Long Life Learning

This week, Kavitha is joined by Dr. Howie Forman (MD & MBA) of Yale University to discuss the unique role coaching plays in the world of medicine. Howie explains how coaching helped him navigate key turning points in his career, which has expanded from radiology into the worlds of health policy, leadership, teaching, and some coaching and mentoring of his own. He and Kavitha parse the difference between professional coaching and other key terms that have arisen this season, including psychiatry and psychotherapy. Howie identifies a core underlying principle that unifies all of them: the practice of leading with questions so as to empower clients to come to their own conclusions for action. In addition, Howie and Kavitha discuss where coaching can uniquely benefit medical practitioners, and Howie shares his thoughts about the characteristics that make certain individuals as a natural fit for coaching. Finally, Howie explains why it’s not too late to change your workplace habits after age 45! 
 

This week, Kavitha is joined by Aha2Impact CEO Allison Holzer to talk about how her background with the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and as an educator prepared her for excellence as a master certified executive coach. Allison walks Kavitha through the exciting developments at the forefront of coaching today, including expanded opportunities for group and team coaching, internal organizational transformation, and individual entrepreneurship. They also touch upon the democratization of coaching, how Allison incorporates her background in the visual arts into sessions, and why it is imperative for coaches to not feel invested in their clients’ success. They key? Coaches and clients alike need to avoid “performing” so that they can disrupt traditional power dynamics, honor the client’s agency, and approach the coaching relationship with trust and authenticity. 
 

This week, Kavitha is joined by Shawna Samuel, founder of the Mental Offload Coaching and Advisory Practice, to discuss coaching that is responsive to lived experience of women leaders in today’s workplace. Shawna came to coaching after years as a marketing expert across Europe helped her realize that her greatest potential for leadership came in the form of mentoring others to success and achievement. She shares with Kavitha how feminist coaching breaks down traditional coach-client hierarchies, explains what it means to be a ”productivity nerd,” and discusses how leaders can overcome “Cinderella Syndrome” and work more effectively toward achieving their professional ambitions. 

To kick off Season 3, Kavitha sits down with longtime Yale SOM Executive Education faculty instructor, fellow podcaster, and faculty director to the forthcoming Certificate in Professional Coaching Program, Dr. Heidi Brooks. Heidi explains why her approach to coaching is grounded in the centrality of relationships, citing a long list of beloved mentors who have shaped the trajectory of her research and work. Together, Heidi and Kavitha unpack the behaviors and habits of skillful coaches, highlighting the importance of reflection, writing, and responsive dialogue that reinforces client agency. In preparing for this first cohort of Exec Ed’s debut coaching-centered program, Heidi makes the case for why in-person interactions continue to be critical to human relationships, and how coaching empowers clients to move forward with confidence and courage in embracing everyday leadership.