My Journey ...

... When I was a teenager in the mid ’70s, two events had an everlasting impact on my life’s path. One was a TV show, the other a family trip.

I don’t recall the order of these two events.

I watched a PBS documentary about an Outward Bound program working with juvenile delinquents in a challenging wilderness environment. It followed a group of misfit teens from their training in Colorado to a successful summit expedition in South America. I still recall the excitement of considering such a program existed. This feeling remains with me today.

The other event came courtesy of my parents who packed up the family for a cross-country car camping trip to Yellowstone and the Rocky Mountains. On this family adventure, in addition to experiencing the wonders of nature firsthand, I managed to convince my parents to allow me to take 2 days of rock-climbing classes in the Tetons.

A year after graduating high school, with a few hundred dollars in my pocket, I packed my car, said my goodbyes, and headed west to Colorado. The plan - get trained in outdoor / wilderness leadership then pursue a degree in psychology to get a job working with juvenile delinquents in an Outward Bound type setting. This is where my journey began.

“Life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans.” ~ multiple attributions

Life happened.

Shortly after arriving in Colorado, I fell madly in-love and eventually had my young heart broken. My career path zigged and zagged in unimaginable ways. I worked my way up – and down – corporate ladders across a variety of industries. All the while my teenage dream was drifting into the fog of memories.

A decade passed before I found myself in college. Degrees in Mass Communications and Fine Art (by the way, I never learned to draw) took the place of the planned Psychology degree. New dreams followed by new responsibilities were guiding my path now.

I found myself in leadership roles in corporations, as a sole proprietor, in partnerships, and as an entrepreneur. I worked in small businesses, mid-sized companies, and large corporations.

As I looked through the rearview mirror, I could vaguely make out a common thread connecting the stops on my journey. Regardless of the role I played or the industry I was in, I found myself helping others on their path of growth. I saw the potential within others and wanted to help them to achieve it.

Somewhere along that winding path, I stumbled into the field of coaching. As I trained in and explored coaching, the pieces began to fall back into place. The skills I picked up from all those roles across all those industries started to connect. The zigs and zags on my path were a series of connected switchbacks leading up the mountain to finding my “why.”

Recently, I added two new offerings to my coaching practice – The Nature of Leadership and The Forest Path. These Walk-and-Talks combine hiking in nature with professional leadership and midlife coaching. On these walking talks, nature becomes the catalyst and metaphor for discovery, transformation, and growth.

Now:

• I help people discover and realize their potential.

• I help leaders become even better leaders.

• I help my clients live a more fulfilled life.

I have come full circle on my path. I am living the dream of working with leaders (adult delinquents) and exploring the wilderness.

Coaching for:

• Leaders: The Nature of Leadership and Leadership Coaching

• Midlife: The Forest Path

• Agile Coaches: Coaching Supervision for Agile Coaches

• Nature-based Coaches: Coaching Supervision for Nature-based Coaches

Lennie is trained in: Co-Active Coaching, Narrative Coaching, and Organization and Relationship Systems Coaching

and is the leading expert in Nature-based coaching.