THE CONTEXT

G leads a policy unit at a preeminent global health organization. Following the withdrawal of its largest government funding partner, a significant downsizing that reduced staff by 50%, and the retirement of a key leader, G was promoted into a new role overseeing a large team — a significant leap from the 5 people she’d previously managed. She knew she had an opportunity (and a responsibility) to help lead her new team through a turbulent time while continuing to advance access to life-saving interventions in low-income countries.

“I wanted to be sure I was a good leader through the transition, while ensuring that our important work was still getting done.”
- G, Unit Head

CLARIFYING THE VISION

New to coaching, G found Jennifer almost by accident – through a LinkedIn post, at a moment when she sensed she’d need support before things reached a crisis point. G thought Jennifer seemed like exactly the right person to help, so she reached out. They clicked instantly and began their work together. G was impressed by Jennifer’s ability to reframe challenges and identify their underlying causes.

“Jennifer is incredibly intuitive, and a fabulous listener. She plays back what she hears you say in a way that helps uncover the real issues. She’s also really good at helping you see things from other people’s perspectives. We all think we do that, but she helped me do a much better job of it.”

PERSONALIZING THE PATH

They began with a Leadership Circle 360 review that gave G a clear-eyed view of how she was perceived by her colleagues. They also used the Integrative Enneagram to reveal new insights about her core needs. G often intuitively knows what others need and is a natural idea generator. The Enneagram gave them a shared language to discuss options and help clarify the path she wanted to take when the number of people involved and G’s strong desire to meet the needs of all made things feel muddy.

“The 360 review was an incredibly helpful tool and an opportunity to self-reflect. I wanted to be more cognizant of my own strengths and weaknesses, and how to best leverage them.”

Much of their work focused on executive leadership issues and conflicts arising from the reorganization. They built skills and developed strategies to lift morale and ease friction, particularly around peer relationships.

“I have really good clarity and boundaries managing up and managing down. But when you’re managing across peers, there’s conflict over roles, responsibilities, and positioning. That’s where my challenges were.”

Early on, when a conflict with a peer threatened to escalate, Jennifer helped G formulate a specific plan of action, including how to frame the conversation, what she wanted to achieve, and how to communicate it. It worked.

Soon after, G faced another high-stakes moment: planning a strategic retreat for a team still raw from the prolonged and difficult restructure. They collaborated on an agenda that focused on building connection, alignment, and trust, laying a strong foundation for productive strategic conversations
.

“I was very nervous about the retreat. I wanted to focus on coming together for this new team, and to make sure everyone felt heard. Jennifer was really helpful in thinking it through, and it was an enormous success.”

CATALYZING GROWTH

Beyond these concrete wins, G describes a broader shift in how she leads. She is more empathetic, more assertive when it counts, and steadier in the face of the anxiety that naturally comes with taking on a bigger role at a pivotal moment.

“Working with Jennifer felt like a partnership. What I took from coaching was a much better sense of self – more quiet confidence and self-belief.”

Leading through change requires clear thinking, deep understanding, and calm resolve. G credits Jennifer’s experience and intuition in helping her meet the moment.