Executive Coaching

Utilizing evidence based coaching methods, Tom Krapu, PhD, PCC helps his coaching clients create relational impact across their organizations that lead to lasting business results. Whether it is managing up, collaborating with peers, or creating a powerful culture in their organization, Tom’s executive coaching increases your leadership agility and advances your career while serving the larger organization. He has worked with individuals in their development for over 30 years and since 2001 as a coach, trainer, and facilitator. Tom has obtained the Professional Coaching Certification (PCC) from the International Coach Federation (ICF) and has coached over two thousand hours with dozens of leadership coaching clients. This includes mid and senior level executive leaders, company presidents, CEOs, and teams in the public, private and non-profit sectors. His work has included an international focus including coaching engagements in Malaysia, South Korea and Japan, as well as across Europe and the United States. His executive coaching experience includes working with executives in a diverse set of disciplines including technology, research and development, healthcare, and investment to publishing, manufacturing, government and even higher education. He teaches executive coaching at the University of Texas-Dallas Jindal School of Management. Tom was also a contributor to the book Anatomy of Peace: Resolving the Heart of Conflict. Following are examples of Tom’s professional coaching, the challenges that were faced, and how those challenges were conquered.

C-Suite Executives

Coached the President and CEO of a health care organization to create and implement a culture change strategy. Included coaching subordinates and two-day training intervention. Coaching focus: increased collaboration with key executives within the organization, increased directness in addressing strategy.

Coached the CEO of a Malaysian organization in the investment sector. Included executive coaching of the CEO and extensive coaching intervention with his executive team and some of their direct reports. Coaching focus: culture change.

Coached the chief executive and his executive team within a federal organization of 4,000 employees and a one billion dollar budget. Initiative included individual and team coaching interventions. Coaching focus: develop organizational branding and the development and implementation of a more corporate leadership culture. Outcome: reduced “silo” thinking and increased corporate leadership behavior organization wide.

Coached the chief financial officer, who was hired by a failing company, and was able to help this company continue to survive for several years and overcome major labor problems and external competitive threats. When devastating circumstance beyond his control threatened the company, coaching assisted him in dealing with the emotional stress reactions. Perspective was gained on the accomplishments that he had been able to achieve, strengths were identified in the dedication and loyalty that he offered companies and appropriate actions were planned for helping this company weather the current storm while making contingency plans for the continuation of his career if the company moved toward possible bankruptcy.

Coached the lead ongoing executive peer group of presidents and CEOs of mid-sized, second stage businesses. Includes facilitating monthly group coaching experience as well as ongoing individual executive and leadership coaching.

Executive Team

Coached the vice president onboarding from a very large organization to a central leadership position in a smaller organization. Adjusting to a new culture of trust and overcoming many years of functioning in a culture of mistrust. Central to this was his relationship to his new CEO. Coaching helped strengthen his relationship with key stakeholders and lead more quickly to relationships of trust with the organization’s executive team. His proposals for significant organizational change were better received and incorporated into strategic planning for the organization.

Coached a vice president of sales who was at an impasse in accomplishing his performance goals at his company. He began questioning whether he could remain at this company. Re-evaluation of his role within the organization and larger goals helped him rediscover the synergy between company and personal goals. With renewed vigor he was able to redefine his goals that he had lost. Further work helped him develop better skills at evaluating his direct reports and identifying development goals for them. This was particularly helpful in identifying development goals for a “high potential” individual who was a great candidate for advancement within the company.

Coached a top performing regional sales leader who did not have the executive presence to transition from acting national sales manager to permanent national leader. Coaching focused on managing upward more effectively and better selling his own strategic vision to the executive team where he was respected for his regional accomplishments. This positioned him for a senior executive position.

Other Leaders

Coached a dean of a professional school in higher education including training intervention, executive team consultation, executive coaching and organization-wide group coaching intervention. Coordinated an organization-wide group coaching initiative.

Coached bishops of a Protestant congregation and the executive team for their congregation’s publishing house. Leadership development including co-facilitating, training interventions and leadership coaching over a six-month period with extended coaching engagements. Focused on the onboarding of new bishops and executive and leadership development within the publishing house.

Other Examples

Coached an attorney who was a partner within his firm and had noticed a decrease in efficiency and energy in his work. Having been a very successful courtroom attorney, coaching helped him eliminate non-productive behaviors and a cycle of unproductive behavior. He was also able to return to a focus of growing his legal practice by developing high potential attorneys he had recruited and gaining the energy to recruit other exceptional talent into the organization.

Coached teams and individuals charged with transforming the European and Mideast work culture of a Fortune 500 company. Coaching Focus: integrate a model of accountability and results focus that creates a highly collaborative matrixed work culture. Outcome: increased ability to collaborate and enlist collaboration from key stakeholders in the European and Mideast divisions.

Coached a director within the accounting division of a Fortune 500 organization. Coaching Focus: increasing leadership presence and implementing an accountability and collaborative model to bring his talented accounting team from good to great. Outcome: recognized behavior change by management, a more proactive approach in his management style and an increased ability to face management challenges head on, and free from fear.

Internal coach training with a Fortune 500 company to leverage coaching internal to the organization. Included individual leadership coaching.

Coached a mid-level manager who was selected to lead a problematic branch, which lead to lowered productivity, poor team morale and turnover. At least one specific team leader within the branch had problems with previous branch leaders. Coaching focused on creating a positive team culture through transparency, immediacy of communication and collaborative relationships with subordinates. Specific strategies were developed for a fresh start with the problematic team leader. Results indicated improvements in team morale, team leader behavior and productivity.

Coached a manager who was functioning as a project leader and was stifled by a lack of support from his direct superior. He also had difficulty gathering peer support for his projects and knowing how to answer project questions. His strength as a visionary and global thinker needed to be put into perspective in relation to team functioning. His weakness of not being detail oriented was tied to team functioning where he identified development goals related to utilizing team strengths to overcome this weakness while also developing team cohesion. Appropriate utilization of resources within the company helped him gain needed support while being sensitive to the political issues within the organization.