Kimberly Penharlow Consulting

03/05/2026

My work with began in 2023. The leaders, the students, the staff and the Doha community and the city and are in my prayers. Every time I visit Doha, I am welcomed with open hearts and minds. ❤️☮️🙏🏽

01/30/2026

New newsletter alert!

"The Future Depends on What You Do Today." Mahatma Gandhi

With major nationwide protests and economic boycotts currently targeting ICE and specific corporations, and demonstrators calling for a shutdown of work, school, and shopping.

My newsletter focuses on concrete ways we can all help protect our democracy. Please read it, share it, and take action.

The Future Depends on What You Do Today

Kimberly Penharlow

01/27/2026

Martin Luther King Jr. Taught Us About Leading in Frightening Times

Last week was MLK Day, and I struggled to find the right words. After miles of running and reflecting, here's what I want to say.

We're living in frightening times. People are being killed, kidnapped, or questioned simply for who they are. My coaching calls are filled with leaders who are outraged, exhausted, and disheartened.

Yet one thing remains true: people need hope.

Martin Luther King Jr. said, "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

King's moral courage was rooted in a daily commitment to align his actions with his deepest values, even at tremendous risk. He showed us that integrity requires integration: bringing our whole selves, including our moral commitments, into every aspect of our work.

The Leadership Challenge
It's time for leaders to ensure they aren't treating organizational values as nice-to-haves for good times rather than commitments for all times. King showed us that moral courage means standing firm on principle precisely when it's easier and safer to stay silent.

As King warned: "In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."

Six Calls to Action

King taught us that "the time is always right to do what is right."

Listen and act. Utilize town halls and surveys to gain insight into what people need. Then respond. Listening without action erodes trust.

Create space for courage. Model values-aligned action. Protect employees who speak up. Foster cultures where dissent is welcomed.
Invest in people. Expand mental health, legal, and financial resources for staff, families, and communities. Values must translate into tangible care.
Bring your whole self to work. Stop separating personal values from professional decisions. Ask: Can I defend my choices to my children, my community, my conscience?
Lead by your values. When pressures push toward expedience, anchor yourself in stated principles. Your values are commitments that guide action in difficult times.
Use your voice. When rights are threatened, or truth is under assault, silence is a choice. Moral courage means speaking up.

My Commitment
I work with leaders who practice moral courage, stay responsive to staff needs, and provide resources for those facing rising costs and safety concerns.

I'm aware that I'm a white woman in her mid-50s writing this. My privilege is evident. This awareness makes it crucial that I show up fully as I coach leaders worldwide.

What does moral courage look like in your leadership?

Kimberly Penharlow

01/05/2026

At 84, my Mom's New Year's Resolution Reframed How I Think About Leadership

My mom is 84 years old, the matriarch and leader of our family. Some might discount her wisdom because of her age, but they'd be missing out. She's still actively leading and teaching the women in our family, my sister, her granddaughters, and me through her words, her actions, and her unflinching honesty about what it takes to live well at any stage of life.

She and I spent New Year's Eve together cooking a delicious dinner and watching Red Notice. Over breakfast on New Year's Day, I asked the classic question: "Mom, do you have any New Year's resolutions?"

I've known my mom for 53 years, and I know she has a healthy level of disdain for this kind of tradition. My expectations were not high. Perhaps something sarcastic, or very curt.

She looked at me and said, "To stay upright and keep moving. Sometimes it's the simple things."

I looked at her and said, "I fully support that."

True to form, mom's answer made me think. At 84—or any age—staying upright isn't always that simple. It takes a healthy body, nourishing yourself with the right food and drink. It takes commitment on days when sitting around would be easier, but getting up and moving anyway. It takes will when it's cold, hot, or just hard because of what's happening in the world​ ... to MOVE.

The latest jargon would describe that last piece as "mindset."​ I can do it. My mom would say something more pragmatic: "Even if I don't want to move, I'd better, because I'm not ready to ask you to help me out of this chair."

This resolution resonates regardless of age or position. If we're not moving​ physically, mentally, or emotionally,​ we miss out on connections with people, conversations, and landscapes that shape our health, work, and perspective.

From a leadership standpoint, staying in motion is even more critical. It means staying curious when answers feel certain. It means remaining accessible when isolation feels safer. It means showing up​ in meetings, in difficult conversations, on the floor with your team​ when it would be easier to retreat behind email or closed doors. Leaders who stop moving stop learning. They lose touch with the reality their teams face daily. They miss the signals that innovation, culture shifts, and emerging problems send. Inertia in leadership doesn't just affect you​ ; it cascades through your organization.

So here's my challenge:

What does "staying upright" mean for you as a leader this year?
Where do you need to move more toward your people, toward uncomfortable truths, toward growth?

Don't wait for the perfect moment. Start moving now.

If you want to talk about this concept, message me. I will do a 15-minute Sprint Coaching call with you for free.

12/17/2025

CUSTOM WORKSHOPS & RETREATS that TRANSFORM Teams - BOOKING NOW FOR 2026!

One skill I'm particularly proud to bring to my clients is the ability to custom-design and facilitate workshops and retreats that make an impact.

I work closely with each client to identify their specific goals, then design highly interactive experiences that enhance connection, create fun, encourage learning, and strengthen organizational culture. My approach intentionally integrates multiple participation styles so that both the vocal and the reflective, the extroverted and the introverted, the creative and the analytical, can fully engage in ways that feel authentic to them.

As a facilitator, it is my job to protect psychological safety by creating an environment where every voice matters, risk-taking is encouraged, and diverse perspectives are valued. This foundation allows teams to have the conversations that matter most.

Here's a glimpse of the "Working and Leading Through Transitions" workshop I recently facilitated at Georgetown University in Qatar—a powerful session focused on navigating change by understanding the psychological impact of transitions.

Planning for 2026? If you're looking to design a custom workshop or retreat that will energize your team and drive results, let's talk. Message me to schedule a call.

Thank you, Brian Kelsey for producing this incredible video! I highly recommend working with Brian!

Kimberly Penharlow Kimberly Penharlow Consulting

12/15/2025

LEADERSHIP RECOGNITION: I've had the privilege of coaching Zahra Babar Executive Director at the Center for International and Regional Studies (CIRSGUQ) https://cirs.qatar.georgetown.edu/about/staff-cirs/zahra-babar/ at Georgetown University in QatarGeorgetown University in Qatar, for the past year.

CIRS is a premier research institute devoted to the academic study of regional and international issues through dialogue and exchange of ideas, research and scholarship, and engagement with national and international scholars, opinion makers, practitioners, and activists. In her role as Executive Director, Zahra leads this vital work at the intersection of research and impact.

Zahra's expertise in migration and labor issues runs deep. Previously, she served with the International Labor Organization and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Her current research interests include rural development, migration and labor policies, and citizenship in the Persian Gulf states—making her uniquely positioned to lead transformative work in this field.

Zahra is a seasoned leader and was still open to the coaching process. The trust we've built in our coaching relationship has been essential. She approached coaching with both openness and curiosity, and her decision to continue our work after the first six months confirmed the value we were creating together.

During my recent trip to Doha, I attended a panel discussion launching the "Migrant Stories from Qatar" https://lnkd.in/e-yRhjwp podcast series—a groundbreaking oral history project that gives voice to migrant workers across diverse nationalities and employment sectors. Zahra led this initiative in collaboration with her colleagues at Georgetown University in Qatar. Watching Zahra in action was one of those moments that remind me why I do this work. Zahra is an accomplished leader and visionary whose work is done with proven confidence, clarity, and impact. Seeing theory transform into meaningful action in real-time was extraordinary.
Zahra and the team's approach amplifies migrant workers' own voices rather than telling stories about them. The project gathered oral history interviews from approximately 20 workers across diverse nationalities and sectors, with each episode representing the larger story of millions of temporary labor migrants worldwide while addressing a critical gap in Gulf scholarship on labor migration.

This is what coaching at its best looks like: supporting leaders who are doing work that matters and watching as they bring transformative projects to life.

I have utmost respect for Zahra and her work. Congratulations Zahra.

Proud to be part of your journey.

11/07/2025

Weekend in Qatar. The Amir's camels exercising.

11/06/2025

Today, I am facilitating “Working and Leading Through Transitions,” part of the Ways of Working (WoW) Initiative with Georgetown University in Qatar.

Change is inevitable. It shows up in our work, our teams, and often in ways we least expect. How we move through it — our mindset, communication, and ability to adapt — makes all the difference.

Every transition has an emotional rhythm: letting go of what was, navigating the uncertainty of what’s in-between, and shaping what’s next. As William Bridges highlights in Transitions: Making Sense of Life’s Changes, change is the external event, and transition is the human side of change — the internal process through which we adapt, make meaning, and move forward. Understanding this distinction enables leaders to interpret change effectively, support their teams, and lead with intention.

This interactive workshop helps leaders and staff understand the human side of change and strengthen the mindsets that make it possible to move forward with purpose.
Transitions are part of every organization’s story, and everyone plays a role in how we navigate them.

If you want to bring this workshop to your organization, contact me to discuss a custom session for your team. Kimberly Penharlow

11/06/2025

Today, I am facilitating “Working and Leading Through Transitions,” part of the Ways of Working (WoW) Initiativewith Georgetown University in Qatar.
Change is inevitable. It shows up in our work, our teams, and often in ways we least expect. How we move through it — our mindset, communication, and ability to adapt — makes all the difference.
Every transition has an emotional rhythm: letting go of what was, navigating the uncertainty of what’s in-between, and shaping what’s next. As William Bridges highlights in Transitions: Making Sense of Life’s Changes, change is the external event, and transition is the human side of change — the internal process through which we adapt, make meaning, and move forward. Understanding this distinction helps leaders interpret change, support their teams, and lead with intention.
This interactive workshop helps leaders and staff understand the human side of change and strengthen the mindsets that make it possible to move forward with purpose.
Transitions are part of every organization’s story, and everyone plays a role in how we navigate them.
If you want to bring this workshop to your organization, contact me to explore a custom session for your team.

11/06/2025

11/04/2025

This is my fourth trip to Doha, Qatar to work with Georgetown Qatar. The time zone change can impact how I show up- so, listen to and learn two actions I take to help transition. Being onsite for 9 days means I must be my best.

09/02/2025

🌀 Finding Inspiration in Surprising Places

Leadership isn’t always about having the answers.
Sometimes, it’s about knowing where to look for inspiration — especially when it’s not obvious.
One of the most powerful traits a leader can have is the ability to inspire and motivate others.

In fact, a Harvard Business Review study (Zenger & Folkman, 2014) found this to be the #1 trait that separates great leaders from average ones.

But here’s the surprising part:
Inspiration doesn’t always come from strategy meetings, leadership books, or reports.
Sometimes, it comes from...

🌿 Nature, which teaches patience, adaptability, and balance
🎨 Artists, who show us how to communicate with emotion and vision
💥 Failures, which shape us into more grounded, empathetic leaders
🗣️ Our own teams, whose stories and passions can re-ignite our purpose

This summer, I spent time in Colorado working and training for the Transrockies Race Series
I left NYC feeling depleted — I was uninspired, creatively drained, and bored. The usual sources that used to fuel me had gone quiet.

But out there in the mountains, I began to see things differently again.

This is one moment I captured — a reminder that inspiration finds you when you’re open to it.

When I’m inspired, everything changes:
My energy shifts.
My sense of purpose sharpens.
Work becomes a magnet — people want to collaborate, and I want to give my best.

The more I lead, the more I realize:
✨ Inspiration isn’t a lightning bolt — it’s a habit. A way of noticing.
And it often shows up in the most unexpected places.

So, if you’re feeling uninspired, take a step back. Step away from your computer and your schedule.
Your next leadership breakthrough might be waiting in the most surprising place.

👉 Where have you found inspiration lately — especially where you least expected it?

Kimberly Penharlow TransRockies Running