Featherstone Group

Featherstone Group Helping Organizations Define & Execute Strategy Dr Sarah Bodner is a coach, trusted advisor, and confidant to executives leading in changing environments.

A boutique coaching and consulting firm focused on equipping leaders for success as they define & execute strategy. Clients are Fortune 500 leaders in the fashion, chemical, medical, energy, banking, and airline industries.

I often speak with leaders who feel "stuck" in their role. The best way to get un-stuck is to grow the talent around an...
05/26/2023

I often speak with leaders who feel "stuck" in their role.

The best way to get un-stuck is to grow the talent around and below you .... to be as good and hopefully better than you.

It can be a ding to the ego.
It can be scary to be replaceable.

It can also...

Open up innumerable opportunities you can't yet see because you are so busy being the superstar who is amazing at your job.

Take away the risk of promoting you because you are Invaluable and irreplaceable in your current role.

My #1 piece of guidance to aspiring coaches?A coach cannot see the client clearly if we are looking through our lens .....
05/05/2023

My #1 piece of guidance to aspiring coaches?

A coach cannot see the client clearly if we are looking through our lens ... we just muddy the water with our issues.

You MUST be able to put aside your issues in order to objectively view the client and their situation. If you cannot do that, then you have no business coaching.

A desire to win, the ambition to create, the urge to defend, the fear to fail often tell us to fight ....But not every b...
05/05/2023

A desire to win, the ambition to create, the urge to defend, the fear to fail often tell us to fight ....

But not every battle is a fight
Not every fight is worth winning

Be wise and put your emotions and ego in the back seat so that you can objectively pick your battles and the strategies to employ to win.

The comparison of leadership and parenthood falls apart when viewed through the lens of the child / employee. Because t...
04/13/2023

The comparison of leadership and parenthood falls apart when viewed through the lens of the child / employee. Because they are most certainly not the same and to characterize employees as children is wrong in so many ways.

But when viewed exclusively through the lens of the parent / leader, the characterization is spot on.

To be a good at it, both are required to be patient and kind, to set clear expectations and boundaries, to guide without taking over, to provide helpful feedback, to advocate for and support, to work through their own frustration so as not to place it upon others, to put their needs and wants second to those in their span of care .... to be their best selves all the time (especially when its really hard to do so).

It’s that time of year ……You may be asked to provide feedback to your leader. You may be nervous and inside how to do th...
01/28/2023

It’s that time of year ……
You may be asked to provide feedback to your leader. You may be nervous and inside how to do that.

Please consider that the average executive receives almost zero REAL feedback because everything is filtered. And it is impossible for anyone to improve without having insight into their gaps.

You can think about feedback as a truth bomb, which will detonate and cause harm.

Or you can approach feedback as a gift. When you approach your feedback as a gift and with a genuine desire to help you will find that this mindset helps you best deliver your feedback so that it is helpful, not hurtful.

When crafting your feedback, consider framing it around:

3 things they are doing well
3 things they could do differently
3 thing they may not know / be aware of

It’s that time of year ….. To look back. To reflect. To review. To learn. To prepare.Every executive knows that they SHO...
01/02/2023

It’s that time of year ….. To look back. To reflect. To review. To learn. To prepare.

Every executive knows that they SHOULD do this.
Every executive thinks that they WILL do it.
and yet ……it never seems to happen.

Allow me to guide you through this critical process so that you enter 2023 guided by the wisdom you earned in 2022.

Set aside an hour this week to walk through this simple year end review workbook. I'd love to hear about the wisdom you find.

LINK TO WORKBOOK: https://lnkd.in/gVFd6f5A

We want leaders to be authentic. But many leaders mis-interpret authenticity as having to be raw and vulnerable with tho...
12/16/2022

We want leaders to be authentic. But many leaders mis-interpret authenticity as having to be raw and vulnerable with those in their span of care. Nope!

To truly be authentic, you must first know, come to terms with, and become comfortable with who you are ... with your (metaphorical) naked self.

But just as you would not walk around the office naked, you should not walk around the office emotionally naked.

This makes you emotionally unpredictable.
This makes you awkward to be around.

Behind the scenes of the executive reality is rarely pretty. Operating in an environment comprised of pressure, politics...
12/08/2022

Behind the scenes of the executive reality is rarely pretty. Operating in an environment comprised of pressure, politics, stress, ego, fear, adversaries, uncertainty, hidden agendas, big decisions, and heavy implications is not for the faint of heart.

But executives can operate in that world of darkness AND STILL create a world of light for those in their span of care.

It’s not easy, but that is what a great leader does!

Leading by example is critical for executives. But it is just table stakes .... a starting place. Some will watch you ...
11/18/2022

Leading by example is critical for executives. But it is just table stakes .... a starting place. Some will watch you and immediately "get it" but most will not. You have to clearly communicate your expectations and then create accountability for yourself and those in your span of care to live up to those expectations.

The time spent planning is invaluable because it clarifies where you are trying to get and forces you to think through v...
11/15/2022

The time spent planning is invaluable because it clarifies where you are trying to get and forces you to think through various paths there.

In the real world, nothing goes as planned, so those well thought out plans are not gonna work.

But having done the hard work of planning, you have already considered other options so you can easily adjust and move forward.

It happens every year.....The end of year rush to complete (often irrelevant) goals so that the bonus metrics are met. G...
11/07/2022

It happens every year.....

The end of year rush to complete (often irrelevant) goals so that the bonus metrics are met. Goals that were arbitrarily decided (or simply made-up) at the beginning of the year.

The focus turns aside to wrap up the busy work goals just to say they were completed. And the "real" work gets sidelined.

Goals should be like a compass ... giving feedback and guiding progress to the north star that the team/department/organization is moving towards.

The goal is not the destination.

The goals is the indicator towards the destination.

Some say respect must be earned. Others say respect is given until is is no longer deserved. Either way, respect is no...
10/27/2022

Some say respect must be earned. Others say respect is given until is is no longer deserved. Either way, respect is not guaranteed but it is required to be effective as an executive.

So rather than getting frustrated by the "lack of respect," focus on what respect you NEED vs what respect you WANT. Then set your ego aside and double down on building your credibility in the area where you need respect.

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+12104461555

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