Have you ever felt like you are creating calm in the storm for others around you—while secretly feeling like you’re drowning inside? As leaders, we’re conditioned to be steady, composed, and always “on.” But the truth is, many of us carry the weight of impossible expectations, private doubts, and constant pressure.

As an Executive Coach, I want you to know leadership doesn’t just require us to create psychological safety for our teams—it requires us to create it within ourselves first.

My daughters and I recently volunteered as a Peer Mentor Family for Camp Kerry, a grief camp for young families who have experienced the loss of someone close in their immediate family, like we have with my daughter’s Dad and my Husband, Jeff. It was a weekend filled with raw emotion, courage, and connection.

At Camp Kerry, families are navigating tremendous pain—and yet what struck me most wasn’t the loss itself, but the space that was created for healing. A space where people felt safe to cry, to laugh, to share their stories without fear of judgment or shame.

It reminded me of something profound: whether in a grief camp, a family, or a corporate boardroom, psychological safety is what allows people to show up fully as themselves. It’s what allows healing to happen, innovation to spark, and trust to grow.

Every leader faces it eventually: that uncomfortable moment when you realize someone on your team isn’t delivering like they should. Deadlines slip. Responsibilities get passed along. The rest of the team starts picking up the slack.

The temptation? To either avoid the conflict or swoop in and fix it yourself.
The problem? Both choices can hurt your credibility, your culture, and your results.

So — what should you do instead?

Sometimes, the most powerful leadership breakthroughs don’t happen in boardrooms or strategy sessions.
They happen in stillness.

On my recent family vacation in the Bahamas, I stumbled onto what I now call the “Reflection Ledge.”
It’s nothing more than a stretch of stone at the lip of an infinity pool, but something extraordinary kept happening there.

Last week, two icons from different worlds – professional wrestling superstar Hulk Hogan and heavy‑metal frontman Ozzy Osbourne – passed away. Both men lived hard and fast; their bodies took abuse, and each navigated controversy. Yet they became cultural touchstones because of who they became, not just what they did. Their stories contain powerful lessons for leaders about purpose, resilience, and reinvention.

This weekend, what started as a simple grocery run with my eldest daughter turned into one of those moments that shifted my perspective, and I am still carrying it with me.

If you have been feeling worried about scarcity or struggling with your own direction and purpose in the midst of chaotic times, this article is for you!

How do you know if working with an Executive Coach is right for you, or executives or high potentials at your organization?

I have learned that when it comes to ROI of working with a coach, the best return for your dollars is pairing a leader/high potential with a coach when the leader is showing great promise but needs to help work out a couple of issues or wants to reach for more.

Measurement in coaching is key. I work with assessment tools to help the leader learn where there could be hidden strengths and areas of improvement. We formulate three goals in the beginning which sets the focus for the coaching relationship. The client’s leader or mentor then is included in the conversation to ensure all goals align with strategic development plans. Action plans are developed and then measurement occurs throughout to ensure the client is on track to get exactly what they signed up for