Coaching Yourself to Leadership: Five Key Strategies for Becoming an Integrated Leader

The Story of Cheryl: A Partnership Approach to Team Building

The experience of one of my colleagues demonstrates the significance of building strong relationships. Cheryl is an organizational development and training director at a major university. She doubled revenue within her first two years by using what she refers to as a “partnership” approach to leadership. When Cheryl took this position, the environment within the organization was charged: the previous director had left abruptly and staff members weren’t exactly sure why. She had estranged many employees, consultants, and customers with her autocratic style, but the team believed that senior management had unfairly pushed her out. When Cheryl came on board, team members were outwardly ...