• About

What is Executive Leadership Coaching?
A goal-driven partnership in which a leader works closely with a trained coach to help improve their leadership skills, enhance performance, and their ability to inspire and motivate teams to achieve their strategic mission and goals. It is increasingly recognized as beneficial for those new to their roles, going through transitions, or seeking continuous improvement.

The coaching process combines various elements, including assessments, feedback, goal-setting, skill-building exercises, and ongoing support and accountability. Through collaboration with the coach, leaders pinpoint areas that need enhancement, establish specific goals, and develop an actionable coaching plan tailored to their unique needs and objectives. The coach offers continuous support, guidance, and feedback throughout the coaching journey. Executive leadership coaching serves as a potent tool for executives to unlock their full leadership potential and drive organizational success.

What does a leadership coach actually do?

  • Helps professionals and businesses clarify their goals and focus on their needs, values and vision
  • Guides the clients to better understand their strengths, gaps, and potential blind spots
  • Works closely with the clients to consider various options and generate strategies for action
  • Holds the clients accountable to what they commit to do, thereby generating momentum
  • Supports clients in maintaining a healthy balance between their personal and professional lives
Who Benefits from Leadership Coaching? Leaders who are:
  • New to a company or organization
  • Taking on new assignment or a broader more complex role
  • Looking to build trust, inspire others and connect more authentically with their teams
  • Already high-performing but want to take it to the next level
  • Looking to define their legacy or shape succession planning for an organization

Measurable Benefits of Leadership Coaching
Leadership coaching is increasingly recognized worldwide as an effective approach for developing leaders at all organizational levels, especially during periods of change such as assuming new roles, adapting to evolving work environments, hiring new leaders, or unlocking the potential of plateaued leaders. Studies have shown that leadership coaching yields measurable performance enhancements, with stakeholders for leaders who have undergone leadership coaching reporting some level of improvement to significant improvement.

John Burt

Owner | Managing Partner

Meet John Burt
With over 38 years of experience in tech, manufacturing, and management consulting, John is a highly respected business leader who has worked extensively with executives and leaders worldwide, including many Fortune 500 companies. His expertise in people-centered leadership has enabled tangible improvements in business results, company culture, and individual performance as he guides clients in making change. John’s diverse leadership roles, such as Partner, Executive, Industry Leader, and Coach, have equipped him with deep experience in successful leadership, team building, and value creation.

As a Master Certified Intelligent Leadership® Coach, John is committed to helping clients envision their future, develop actionable plans, and achieve strategic goals. His unwavering dedication to client and organizational success is unparalleled. John’s profound passion lies in empowering others to reach their fullest potential and bring prosperity to their organizations, teams, and themselves.

My philosophy:
Self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and a willingness to embrace change are vital for becoming a great leader, as they enable leaders to understand their strengths, areas for improvement, and limiting beliefs. By delving deep into their true selves, leaders can grow and improve more effectively. Attributes such as emotional intelligence, vulnerability, and empathy are crucial in determining a leader’s authenticity. These soft skills foster connections, trust, and commitment with others. Leaders who acknowledge their imperfections and limitations are perceived as relatable and human, allowing them to inspire and connect with people more easily.

In a world of constant evolution and ceaseless challenges, leaders must skillfully navigate change. Embracing change and even finding motivation in it can be a valuable asset for leaders. As a leader, one of your most significant responsibilities will be guiding your teams through change.

My aim is to be your partner and a catalyst in your development of these essential leadership skills. Together, we will unlock your leadership potential. I am excited to meet with you soon!

3Cs of Leadership
Leadership is about creating and accomplishing shared goals, irrespective of one’s position. Effective leadership hinges on three key factors: Character, Competence, and Communication—the 3Cs.

Character serves as the essence and foundation of leadership. It encompasses integrity, selflessness, and responsibility, which are pivotal qualities for exceptional leaders. Integrity, characterized by trustworthiness, honesty, loyalty, and authenticity, fosters team-building and inspires a collective focus on purpose and mission. Without integrity, leaders struggle to earn the team’s full confidence and commitment, hindering the unleashing of their creative energies toward the shared mission.

Competence is a crucial aspect that leaders must master as it is their ability to do something successfully. Initially, individuals develop a core competence in specific hard-skills such as accounting, medicine, or engineering. This mastery requires deliberate practice and instills confidence that new skills can be learned at a sufficient level in the future. As one’s career progresses, soft-skills, those most essential to leadership, become increasingly more important to remain competitive and to lead effectively.

Communication may well be the leader’s most powerful tool. Achieving shared goals hinges on effective communication. Leaders must convey their message clearly, concisely, and in a simplified manner. Equally important for communication is practicing active listening, attentive observation, and sensing how others respond to the message. Skillful leaders continually refine their communication abilities, ensuring messages are sent and received as intended and are adept at making necessary course corrections along the way.

Client Results

I have taken many leadership courses, but something clicked for me in this one. The word “must”. Who must I be? What leader must I be? It really challenged me to examine my core purpose in a clear and actionable way. John was always highly prepared and supremely organized and had a seamless grasp and confidence with the material which made you at home with processing their expertise. Intelligent Leadership Executive Coaching® was life-changing. Thank You. — Robin H., Director of Development

Our School of Pharmacy is in the initial phases of updating our strategic plan.  This was a perfect time for us to bring in an expert in leadership development, and John Burt was the perfect prescription for us.  Our leadership team benefited from the workshop and exercises that John designed and brought to us, and he incorporated personal assessments for understanding our personal strengths and how they will contribute to a more dynamic and effective team.  John brought a wealth of experience from industry and coupled that with his in-depth understanding and experience with higher education, which was the perfect mix for us and what we needed to kick start our process.  I highly recommend John!  — Dr. Russ Melchert, Dean UMKC School of Pharmacy

© John Burt Leadership