Contact

 

 

Julie Johnson

"I've had the honour and privilege to coach over 1000 business leaders in the last 17 years, from first line-manager to CEO level.  While their challenges are as diverse as their backgrounds, there are a number of common concerns and development needs that arise again and again. One of the most common I find is the inability to have "difficult conversations". In general, individuals, teams, and organizations do not seem able or willing (or both) to exchange open feedback with each other.   Helping people learn to successfully conduct these (often perceived to be) difficult conversations has become a passion, and a significant part of my work in team building and leadership development.

Back in the early ‘90s, coaching as formal profession was in it’s infancy.  I would say that today it has hit early puberty, with all sorts of new developments.  Coaching models abound, but it is the philosophy behind it all that makes the learnings sustainable, helping interactions reach a new and higher level.  I’ve seen the culture of many teams change significantly for the better as a result.

It was a study trip to Paris when I was 22 that changed my life forever. Coming from the middle of North America, I found that being abroad was a fascinating game, and I wanted to play!  Four years later I found myself living in Norway, and after that, Spain, France, and now the Netherlands, where I have been residing for the past 20 years. Career-wise, I moved from teaching mathematics to marketing consultancy to what I do now: people development.

On the GTN website, I will be posting short articles from time to time.  Please join me in exploring the challenges that leaders are facing.