Even as a kid, I enjoyed organizing and teaching. My shelf in the basement displayed neatly stacked books and games. I must have had very smart dolls, too, because I lined them up beside the basement chalkboard to teach them arithmetic. My Barbie® Dreamhouse® was tidy so she could ride up and down the elevator without any worry or concerns.
As an adult, my natural inclination of organizing and teaching extended to planning. These skills are a perfect fit for project management. For the past fifteen years or so, I’ve had the genuine privilege of working with interesting clients in a wide variety of industries. Global NP Solutions helped leaders and teams learn, design, and implement innovation management processes to ensure effective new product development.
A standout consulting engagement was with a food and beverage ingredient company. I had the pleasure of mentoring the team over several years and we accomplished amazing outcomes. Dozens of staff at the firm learned to implement tools of hybrid project management processes for product development in their fast-growing industry segment. I was happy to see them adopt standard innovation tools as well as the mindset necessary for design thinking. Implementing and documenting a concise yet effective project management system was the culmination of our work together.
Personally, my pride swelled as the client-side project manager grew both personally and professionally. If I had a daughter, I’d want her to be just like this young woman. Let’s call her “Liza” for now.
Growth Mindset
Over the years of working with many different innovation teams, I’ve deduced that successful outcomes are the result of a growth mindset. Leaders and teams that approach “problems” as “opportunities” instead of “roadblocks” are best able to deliver creative solutions. Liza demonstrated a growth mindset perfectly and embraced continuous learning at a high level.
What was especially rewarding in coaching Liza was her desire to absorb ever more information. (Honestly, she reminded me of my younger self wanting to read and learn everything my hands touched!) Liza didn’t mind getting her hands dirty or doing the hard work necessary to transform the company’s innovation system. Her brain was like a sponge and she wasn’t afraid to ask questions or seek advice.
Now the surprising fact about Liza was she could someday inherit this privately owned company. Yet, she put in work hours and displayed more grit than almost anyone else in the organization, regardless of years of experience. She was humble and vulnerable. She worked hard at her job because she wanted what was best for her colleagues and team members. Greed was completely absent from her character in this role. Liza truly sought to create systems and products that were beneficial to customers.
At the conclusion of our projects, Liza decided to end her company internship and go back to school for an MBA. She wanted to expand her business skills outside the pressures of being “the owner’s daughter”. It was a true joy to guide Liza on her leadership journey during this season.
Project Management to Leadership Coach
Liza’s journey to business is a bit like my own. I’m sure all of us can see bits of ourselves in Liza. Good leaders can manage the scope, schedule, and budget of a project. Great leaders inspire others and raise the team to higher levels. Coaching Liza during the documentation and implementation phases of the innovation system project inspired me!
So here I am – pivoting from helping companies become better at new product development to helping leaders become better at business. My lifelong skills of organizing, training, and planning put me in a unique position to guide entrepreneurs on their leadership journeys, just as Liza grew on our three-year project journey.
- Organizing. Leadership coaches use organizing skills just like project managers. This skill keeps everything on track, balancing what needs to be done today with a future strategic vision.
- Teaching. Leadership coaches translate knowledge and experience just as a project manager does. This skill helps business owners digest the right amount of information at the right time to make the right decisions. No one starts a small business knowing everything on Day One so training plays a big role in long-term success.
- Planning. Leadership coaches hold people accountable to the goal just like a project manager works toward the final product delivery. Determining what next step carries you forward to your God-given purpose is a result of good leadership planning.
Next Steps
In innovation, project management, and leadership, there is always a next step. Will you join me in my next step? Transitioning from innovation and rebranding from my familiar green GNPS logo to Inspired True Coaching with bold and vibrant red is a big task! I’d love your support and encouragement on my journey!
