Jennifer Walters: Extraordinary Leader

Jennifer Walters is higher education administrator with nearly 20 years experience fostering mutually beneficial relationships with internal and external constituents that allow for the professional success of students and attainment of business goals for university executives and employers.

What is Empathic Leadership?

“Empathetic leadership is being able to understand the needs of others through an openness and awareness of their feelings and thoughts, and valuing those needs, feelings, and thoughts in the decision-making process..”

What skills or competencies did you enhance through the coaching process?

“Through the coaching process I came to realize that while my behavior style allows me to very collaborative it may be interpreted by my team as lacking goal-based decisiveness. Working with Michael allowed me to flex my muscles in self-advocacy, direct and goal-driven communication, and positivity.”

Share an example of a goal that you have realized as a result of coaching.

“A goal I realized through coaching with Michael was to use direct and goal-driven communication in self-advocacy. By doing so, I have improved my communication style both professionally and personally which has led to new opportunities and connections where I feel valued, seen, and heard."

What do professionals need to start anticipating as the change needed to be a strong leader?

“I believe that to be a strong leader, professionals need to start being more fluid. Being flexible is clearly a part of being an empathetic leader as it reflects the ability to hear and validate new ideas. Yet, flexibility can imply there is a breaking point – there is only so far one can bend. Being fluid gives leaders the ability to move with the energy generated by their team while preserving boundaries that can shift as needed.”

Describe Michael Sgro as a professional coach.

“Michael Sgro truly is a unicorn in the professional coaching world! His ability to motivate and empower other leaders is expressed with innate warmth, humor, and compassion. He just knows when his clients are ready to hear certain lessons and empowers them to take the necessary steps to become the best version of themselves at a pace that feels natural.”

Anything else you want to share about leadership?

“As we continue to navigate the future of work, I believe it is important to not equate leadership with a title or a set of hard skills. No matter where an induvial sits on a team, there are opportunities to lead with empathy to build a culture that is supportive, inclusive and productive. Leaders need to evaluate beyond metrics and recognize that team members that can create a culture of belonging, motivation, and empowerment will undoubtedly be able to lead a team to better outcomes. ”

Our mission is to coach extraordinary leaders and to develop empathy as a core competency. We work with business owners, nonprofit organizations, professionals, universities and community members who are facing challenges in their personal and professional effectiveness or want to reach their full capacity as a leader.​