Bonnie Wentworth, MCC

Have you ever wanted the breakthrough… but not the process?    In this deeply honest episode, I sit down with Nathan Herzog, an educational leader who now serves as Dean at Biola University after previously serving at William Jessup University. And we talk about something almost no one says out loud: growth is uncomfortable.   Nathan shares what he hears in quiet, “secret conversations” with high achievers: “I want to do this… but this is uncomfortable.”   Everyone wants a breakthrough.   No one hands you a map for the path.   The truth? The process of becoming better requires discomfort. It requires loss. It requires intentionally choosing something challenging.   And one of the most powerful moments in our conversation is this question: Why are you choosing that? What are you choosing this discomfort for?   Training for an Ironman. Earning a PhD. Climbing toward something like Mount Whitney. None of those happens by accident. They require over a year—sometimes years—of intentional stretch.   Growth in leadership is no different. You get to choose your goal. You get to build relationships with your employees. You get to decide which hill is worth climbing.   And when you choose it with clarity, confidence, and courage, the discomfort becomes meaningful instead of miserable.   We also unpack the false beliefs—the lies—that quietly sabotage leaders: ➡️ If I’m not good at something, I shouldn’t do it anymore. ➡️ If I can’t figure this out on my own, I don’t deserve to lead. ➡️ Strong leaders don’t need help. True growth happens when you reach outside of yourself.   Humility is not weakness. Vulnerability is not failure. They are leadership strengths.   It is one of the practices of Grace Space, Connection vs. Protection, that reminds us of our need for others. It is through others that we become ourselves. Protection keeps us small. Connection grows us.   Growth touches every part of us—mind, body, heart, and spirit. It asks us to be learners before researchers. To choose discomfort rather than avoid it. To hear the truth even when it stings.   And yes—it’s vulnerable.   Yes—it’s uncomfortable.   But getting comfortable with being uncomfortable is what allows you to achieve great things. And over time, it makes other challenges feel less intimidating.   This episode is for you if… ➡️ You’re leading and feel stretched. ➡️ You’re leveling up and doubting yourself. ➡️ You’re tempted to isolate instead of reach out. ➡️ You secretly wonder if needing help means you’ve failed. It doesn’t.   People who are growing reach out.   People who are leveling up invite coaching.   People who become stronger choose their discomfort.   If you’re in a season of stretch, this conversation will steady you, challenge you, and remind you that discomfort is not a sign you’re failing.   It may be proof you’re becoming who you’re meant to be.   You don’t want to miss this one. #thelifeyouremadeforpodcast #growth #gracespace #3Clivingandleading

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What if confidence isn’t something you have — but something you practice? This question guided my latest conversation on Transformative Leadership Conversations with Angela Stopper, Ph.D. Chief Learning Officer at UC Berkeley. Angela brings a powerful lens to the topic of confidence that every leader should hear: Confidence isn’t a personality trait. It’s a skill — one you can build. In our conversation, Angela breaks down confidence into six learnable competencies and reframes it as something that grows through intentional practice, not perfection. Here are a few insights that stayed with me: 📌 Confidence is not fixed — it strengthens through repeated behaviors. 📌 A clear framework (courage, expertise, self-awareness, self-development, resilience, adaptability) makes confidence achievable and authentic. 📌 Comparison erodes confidence; self-awareness anchors it. 📌 Courage is the connector between confidence and leadership — acting despite fear, not without it. 📌 Mistakes don’t diminish confidence; they build it when we learn from them. 📌 Role models inspire, but they shouldn’t define your version of confidence. Angela’s perspective makes confidence feel both accessible and actionable — something any leader can cultivate, no matter your starting point. Where in your leadership would growing your confidence make the biggest difference right now? If this resonates, listen to the full episode and share your reflections. And thank you Angela for being on the show!!

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Looking forward to this executive seminar with my colleague J. Bryan Bennett, MBA, LSSGB, CPA Leadership misalignment is rarely loud at first. It shows up quietly as culture friction, slower execution, eroding trust, and talented people choosing to disengage or leave. Left unchecked, those small fractures compound into real organizational costs: turnover, lost productivity, stalled initiatives, and reputational damage. Many of the leadership challenges organizations struggle with are not capability issues. They are alignment issues. The hard questions leaders must ask are: 1) What signals are we ignoring in our culture? 2) Where is leadership behavior unintentionally creating drag? 3) What is the cost of waiting to address it? Early intervention is far less costly than repair, yet few leadership teams create the space for honest reflection and recalibration. This executive seminar goes directly at those uncomfortable but necessary conversations. If you are responsible for culture, performance, or leading people through complexity, this is a room worth being in. If you cannot attend, share this with leaders in your network who are navigating growth, change, or culture challenges. The impact of leadership misalignment is too expensive to ignore. Adriana "Adri" BrunnerElsa Morales-RothNeville BillimoriaAmi Curtis, Ph.D.Sara VazSareena KheraTerri NovacekWendy Burke, SHRM-SCPDharmesh RupareliyaRaju BakshiLisa DavidsonThomas BoydDr. Susan TafferDr. Keith D. DorseyMelissa BartolomeZunaira Munir, PhDKelly San Martin, MBAMike Gellman, M.S., ACCShannon Wellman

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Grateful to see this conversation amplified by Forbes Coaches Council. If executive performance can be measured, it can be coached. The real question boards should be asking is not whether coaching works, the evidence is already clear. The question is why the highest-risk human system in the enterprise is still so often left unsupported. Executive coaching isn’t a perk. It’s governance. #DrCorrieBlock #Leadership #CorporateGovernance #ExecutiveCoaching #BoardLeadership #CEOPerformance

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AI removes excuses. When leaders have faster access to insight, performance gaps become harder to explain away and easier to trace back to decisions, structures, and habits. #AmplifiedLeadership (my book) and the webinar focus on how AI exposes whether leadership systems translate strategy into results. Performance is not a mystery. It’s a mirror of your actions.

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Another coaching myth uncovered... The past can be a rich resource in coaching if we know how to use it. Listen to this week's episode of PRIME SPACE to learn more. Link below #CoachingMyths #ProfessionalCoaching #ICF #LeadershipDevelopment #CoachingMatters #EliasScultori #CoachingCommunity #PRIMESPACE #CoachingInsights #ReflectivePractice #CoachGrowth #HolisticCoaching

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For more than 50 years, researchers have studied what truly makes leaders effective. Yet most of that science never reaches the coaching conversation. On the BCC Community platform, Jeffrey Hull, Ph.D. BCC co-leader of the Institute of Coaching at Harvard Medical School, translates decades of leadership research into practical coaching insight. In this session, we explore: • how leadership science has evolved • the nine essential capacities leaders need today • and evidence-based coaching practices that expand real impact If you coach leaders, this is research you can immediately apply. Leadership impact is not accidental. It can be developed — deliberately. This masterclass is exclusive only for BCC 2026 members. Here you can join BCC https://lnkd.in/dNhPkMY5 #executivecoaching #leadershipdevelopment

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Tired of tiptoeing around tough conversations at work? Imagine a team where speaking up, taking calculated risks, and genuine growth are the norm, not the exception. This week on SIME Perspectives, we're cutting to the chase with Daina Byciute on the essence of psychological safety. Discover how simple "vulnerability loops" can revolutionize your leadership, how self-awareness acts as your shield against burnout, and the practical steps to foster a workplace where every voice is heard and valued. Join a conversation that unpacks the often-invisible forces shaping your team's culture. Empower your team, starting today. Listen to the full episode: link below Roland Williams Epicenter Stockholm Albert Bengtson #WorkplaceWellness #HR #ManagementTips #PodcastRecommendation #CultureShift #vulnerability

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As a leadership coach, I see the same pattern with high-performing leaders: you're either replaying past decisions or projecting future scenarios, rarely present to what's happening right now. This week, navigating a challenging public statement with interfaith colleagues, I was reminded of UC Berkeley research on sustainable leadership—one of the most powerful antidotes to burnout isn't self-care alone, it's witnessing "moral beauty": colleagues choosing courage over convenience, connection over isolation. When leaders stay present to these moments, even the difficult ones, they tap into something larger than their individual struggle. This is what builds resilience for the long haul. It's not about toxic positivity—it's about recognizing you're part of an ongoing story of people who chose to lead with courage when it mattered. How might you cultivate the capacity to stay present, witness what's meaningful, and lead from a place of connection rather than depletion? Full reflection in comments.

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Developing a cadre of ethical employees is less a matter of deterring misconduct and more about amplifying the moral reasoning of employees who are already inclined toward integrity: https://lnkd.in/gFP_w3GZ

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I love this perspective from Dr. Bill Berman: “You can’t coach a leader in isolation. You have to understand the system they’re part of.” In my coaching, I’ve seen how true this is. A leader’s growth starts with greater self-awareness—and the real impact comes when that growth ripples out to their team, culture, and organization. When you think about your own growth, what around you—team, culture, or organization—has made the biggest difference?

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Yes! Relational Intelligence. Thank you Isabelle Hau for naming this so clearly. The need for RQ is even more urgent in an era where those of us who focus on human connection feel like we're racing against the powerful forces against it. Rachel Zargo and I are building part of this relational infrastructure with CoGo—Relating AI that guides people to develop relational intelligence, heal together and go deeper with each other rather than develop "relationships" with AI itself. In Isabelle's words, a "digital platform to make human connection the default, not the exception."

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