Written in Partnership with Claudine ArthursA top leadership coach helps leaders and organizations reach their full potential. They bring their unique styles, niches, and philosophies to address areas such as improving communication, building stronger teams, developing leadership skills, achieving goals, and resolving conflicts. Enlisting the services of a leadership coach can not only have a beneficial effect on a company’s performance and foster a constructive work environment, but it can also promote a growth mindset. This is achieved by providing an objective perspective, introducing new ideas, and helping leaders stay focused and overcome obstacles. By following the 8 top leadership coaches below, you can learn from their distinct approaches and stay up-to-date with their work.
Austin Shaw, CEO I Executive Coach
Austin Shaw is an executive leader turned coach with 20+ years of industry experience, starting at well-recognized firms Merrill Lynch and UBS. Austin was one of the original employees at Gerson Lehrman Group, where he helped create & shape their culture. What separates Austin from others in this space is his breadth of experience as both a coach and an executive leader from Wall Street, the technology arena, and beyond. Austin creates custom engagements with high-performing leaders, and those who aspire to be, by empowering his clients to lead with less stress and more confidence. This results in the creation of a thriving, positive work culture anywhere his clients go. If you would like to be an irresistible leader and create a team and culture you can be proud of, Austin is the coach for you. Follow Austin on LinkedIn.
Brandi P. Sheffield, CEO | Leadership Consultant, Coach & Content Creator
Brandi P. Sheffield heads Learning Associates, a boutique educational coaching and leadership firm that helps students thrive in the workplace and in life. She has over 20 years of experience in education and has served in various roles, such as senior-level district administrator, principal supervisor, co-principal, university professor, and teacher. Brandi has led teams of over 100 people, built the capacity of leaders, designed organizational systems, and produced significant student gains for disenfranchised youth, low-income students, English learners, migrant students, and foster youth. She has consistently impacted the lives of the adults and students she has served. As a Sr. Director of Principal Supervisors, she had a 98% success rate in coaching principals. As an Executive Director of Math/Science HS, Brandi restructured district math systems to improve first-time Algebra 1 passage rates from 39% to 79% districtwide. As an Assistant Superintendent and Principal Supervisor, she coached a low-performing high school to the top school, drastically decreasing suspensions below 5% and improving graduation rates from 47% to 86%. As a middle school principal, she restructured a failing school to become a community beacon, tripling student enrollment, eliminating school violence, and reconstituting a positive school culture, setting the trajectory for improved student academic achievement. Follow Brandi on LinkedIn and Instagram.
Dante DiBattista, Principal Consultant – Leadership Development
Dante DiBattista is an award-winning author, podcast host, and pioneer in the art & science of leadership development who specializes in transformational leadership, Dante challenges the prevailing ideas of authority and how they are applied in the workforce today. He has established himself as a leading voice on the future of work and the emerging challenges that come with it. Dante is uniquely positioned to coach leaders on how to leverage emotional intelligence and psychology research to drive company performance without sacrificing the well-being of team members. Dante serves as a learning facilitator for courses offered through MIT’s Leadership Center and coaches leaders from companies around the globe, including Fortune 500 executives. Dante tells his story through his book, The Transformational College Experience, and podcast, The Pursuit of Self-Actualization. Follow Dante on LinkedIn and Instagram.
Dr. Steve O. Steff, Principal Consultant – Leadership Development
Dr. Steve O. Steff has served as Coach and Consultant to senior leaders for over 25 years. Steve’s value is reflected in the fact that he has client relationships stretching from 8 – 25 years, and many individual clients have maintained engagements with Steve after switching companies. Prior to his coaching & consulting practice, he was a Licensed Professional Counselor. With the insight Steve’s counseling background brings, several of his clients refer to him as the “behavior guy.” Steve maintains that “Leadership is a SACRED responsibility. Our leadership effectiveness increases as we identify the most effective behaviors and minimize our ineffective behaviors. It is all about being as effective as possible, and effectiveness is realized in your team’s success.” Steve focuses clients on distinguishing “between getting the job done,” and “being successful.” He believes too many leaders concentrate on the day-to-day task of ensuring that their team ”gets things done.” Steve’s Leadership Success coaching focuses on helping leaders clearly define success for themselves and their team members, and then concentrating on ensuring the success of their team members while keeping out of the weeds. “Your job, every day, is ensuring the success of your team.” Follow Steve on LinkedIn.
Bobbi Kahler, Self-Leadership Coach
Bobbi Kahler has been called, “The Lighthouse of Positivity,” in her roles as a podcaster, facilitator, coach, and speaker. She has inspired tens of thousands of people, giving them the spark to imagine new possibilities and try things they never thought possible. She helps people act in the face of uncertainty or adversity and transform their fear into confidence. Bobbi leaves every client with the gift of hope, knowledge, and assurance, that they can be more fulfilled and successful if they choose. In her career, she has coached upwards of 3000 people and has delivered presentations for tens of thousands of people. Among her clients have been multiple Fortune 100 companies. She is a podcaster, speaker, and content creator in the area of self-leadership. Bobbi defines “self-leadership” as intentionally influencing your thinking, feeling and actions toward what matters most. Her undergrad degree was in human performance improvement, and her graduate degree was based on the science of human flourishing. She has appeared in articles for Forbes, The Today Show, Yahoo News, Thrive Global, Authority Magazine and Influencive. She is the author of Travels of the Heart: Developing Your Inner Leader, was a contributing author to the Amazon and NY Times best-selling book, Masters of Success, and is the host of her podcast: UnYielded: Thriving No Matter What. Follow Bobbi on LinkedIn and Instagram.
Tricia Brouk, Public Speaking and Leadership Coach
Tricia Brouk helps high-performing professionals transform into industry thought leaders through the power of authentic storytelling. Her methodology centers around transforming her client’s authentic stories into an industry-leading voice and commanding media presence to gain wider recognition to become the go-to experts in their fields. With her experience as a seasoned and award-winning director, producer, and mentor to countless speakers, Tricia has put thousands of speakers on to big stages. She has spoken at Forbes, Pride Global, The New York Public Library, Barnes and Noble, Ellevate, The Jumbo African Support Hub, The National Organization for Rare Disorders, and Archangel in Toronto. Tricia founded The Big Talk Academy, where she certifies speakers in the art of public speaking. She was the executive producer of Speakers Who Dare and TEDx Lincoln Square and is the producer and host of The Big Talk, an award-winning podcast and YouTube Channel. She curates and hosts the Speaker Salon in NYC and is being featured in a new documentary called Big Stages. Tricia’s book, The Influential Voice: Saying What You Mean for Lasting Legacy, was a #1 New Release on Amazon in December 2020. Tricia won Top Director of 2019 from the International Association of Top Professionals, and in 2021 was named Top Ten Speaker Coaches in Yahoo Finance, received the Empowered Women Award from the IOATP, and was featured on the cover of Brainz Magazine. Follow Tricia on LinkedIn and Instagram.
Nick Tubach, MBA, PCC
Nick Tubach is a professional certified, award-winning executive coach, facilitator and leader. He has a proven track record of helping leaders and organizations overcome performance barriers and achieve transformative change in various high-stakes business environments, such as startups, turnarounds, global expansions, acquisitions, and IPOs. Nick possesses a deep understanding of human dynamics, leadership principles, and the communication elements that either enable success or impede progress. His expertise in assessments, behavior change and communication styles enables him to quickly identify impactful strategies for improving performance and resolving conflict in the workplace or in the balance of work and life. Nick’s “push/pull” approach to coaching is a unique differentiator in his engagement style. The “pull” aspect of his coaching involves utilizing effective inquiry and guiding the client to learn, rather than simply instructing them on how to solve the problem. The “push” is a mentor approach where Nick may offer perspectives based on his extensive executive experience. This approach goes beyond just addressing the problem at hand and focuses on coaching the client as a whole. In 2022, Nick’s firm, Bridgeline Executive Coaching, assembled a team of skilled executive coaches from around the world to increase the influence of coaching across the globe and on organizations. The firm offers personalized services and solutions adapted to each client’s specific requirements, whether it’s one individual or a global corporation with thousands of employees. Follow Nick on LinkedIn.
Ron Garfield, Executive Leadership Coach, PCC, CPCC
Ron Garfield is an Executive Leadership Coach who helps transform leaders, teams and work cultures. He partners with leaders and organizations to bring about transformative change in leadership and engagement. With a strong focus on operations leadership, startup leadership, team alignment, and communication skills, Ron works with clients in the financial services, telecom, tech, online education, and entertainment industries. He and his partners founded PIQue Coaching & Strategy Group. They bring to their clients a unique approach to personal and professional development. This approach combines data and neuroscience coaching to achieve long-term and sustainable growth for leaders seeking to build or enhance high-performance teams, improve hiring practices and inspire and grow leadership skills. Certified by The International Coaching Federation (PCC) and the Co-Active Training Institute (CPCC), Ron is a trained “Mental Fitness Coach” and a certified partner with The Predictive Index. He is a facilitator and content creator. Additionally, he is an active member of ICF/LA and has a passion for coaching executives in transition and those in addiction recovery. With over 25 years of executive experience in the entertainment industry, Ron brings a wealth of insight and knowledge to his coaching practice. He is always open to business networking, coaching, and consulting inquiries. Follow Ron on LinkedIn.
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