About Me
I see you. I got you.
A little about Leila (lie-lah)
I’ve honed a keen understanding of how leaders communicate, learn, and develop throughout my career. I’ve been a community college English instructor, technical writer, and technical trainer. I then ran the learning and development organization at CNET.com, after transferring from IT to HR (that’s not a typo: I was in IT before HR).
Coaching executives became my passion, and having grown up watching my parents run their own business, I started my own. And as fate would have it, I chose to transition from a place where everyone knew my name and the gig was full-time with great benefits to my own business, right before the recession hit in 2008. Talk about starting out on a shaky foot. I’m still here.
I have a corgi named Fergus. I’m first-generation American (half Irish and half German). I love to swim, read, travel, eat chocolate, and drink coffee (not Starbucks).
I can drive my clients nuts because they hire me to hold them accountable, and that can feel awkward.
Get used to being held accountable. Or don’t work with me.
About My Process
I coach individuals one-on-one, typically for a minimum of six months. Most engagements last 9 to 12 months.
My clients range from startup founders and first-time technical managers to leaders tackling emotional intelligence challenges and seasoned executives at Fortune 100 companies.
My focus areas include emotional intelligence, executive presence, leadership brand, self-esteem as a high achiever, teamwork and collaboration, navigating tough conversations, managing abrasive personalities, and helping technical leaders engage their teams.
I don't limit my work to any industry or demographic. Variety makes me more effective and keeps the work interesting. While clients often feel their challenges are unique, most leadership struggles are more universal than they realize.
My style has been described as tough love, high touch, annoyingly intuitive, sharp, no-nonsense, friendly, and fierce, and "eerily accurate." I'm often very direct. I share ideas rather than just drawing them out, though this varies depending on your goals.
I also partner long-term with executives leading cultural and team transformations, advising on skill gaps and coachability within their organizations.
In the Media
I’m regularly asked to offer expert insight in leadership and
have been mentioned in a number of notable publications.
In 2018, The Information named me one of the top coaches behind startup founders.
My work’s been featured in The Wall Street Journal, BBC.com, The Economist, Women’s Health, Business Insider, Marketplace Radio, NBCNews.com, Glassdoor, Fast Company, CBS, Forbes.com, HR Magazine, The Rotarian, Cosmo Japan, SHRM.org, and others.
Enough reading! Let’s talk.
Here are some of the companies that have hired me. Instacart, eBay, Kaiser Permanente, LinkedIn, Skywalker Ranch, Aurora, Micron, Affirm, Riverbed, Whisper AI, Gravity Media, GV, Strateos, Sequoia, Two Sigma, Zūm, Puppet, Roivant, LinkedIn, Sumitovant, Intuitive Surgical, Southern California Edison, eHarmony, National Republic Alcohol Distribution, The Nature Conservancy, CBS, Department of Homeland Security, PCTEL, Kimberly Clark, Liberty Mutual, Sandia National Labs, UCT, and more.