By Katie Conboy
ExecuInsight LLC’s Kevin Coale is a performance coach with a passion for helping people create the life they want. Kevin believes that “deep down, people know what they want, and a bunch of stuff just gets in the way.” As a certified coach for individuals and teams, Kevin has built a career helping others articulate their purpose and refine their practices.
Educator at the Core
Kevin studied at the University of Virginia, where he concentrated on East Asian History. He then went on to earn a Master’s Degree in Independent Student Leadership from the Klingenstein Center at Columbia University’s Teacher’s College in 2015. He is a credentialed Associate Certified Coach with the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and completed a specialization in coaching teams in the Fall of 2022.
Kevin has a background in leadership at high-performing schools and describes himself as an “educator at his core. As a former classroom teacher, athletics coach, and Director of Student Leadership, Kevin’s favorite topic to teach has always been leadership. From 2016 to 2021, Kevin served as a Dean of Students at Windward School in Los Angeles, California. It was during that time he discovered his own enthusiasm for supporting individuals in transition. He is particularly interested in helping individuals who are matriculating to college. Kevin understands the importance for younger people to have an advocate and support system as they find their way in a complex world. To help meet this need, Kevin offers two major areas of focus for younger clients: a High School Performance Coaching Program and a College Performance Coaching Program.
For students entering a new school environment, Kevin helps manage the class registration process, provides guidance on finding valuable social groups, and helps students learn how to handle social pressures. Kevin’s coaching includes effective time management skills, conflict resolution and how to advocate for oneself in a new world. In his coaching practice, respect for the learner, admiration for teams, and engagement in the learning process have primacy.
1X1 Performance Coaching
Another key focus of Kevin’s work is coaching those who are in transition or who are considering a major professional or life change. The foundation of Kevin’s work with individuals lies in his belief in the inherent capacity of people. He helps his clients understand the positive impact of choice and the importance of ensuring they have a voice in designing their growth and development. He is a firm believer in co-creation, the idea that two people bring ideas to a relationship and the sum of their parts creates powerful outcomes. Kevin’s collaborative coaching approach differs from consulting in that it is a client-driven, co-created process.
Instead of entering a session with his own agenda, Kevin’s strategy is to ensure the session is guided by the client’s goals. He believes the best coaching plan is one that is responsive to the needs of the client, sometimes even before they recognize them. In fact, Kevin’s coaching “superpower” is asking questions that cause his clients to pause and reflect more deeply. It is Kevin’s unique talent for asking second- and third-level questions while helping his clients explore new ideas, concepts, and even metaphors that makes his coaching unique. Sessions are purpose-driven and constructivist with measurable targets. By meeting regularly over the course of several months, trust and connection are built as clients pursue their goals.
Kevin utilizes the Birkman® Online assessment tool to assist with understanding personal work styles and behaviors, motivational needs from a personal, social, and work perspective, and the impact of stress on outcomes and relationships when needs are not met. This tool also helps identify leadership strengths and can provide guidance and career direction.
In his coaching sessions, Kevin works with individuals and teams and states there is a synergistic effect when he can do both. “High performers need great teams and vice versa.”
Team Learning
In addition to individual coaching, Kevin has been fortunate to work with remarkable teams and organizations around the world. He has a love for teams and the complexity they bring to a coaching session. He believes, “There is something truly special about a group of people working towards a common goal.” What he has learned through experience is that not every group is a team, and the ultimate goal is to create a dynamic in which team members are coaching one another. From his perspective, the most successful team coaching sessions he has facilitated have been those where he has said very little. With Kevin’s in-house coaching process, participants can expect to cultivate deeper trust in self and others, build a more supportive culture, and develop sustainable practices. Just like in one-on-one coaching, clients are empowered to articulate their own core values and contribute their leadership strengths for the benefit of the team.
Human Becomings
Kevin defines leadership as a way of being toward oneself and others, and likes to say, “We are human becomings not human beings.” He embraces an aspirational mindset, and is committed to his own personal growth and development as well as those of his clients. In his coaching relationships, one of the most important characteristics is trust. When there is a foundation of trust, there can be vulnerability. Vulnerability creates connection and a sense of safety to take risks. Kevin enjoys working with individuals and teams who are willing to challenge the status quo and share his desire to engage in the learning process. He specializes in meeting people where they are and leveraging his experience to co-create a program best suited to their needs.
If you are interested in scheduling coaching sessions, getting involved with Kevin’s Team Learning and/or for more information, please contact ExecuInsight LLC at execuinsight@gmail.com or 512-818-0807.