As a seasoned executive coach, Steve Axelrod assists leaders to optimize their talents, skills and values to enable both individual and organizational success. The profiles below provide examples of the variety of Steve’s engagements and outcomes as a trusted advisor to his clients.*
Aligning the Senior Team
Having the right people in place is one crucial step to a company’s success. Enabling them to work effectively together may be the most critical. Steve has helped company owners and leadership teams become more cohesive by understanding the complex interplay of role, style, motives, and personality. Steve has worked with partners to remove barriers and find the best opportunities for the partnership and the business to flourish. Read case examples*
Moving Up and Moving On
In succession planning and transition assignments, Steve has helped executives have maximum impact as they assume new leadership positions. He has helped groom leaders to leverage their organizational role, culture and leadership style. In some cases, Steve has helped repair damaged relationships, improve morale, and ready key team members for new leadership.
Change and Growth to Lead
Individual coaching most often focuses on working with leaders to become more confident and self-aware in order to play a bigger role within their organization. Coaching helps them leverage strengths and key relationships, put better structures and processes in place, and devise practical strategies for developing their people. Steve’s skill at serving as a sounding board becomes significant as executives grow into roles of more influence and power. Read case examples*
Managing Law Firms’ Human Capital
For one large law firm, Steve developed a competency model for beginning associates to guide interviewing and hiring, as well as performance feedback and development. He has also coached department heads to become more effective leaders to optimize the “people side” of a law firm’s business.
Talented but Difficult
Steve has provided successful interventions for “talented but difficult” executives through a combination of coaching them and advising the organization’s leadership. The goal of these assignments is to strengthen self-management and organizational support so the executive can contribute at his/her highest potential.
Meltdown at the Top
Sometimes, otherwise talented executives exhibit serious problematic behaviors, such as drug and alcohol abuse, sexual harassment, or even emotional breakdown. As a clinical psychologist, Steve is able to quickly assess whether behavioral problems are deep-seated or manifestations of a personality under the stress of responsibility and leadership. In some cases, Steve has worked closely with employment lawyers to resolve sensitive matters.
*Due to the confidential nature of Steve Axelrod’s executive coaching and consulting assignments, client companies are not identified.