestionably, life can be difficult enough without negotiating graduate school or a first-time professorship along the way \u2013 especially for women as they are often expected to take on the bulk of family and home responsibilities in addition to work. It is crucial for mentors to show their prot\u00e9g\u00e9s what successful juggling of home and work looks like. If mentors can not demonstrate this themselves, it is unlikely that their prot\u00e9g\u00e9s will be able to either. Mentors might also let their prot\u00e9g\u00e9s understand that when juggling, at least one ball will drop eventually (this could take the form of a project deadline not met, a child\u2019s softball game missed, etc.). However, more importantly, it is helpful for prot\u00e9g\u00e9s to know that the ball can be picked back up and thrown back into the mix when ready. If a prot\u00e9g\u00e9 has a curveball thrown at her in regard to her home life, the mentor should acknowledge this and demonstrate care (the act of care is neither feminine nor masculine, but, rather, human), but also hold the prot\u00e9g\u00e9 accountable in fulfilling responsibilities and help her negotiate a new process if necessary. Prot\u00e9g\u00e9s must be honest with mentors when unexpected circumstances arise and ask for help.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Be a Fisher of Women \u2013 Fishing can be enjoyed in many different ways whether you are seeking a specific type of fish with special bait or whether you are simply throwing a pole in the water ready for anything that comes to the surface. Mentoring can be this way as well. Social justice agendas for women demand that mentors specifically seek women and minorities and promote them due to lack of access to mentoring in the past to those except for a select few. Women mentors may seek women prot\u00e9g\u00e9s who are like themselves for both the prot\u00e9g\u00e9\u2019s and mentor\u2019s benefit (i.e. Who doesn\u2019t want to work with someone who has similar interests?). But, they may also seek women and minorities who have strengths and interests different from their own for the sole purpose of promoting someone who, otherwise, would not receive the benefits of mentoring. Both practices are acceptable and work toward promoting more equitable and socially just environments. The point is to get out there and fish for other women so that networks can be built for those that come after you. If a mentor demonstrates the act of fishing for other women, the prot\u00e9g\u00e9 will likely also practice paying it forward when she is in the position to do so.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Gewirtz (1998) describes social justice in action-oriented terms as the practice of the disruption of marginalization. In a previous publication, a colleague and I created a list of specific actions that disrupt traditional university practices and assert that these might also be useful to other women prot\u00e9g\u00e9s in the field. We outlined strategies for career [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2191,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-73","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2191"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=73"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=73"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=73"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=73"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":9,"date":"2025-04-13T13:31:12","date_gmt":"2025-04-13T13:31:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/wsnewcomb\/?p=9"},"modified":"2025-04-13T13:31:14","modified_gmt":"2025-04-13T13:31:14","slug":"a-framework-for-executive-leadership-coaching","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/2025\/04\/13\/a-framework-for-executive-leadership-coaching\/","title":{"rendered":"A Framework for Executive Leadership Coaching"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>There are a number of coaching frameworks that executive leadership coaches have found useful. I propose a simple framework here using the acronym S.H.I.N.E.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>S &#8211; Set goals. <\/strong>As clients first engage in a coaching relationship, they will be called upon by their coaches to set goals for growth. This requires that clients understand their current environments, understand what motivates and excites them and identify a vision for success. This stage of the relationship is inclusive of a client\u2019s unique experiences in their work environments and defies any gender norms that have not been inclusive of them. Coaches invite leaders to aspire to actions and outcomes that are rooted in their strengths.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>H &#8211; Harvest strengths<\/strong>. As leaders move forward in the coaching process, they will be encouraged to explore their areas of strength. They may identify areas for growth as well. However, as clients understand their strengths, coaches will partner with them to employ these skills in planning for achieving the goals they identified for themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>I &#8211; Imagine options connected to inspiration and rooted in innovation. <\/strong>Once leaders work with their coaches to set goals and harvest their strengths, they can move toward considering options and obstacles that might impact their success. Leaders should not be impeded by traditional norms and stereotypes. Rather, coaches should encourage clients to think freely and imagine options they have not considered before to facilitate innovation.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>N &#8211; Navigate multiple paths. <\/strong>As leaders have considered options and challenges they may encounter, coaches will help them move toward thinking through the most preferred courses of action and explore how moving from start to finish with each option might look, feel, impact them, and impact others. Coaches will help clients think through whether conventional norms and leadership practices work for them and help them think freely and outside of their comfort zones.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>E &#8211; Empower yourself. <\/strong>As leaders have thought deeply and strategically about their goals, strengths, options, and paths, coaches will help move them toward the empowerment that comes with decision making and moving forward with action. Coaches will help leaders plan actions over the course of days, months and years and provide support in the form of serving as accountability partners.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There are a number of coaching frameworks that executive leadership coaches have found useful. I propose a simple framework here using the acronym S.H.I.N.E. S &#8211; Set goals. As clients first engage in a coaching relationship, they will be called upon by their coaches to set goals for growth. This requires that clients understand their [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2191,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2191"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":8,"date":"2025-04-13T13:16:20","date_gmt":"2025-04-13T13:16:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/wsnewcomb\/?p=8"},"modified":"2025-04-13T13:16:23","modified_gmt":"2025-04-13T13:16:23","slug":"coaching-as-a-strategy-to-reduce-burnout-in-women-leaders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/2025\/04\/13\/coaching-as-a-strategy-to-reduce-burnout-in-women-leaders\/","title":{"rendered":"Coaching as a Strategy to Reduce Burnout in Women Leaders"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>According to the World Health Organization (American Psychological Association, 2023), burnout is an \u201coccupation-related syndrome\u201d resulting from chronic stress that the workplace has not sufficiently addressed. When individuals suffer from burnout, an organization\u2019s productivity decreases (Auerbach, 2004). Stanford University recently estimated that burnout-induced turnover could cost the institution almost $8 million per year (Berg, 2017). For women, a substantial stressor leading toward burnout in the workplace is the lack of power, support, and isolation. Women have historically been isolated from male networks and positions of power (Moore &amp; Sagaria, 1991). However, women thrive through collaborative networking (Belenky et al., 1986; Noddings, 1986; Tannen, 2001) and gender socialization built on relationships (Gilligan, 1982). Traditional gender socialization encourages women to seek out horizontal connections rather than vertical connections with those around them (Gilligan, 1982). This tends to lead to discomfort in the work setting for many women where hierarchical structures are the norm (Tannen, 2001).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Though mentoring has been purported to be a possible equalizer for women\u2019s development in the workplace, it has advantages and disadvantages. First, mentoring has often been inaccessible to women in educational leadership in particular which has reduced women\u2019s chances of rising to leadership ranks (Ortiz, 1982; Sherman, 2005). Second, informal mentoring as a method for tapping school leaders has tended to lead toward \u201creproductive technology\u201d and as a \u201cgatekeeping mechanism\u201d that is biased and not designed for women and those historically marginalized (Blackmore et al., 2006; Sherman, 2002; 2005). Third, according to Tannen (2001), mentoring is traditionally enacted as a uni-directional and hierarchical approach to the \u201cgiving\u201d or \u201ctelling\u201d of information with little consideration to \u201creceiving\u201d and is thus conducted in a way that encourages male dominant gender-role socialization. Women are less successful with traditional didactic mentoring relationships because webbing and networking is more relationally natural (Tannen, 2001).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In turn, executive leadership coaching is built from a relational perspective (Ladegard &amp; Gjerde, 2014) as a development strategy that encourages individuals to realize their own vision and purpose to promote flourishing rather than a strategy focused on hierarchically \u201cfixing\u201d them (O\u2019Neil et al., 2015). Leadership coaching is enacted on the premise that self-awareness and self-reflection through a partnering relationship with a coach enhances strengths inherent to the client\/coachee. Executive leadership coaching is a helping and caring relationship (Boyatzis, 2006; Kilburg, 1996) designed to support (Vinnicombe &amp; Singh, 2003) and facilitate women\u2019s participation in their own leadership development through the traditionally undervalued skill of collaboration (Ruderman &amp; Ohlott, 2005).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While there are a multitude of definitions of executive leadership coaching (or leadership\u00a0coaching), principles such as collaboration, accountability, self-awareness, action planning, responsibility, goal direction, and outcome-focused are common (Grant et al., 2009; Spence &amp; Oades, 2011; Sue-Chan et al., 2010). Executive leadership coaching is responsive to the individual needs of leaders and their organizations and often includes personality and leadership assessments, challenge, and support toward development (Ely et al., 2010; Ladegard, &amp; Gjerde, 2014). Burke and Linley (2007) found that leadership coaching has a positive effect after only one coaching session. Alexander et al. (2020) studied nineteen female junior faculty who received individual or group coaching over a six month period. After completion of coaching, all participants indicated reduced feelings of burnout and a renewed intent to remain in their jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>References<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Alexander, L., Bonnema, R., Farmer, S., &amp; Reimold, S. (2020). Executive coaching women\u00a0faculty: A focused strategy to build resilience. <em>Physician Leadership Journal<\/em>, <em>7<\/em>(1),\u00a041-44.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>American Psychological Association (2023, May 12). Employers need to focus on workplace\u00a0burnout: Here\u2019s why.<em> <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.apa.org\/topics\/healthy-workplaces\/workplace-burnout\">https:\/\/www.apa.org\/topics\/healthy-workplaces\/workplace-burnout<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Auerback, J. E. (2024, November 3). The role of executive coaching in reducing burnout across\u00a0professions.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/executivecoachcollege.com\/research-and-publications\/role-of-executive-coaching-\">https:\/\/executivecoachcollege.com\/research-and-publications\/role-of-executive-coaching-<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/executive-college.com\/research-and-publications\/role-of-executive-coaching-in-reducting-burnout-across-professions.php\">in-reducing-burnout-across-professions.php<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Belenky, M., Clinchy, B., Goldberger, N., Tarule, J. (1986). <em>Women\u2019s ways of knowing:\u00a0The development of self, voice, and mind.<\/em> BasicBooks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Berg, S. (2017, November). At Stanford, physician burnout costs at least $7.75 million a year.\u00a0<em>AMA Wire<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Blackmore, J., Thomson, P, &amp; Barty, K. (2006). Principal selection: Homosociability, the\u00a0search for security and the production of normalized principal identities. <em>Educational Management Administration and Leadership, 34<\/em>(3), 297-317.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Boyatzis, R. E. (2006). An overview of intentional change from a complexity perspective.<em>Journal of Management Development, 25, <\/em>607-623.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Burke, D., &amp; Linley, P. A. (2007). Enhancing goal self-concordance through coaching. <em>International Coaching Psychology Review, 2<\/em>(1), 62\u201369.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ely, K., Boyce, L. A., Nelson, J. K., Zaccaro, S. J., Hernez-Broome, G., &amp; Whyman, W. (2010).\u00a0Evaluating leadership coaching: A review and integrated framework.<em>Leadership Quarterly, 21<\/em>(4), 585\u2013599.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Gilligan, C. (1982). <em>In a different voice: Psychological theory and women\u2019s development.<\/em>\u00a0Harvard University Press.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Grant, A. M., Curtayne, L., &amp; Burton, G. (2009). Executive coaching enhances goal attainment, resilience and workplace well-being: A randomized controlled study. <em>The Journal of Positive Psychology, 4<\/em>(5), 396\u2013407.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kilburg, R. R. (1996). Towards a conceptual understanding and definition of executive coaching.\u00a0<em>Consulting Psychology Journal, 48,<\/em> 134-144.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ladegard, G., &amp; Gjerde, S. (2014). Leadership coaching, leader role-efficacy, and trust in\u00a0subordinates. A mixed methods study assessing leadership coaching as a leadership development tool. <em>The Leadership Quarterly<\/em>, <em>25, <\/em>631-646.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Moore, K. M., &amp; Sagaria, M. D. (1991). The situation of women in research universities\u00a0in the United States: Within the inner circles of academic power. In J. S. Glazer,\u00a0E. M. Bensimon &amp; B. K. Townsend (Eds.). <em>Women in Higher Education: A Feminist Perspective. <\/em>Ginn Press, Simon &amp; Schuster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Noddings, N. (1986). <em>Caring: A feminine approach to ethics and moral education.\u00a0<\/em>University of California Press.<em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>O\u2019Neil, D. A., Hopkins, M. M., &amp; Bilimoria, D. (2015). A framework for developing women\u00a0leaders: Applications to executive coaching.<em> The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 51<\/em>(2), 253-276.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ortiz, F. I. (1982). <em>Career patterns in education: Women, men and minorities in public\u00a0school administration<\/em>. Praeger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ruderman, M. N., &amp; Ohlott, P. J. (2005). Leading roles: What coaches of women need to know.<em>Leadership in Action, 25, <\/em>3-9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sherman, W. H. (2002). The ethical aspects of mentoring female aspiring school\u00a0administrators. <em>Leading and Managing, 8<\/em>(1), 36-45.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sherman, W. H. (2005). Preserving the status quo or renegotiating leadership: Women\u2019s\u00a0experiences with a district-based aspiring leaders program. <em>Educational Administration Quarterly, 41<\/em>(5), 707-740.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Spence, G. B., &amp; Oades, L. G. (2011). Coaching with self-determination in mind: Using theory\u00a0to advance evidence-based coaching practice. <em>International Journal of<\/em> <em>Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring, 9(<\/em>2), 37\u201355.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sue-Chan, C., Wood, R. E., &amp; Latham, G. P. (2010). Effect of a coach&#8217;s regulatory focus and an\u00a0individual&#8217;s implicit person theory on individual performance. <em>Journal<\/em> <em>of Management, 38<\/em>(3), 809\u2013835.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tannen, D. (1990). <em>You just don\u2019t understand: Women and men in conversation.<\/em> HarperCollins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Vinnicombe, S., &amp; Singh, V. (2003). Women-only management training: An essential part ofwomen\u2019s leadership development. <em>Journal of Change Management, 3,<\/em> 294-306.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>According to the World Health Organization (American Psychological Association, 2023), burnout is an \u201coccupation-related syndrome\u201d resulting from chronic stress that the workplace has not sufficiently addressed. When individuals suffer from burnout, an organization\u2019s productivity decreases (Auerbach, 2004). Stanford University recently estimated that burnout-induced turnover could cost the institution almost $8 million per year (Berg, 2017). [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2191,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2191"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/edleadership\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}]