From Stuck to Strategic: How One Leader Reclaimed Confidence and Elevated Her Impact

When Jordan, a Managing Director of a large non-profit, first reached out, she wasn’t looking for another leadership tool. She was overwhelmed and knew she needed help to navigate the competing priorities and complexities of her new leadership role.

Her team was growing fast. Expectations were high. And despite her success on paper, she felt stuck, bogged down by decisions, disconnected from her purpose, and unsure how to lead in a way that felt true to her.

That’s where we began.

Through my G.R.O.W. coaching process—Gain Clarity, Realize New Possibilities, Overcome Obstacles, Win at Life—Jordan didn’t just shift how she led. She transformed how she saw herself.

While the specifics of Jordan’s story are unique to her, the challenges are common to leadership. So, with her permission, I’ve changed her name, but I’m sharing her story, hoping it will resonate with you. Along the way, I’ll share the transformational tools we used that were most impactful in her growth.

Gain Clarity: Seeing with New Eyes

Clarity is essential for effective leadership. Although Jordan had a degree of self-awareness, she’d lost sight of her unique abilities. So, we started with the VIA Character Strengths and Saboteurs assessments. Jordan’s signature strengths —leadership, curiosity, fairness, teamwork, and perspective — were evident, but underutilized. She was operating from a place of pressure and perfectionism.

The Saboteurs model helped her name the inner critics driving her behavior—especially the Hyper-Achiever and the Controller. These voices had kept her in overdrive, convincing her that leadership meant doing more, proving more, controlling more.

“I realized I was leading from fear and trying to prove myself instead of trusting my instincts.”

That insight was the turning point. For the first time, Jordan saw her strengths not just as traits, but as tools. She started challenging old assumptions and stopped trying to control every outcome. As a result, her confidence skyrocketed.

Realize New Possibilities: Reimagining Leadership

With fresh clarity, Jordan was ready to explore what leadership could look like beyond the hustle, beyond the pressure.

We used my Transformational Leader’s Workbook to reflect on her current style and explore new possibilities. Through guided exercises, she identified what to keep, adapt, and release, not just in her habits, but in her mindset.

“The workbook helped me see I was stuck in the weeds. Instead of seeing the big picture, I was just getting things done. But my team needed a clear vision and space to grow.”

That insight helped Jordan create an actionable plan. Gradually, she shifted from reacting to responding. From managing tasks to defining strategy. And from doing it all to empowering others.

Overcome Obstacles: Facing Feedback with Courage

To move forward, Jordan needed feedback, not just from me, but from those around her.

The Leadership Circle Profile™ 360° Assessment revealed a reactive tendency toward controlling that showed up as being driven. But it also highlighted her creative strengths, such as authenticity and systems thinking, which were ready to be activated.

“Seeing how others experienced me was humbling, but it gave me a roadmap for change.”

Instead of shrinking from the feedback, Jordan leaned in. She used it to recalibrate her leadership presence and to build deeper trust with her team.

Win at Life (and Leadership): Building Connection at Work and at Home

Jordan wanted her team to communicate more effectively and collaborate with less friction. So we hosted a half-day Everything DiSC Workplace® workshop to help everyone understand their styles and build shared language.

The impact was immediate: fewer misunderstandings, more empathy, and a renewed sense of team cohesion.

But the lessons didn’t stop at work.

Jordan began using the DiSC insights at home with her partner and her kids. She started noticing patterns, shifting her responses, and creating more space for connection.

“We stopped butting heads. We gained understanding that helped us flex our styles to work with each other.”

Leadership stopped being a role and became a way of being.

Jordan’s Journey

Jordan’s transformation didn’t happen overnight. It happened through intentional reflection, honest feedback, and the right tools at the right time.

Today, she is a more resilient and transformational leader. She’s no longer weighed down or spinning her wheels. She and her team focus on high-impact initiatives that drive meaningful progress toward the foundation’s mission.

Leadership development isn’t linear. And neither was Jordan’s journey. We worked together to create a customized, deeply personal strategy that we adapted over time as she evolved.

What About You?

Not every leader needs every tool. But every leader benefits from the right tool at the right time.

If you’re wondering where to start, ask yourself:

• What’s working in my leadership right now?
• What feels misaligned or outdated?
• What do I need to make progress, and who can help?

Whether it’s a coaching conversation, a team workshop, or a fresh perspective on your strengths, I’d be honored to help you find the next step.