Facilitation
Leadership Consults
"I work with clients to disrupt their thinking; this generates new insights that help create more effective approaches to replace old patterns.”
- Elena Jensen, Executive Coach
Executive Coaching
I work with clients to create greater Self-Awareness: the cornerstone of Emotional Intelligence. This is the gateway to strengthening Social Awareness, Self-Management, and Relationship Management. Executive Coaching refers to the executive functions in the brain, not a position within an organization. They are the mental processes that underlie focusing attention, planning, collaborating with others, and completing tasks. Many of us get stuck in a rut between the 'knowing better' and the 'doing better.’ Our work is to refine your thinking; this generates new insights that help bring to light attainable ways of bridging that gap.
I offer three-month coaching blocks. This succinct timeline is the forcing function that compels us to be intentional in our work together. Each of our sessions will result in a short homework assignment for you to complete before our following session. This is an integral piece that serves to move our conversations from theory to application. Our goal is to see you develop a self-sustaining skillset that will eliminate the need for my support over time. I work hard to be replaced by ‘the voice in your head.’
Before committing to a coaching engagement, an essential first step is a no-cost introductory meeting to determine if coaching is the right support you need, and whether my approach feels right for you. I encourage you to call me, or send me an email with any questions, or to schedule time to talk.
“Chance favors only the prepared mind.”
- Louis Pasteur
Facilitation
I customize talks based on specific needs, audience, and context. I have developed several Leadership Development Sessions which I have facilitated both regionally and nationally; in-person and virtually. My tried and true sessions are:
• The Compassion of Dissent
• The Art and Science of Appreciation
• Us, Them, and Me: The Case for Compassionate Communication
• Compassion for your Brain in the Midst of Chaos
My talks include facilitated exercises and discussions to ensure each participant makes a personal connection to the material – this guarantees that the information presented is useful to each attendee, not just interesting.
“In theory, there’s no difference between theory and practice. In practice, there is.”
- Yogi Berra
Leadership Consults
Do you need help navigating a complex situation, or a crisis? Are you avoiding a certain individual, or dodging a conversation? I offer expert support that includes finding the right words to establish a safe environment so you can engage with colleagues in a productive way, despite the circumstances.
Leadership consults are short-term, situational advising engagements. We will work together to distill the issue(s); to get clear on your intention; and to define the steps you want to take.
To access my availability, and schedule a Consult directly, click here:
Testimonials
"The moment one definitely commits oneself,
then providence moves too.”
- Goethe
Guiding Principles
Optimism
A positive state of mind maximizes the brain's capacity to think and reason. Our work will stay focused on desired outcomes. There’s no value in beating up the past; instead, we learn from it, and use it to inform the future.
Courage of Conviction
Our best work requires full presence, commitment, intuition, and good faith. I have developed expertise through 25+ years of experience and education; but it is my courage of conviction to create long-lasting value for clients that sets me apart.
Character
The nature of our work together sometimes calls for pulling on trust I have yet to fully establish with a client. I am committed to the highest level of integrity and confidentiality so that I can ask for this leap of faith.
Interconnectedness
My work focuses on leaving my clients better off so, in turn, each can have a positive impact on the people in their organization, their families, and their communities. This impact often continues to ripple through several degrees of separation. When one person leaves another better off, we all benefit.
Light-Heartedness
We will often have the opportunity to bring to light a sense of shared humanity in our work and, with that, a bit of levity. While our work might be demanding at times, I create an environment of trust and compassion. I ensure a productive process bolstered by plenty of humility and good humor.
I am a seasoned Executive Coach and Facilitator. I specialize in working with Physician Leaders, Health Care Professionals, and Community Leaders. My work is focused on leaving each of my clients better off, and better able to make meaningful and sustained contributions in the essential positions they hold within our communities.
I started my career in the United States Marine Corps where I acquired a deep respect for the tenets of leadership. I noted that, without exception, the best leaders were compassionate leaders. After the military, I worked to develop expertise in Employee Relations, Leadership Development, and Executive Coaching. Over the last 25 years, I am grateful to have acquired robust leadership experience that also benefited from my personal interests: Applied Neuroscience, Compassion Cultivation, Positive Psychology, and Emotional Intelligence.
In 2015, I was invited to join the Academy for Contemplative and Ethical Leadership sponsored by the Mind and Life Institute – a small consortium of thought-leaders marked by their consciousness, conscience, and ability to influence larger systemic changes. My work focuses on the development of individual leaders as a catalyst to increase the wellbeing of larger groups. To that end, I completed an intensive, year-long Applied Compassion Training program through Stanford University's Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE). In November 2020, I graduated in their first cohort as an Ambassador of Compassion.
I completed my certificate in Brain-Based Coaching through the NeuroLeadership Institute, where I also completed a robust program on the Foundations of NeuroLeadership, with distinction. Neuroleadership turns a very complex field into simple and effective methods that help align our actions to our intentions. I earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from the University of Rochester, and a Master’s Degree in Human Resources Management from Troy State University.
I enjoy paddleboarding, hiking, and skiing. I am an avid, although moderately-paced reader. I live in the idyllic town of Richmond, Vermont, with my husband, our two daughters, our two dogs, and Radar: our oversized cat.
Contact
I encourage you to call or email me with any inquiries or questions.
802-363-4716
elena@eilumen.net