Hiring a Leadership Coach

“There was a lot of yelling; people were not in control of their emotions,” remembers Dean, 47.

Even in this environment, Dean rose to the position of local sales manager and eventually moved to Seattle after a promotion to general sales manager. When her boss there suggested working with a leadership coach – sort of a trained, paid mentor – Dean jumped at the chance.

“I thought it was a great opportunity,” she says.

Learning to Ask the Magic Question

During 10 one-hour phone sessions with a leadership coach, Dean learned how to be proactive instead of reactive. Now, when a salesperson comes to her with a problem, she asks herself: Can this hurt me? When the answer is “no,” as it usually is, Dean understands she doesn’t have to respond out of fear.

“You can say to yourself, ‘OK, let me take a deep breath. Let me take this information in and not jump into their emotional state,’” Dean says. “It keeps me from exploding, and I can diffuse the negative and cut through the clutter.”

Dean says the15 people she supervises have noticed a big difference in her behavior. After she learned to relax and listen, Dean also saw changes in interactions with her husband and two small children.

“It works when they’re 4 years old, and it works when they’re 40 years old,” she says.