Coach Spotlight - Ally Sprague š”
Meet The Coach šĀ : As a Leadership Coach, I help high-performing leaders find clarity and confidence so they can feel fulfilled in their work. My clients are typically at some sort of transition moment and come to me seeking partnership on their most meaningful challenges: finding voice as a leader, making fulfilling and aligned career decisions, balancing ambition and presence. At its core, our work is about developing a deeper, more honest understanding of your inner world than ever before, and as a result, helping you create a life you're proud of.
Outside of my coaching practice, I advise early stage companies on product strategy, volunteer as a suicide prevention counselor, and organize discussion groups for women about sexual fulfillment.
How do you position coaching as a practice to individuals, and in what ways have you observed that manifest outside of sessions?
Coaching, like meditation or running, is absolutely a practice. šš»āāļøĀ I strive to help members in my group develop a practice of self-coaching so that they can navigate challenges in an aligned, courageous way on their own. The central skill of self-coaching is present-moment awareness. When youāre awareĀ in the present momentĀ of how youāre showing up, you gain the freedom to notice how itās aligned or misaligned with who you want to be and adjust to show up in a more aligned way. āØ This process of noticing and adjusting in the present moment is the practice of coaching. For example:
Letās say you have a challenging conversation with a teammate coming up. You need to give them some tough feedback.
You may notice that you feel an impulse to soften that feedback to avoid feeling the discomfort of hurting someoneās feelings.
If you notice this in the present moment, you might then think to yourself, āIs softening this feedback aligned with the leader I want to be? No, I want to be a leader who is direct and compassionate in the face of hard conversations.ā
Having noticed this misalignment, youāre now able to choose to adjust toward a more aligned approach: delivering the feedback in a direct, compassionate way, despite the discomfort you feel.
The most rewarding moments in my work are when individuals come to me and say, āSomething amazing happened last week!ā and then describe a moment where they were able to notice how they were showing up, litmus test how it was aligned or misaligned with who they want to be, and then adjust to intentionally move forward in a more aligned way. Itās magical. š«
And beautifully, itās a skill that everyone can learn. ā¤ļø
Upcoming Clarity Councils š¤
Clarity Council is a 60-min live conversation based on inquiry. The session will be facilitated by a Grand Coach, Rodrigo Lopez, who will guide a group in asking open and honest questions, and deep exploration. You'll learn how to gain new perspectives and find clarity. Join the event ā šĀ Wed, Aug 17th at 1pm - 2pm PST.
See what's new! š We are launching new Grand Council groups this month.
No matter what life brings, we help you navigate your toughest personal and professional challenges. The Grand Council is your personal sounding board, helping you gain new perspectives and feel less alone in your journeys.
This month, we are announcing two new Grand Council group types:
Coming soon: The Grand Council for New Parents.
To learn more about The Grand Council or join an existing group, check out our website.
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