The Kind Leadership Challenge

Hi! I’m Sarah. I’m an academic library dean, a podcaster, and something of a nerd. I created the Kind Leadership Guild in 2019 to share the lessons I’ve learned from 20 years in academic libraries, my PhD in Higher Ed Leadership, and (most of all) the school of hard knocks.

I’m guessing you have some questions about what I do, what kind leadership is, and why I know practicing kind leadership can lead to a better world. If you’re still curious at the end of those questions, I’ve got an invitation for you.

Who do you coach?

Higher Ed and Library Leaders who want to build a better world without burning out.

What do You coach?

I coach kind leadership.

What is “kind leadership”?

Kind leadership is the practice of making decisions that empower your organization to heal the people and communities you serve, so you can all create a better world.

What do you mean by “healing”?

Fixing vs healing

What do you mean by “a better world”?

Well, ultimately that’s your call. You’re the leader guiding your organization toward creating that better world. I’m just your coach who is helping you to stay on track. But broadly speaking, it’s a world where people are becoming more confident in themselves, proficient at their work, and trusting of others who are seeking the same goals.

Why do you coach kind leadership?

Because I built kind leadership from scratch to heal myself during the worst moments of my life as a leader. I reached the summit of that grueling learning curve knowing one thing for sure—that I was going to use my new, hard-won wisdom to make sure no other leader ever felt the same loneliness and fear that I had.

Why should I become a kinder leader?

How KL transforms leaders, teams, communities.

How has kind leadership helped others?

Insert testimonials

How can you help me?

Well, that depends. You probably are still reading this page because you need at least one of the three transformations I offer.

  1. You need a basic understanding of how to stay humane, effective, and collaborative in the daily ups and downs of leadership.
  2. You need to solve a problem in the next couple months, but you’re stuck and overwhelmed.
  3. There’s a big challenge looming. You need to become the best leader you can be for your organization so you won’t just survive the storm, but thrive for the long haul.

How do I learn the basics of Kind Leadership?

The solution to need number 1, your need for a basic understanding of Kind Leadership is and will always be free for everyone. Every Monday morning on the Kind Leadership Challenge, I publish a challenge you can implement that week to become a kinder leader. If you want to dig deeper, attend my Linkedin livestreams, where I walk leaders through case studies of common difficult conversations using the mastering challenging conversations checklist. Anyone can learn the core fundamentals of kind leadership here, and being a librarian, I’ve decided that this information will NEVER be behind a paywall. Kind leadership is one of those “easy but difficult” things. It’s easy to understand, but difficult to go implement. That’s why every episode of the Kind Leadership Challenge ends wit, well, a challenge. I don’t want you to just listen to what I have to say, because that won’t change anything. You have to take action.

How can you help me take action on my leadership problems?

The solutions for needs #2 and 3 are found in my leadership coaching packages. I offer two options—a month-long one on one intensive for someone who has a straightforward problem they need to work through. As of March 29. 2023, This option costs $1000.

My second coaching package is a year long journey designed to transform your leadership practice so you can create the kind of powerful leadership legacy that will continue to shape your community long after you’re gone. That’s $10,000, paid either in a lump sum or installments.

If you think you might be interested in either of those, I’ll warn you up front they’re not for everyone.

You must be ready to confront your weaknesses, and embrace your strengths.

You must be willing to experience temporary discomfort in the quest for a lasting confidence.

And you must be able to commit the time and money required to embark on an intense one-on-one journey with me. I will use all my education and expertise to tell you hard truths, advise you on your struggles, and mentor you on your journey to healing yourself, your systems, and your team.  

You will still be the one doing the work, and sometimes you may hate to hear what I have to say, but you will never doubt that I have your back on your journey.

How can I figure out if coaching is for me?

This is not a webinar or course. This is not a quick tune-up from a leadership guru who doesn’t understand what you do and tells you what you want to hear. This is a custom transformation designed for your needs and your goals as an educational or library leader, designed by an academic library leader who has seen it all, and lived through most of it. But I also have a limited number of coaching slots because of the day job, and want to make sure everyone is filled by people with the desire and the ability to build a more educated and informed world.

So, you and I will have a 30 minute clarity chat before we do anything else. This call is free, and there’s no commitment. I will help you define your problem and identify some potential solutions to test. We’ll also be figuring out how we work, how we think, and whether there’s a fit. And then, only if we are both in agreement, we can proceed to talking about a coaching relationship.

Sound good? Book your clarity chat here, and let’s continue the conversation.

PS—not sure yet? Sign up for my emails. In addition to the mastering challenging conversations checklist, I teach my subscribers exclusive lessons on how to be a more coachable leader, whether or not it’s me or someone else doing the coaching.

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