Leadership Innovations Team

What is Executive Coaching?

Executive coaching is a confidential, individualized, focused, one-on-one relationship with a trained skilled professional who can help the coachee increase effectiveness, embed new learning, achieve measurable results, and reach goals.

When used in conjunction with the 360 degree feedback from the Extraordinary Leaders Institute, coaching becomes an invaluable tool to ensure follow-through, address areas of focus, and ensure that the leadership development process continues long after the institute is over.

Long embraced by the business world, executive coaching is recognized as a powerful tool for increasing organizational strength, improving working relationships, and helping valuable leaders realize the full extent of their potential.

Administrators, principals, and other school leaders are accomplished, goal-oriented adult-learners with unique needs and challenges. Executive coaching provides a targeted, supportive, and collaborative partnership in which coachees can dialogue, brainstorm and develop strategies to effectively support the success of the organization.

School leaders experiencing overly full plates and increasing external pressure to achieve results will move from feeling frustrated and overwhelmed to experiencing a feeling of optimism, focus, empowerment, and energy.

How It Works

The coaching relationship is personalized based on the focuses and needs that have been identified through the 360 degree feedback process. Through a process of inquiry, discovery, and collaboration the coach and coachee work together to increase awareness, define specific targets, and focus on creating pathways to achieving professional goals more quickly.

Coaching is action-oriented and results-focused by nature; the process is supportive, positive, and reflective but each coaching session ends with a set of specific action items designed to move the change process forward. Coachees will "check in" as these action-items are completed, either during the next coaching session or by phone.

Coaching can take place face to face, or over the phone. Because it is a one-on-one relationship, coaching is highly flexible to accommodate the most demanding schedules and challenges.

Our Rates

Please contact us to learn more about coaching rates.

Our Executive Coaches

Heather Knight, MA Ed.

Heather Knight is the President of Leadership Innovations Team and also serves as the Vice President of the Powerful Teaching and Learning Group. She holds an MA in Professional Development. Heather has been a classroom teacher and principal and is a certified coach. In addition, she has extensive experience coaching teachers, administrators, coaches and professional learning communities. Heather is certified as an Extraordinary Leader Trainer in the Zenger-Folkman leadership series. » Full bio

Alison Olzendam, Ph.D.

Dr. Alison Olzendam is the President and Founder of the Powerful Teaching and Learning Group. She has been a trainer for the Washington School Research Center, presenting Seminars at OSPI conferences, and numerous other conferences and is certified as an Extraordinary Leader Trainer in the Zenger-Folkman leadership series. » Full bio

Carla Jones

Carla is an Associate Clinical Professor at Washington State University and has been teaching classes in the department as well as serving as the Clinical Coordinator. Carla holds the Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language Hearing Association and school credentials as a special educator and speech-language pathologist. She has been at WSU for 15 years and continues to provide direct service to children with disabilities in the WSU Clinic and Head Start. » Full bio

Freddie Barrett

Freddie Barrett, courageous pioneer, innovative educator and life-long learner, began her career as the first woman Management Trainee at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. She has been a mentor in a “Coming of Age” program for 12-14 year olds, as well as teaching leadership classes in the “Gear Up” summer program at the University of Washington. As a Coach and Educator with the Powerful Teaching and learning Group, Freddie is passionate about making a difference in the lives of educators and our future leaders. » Full bio

Bruce Burpee

Bruce Burpee joined the Leadership Innovations Team in 2007. He has served as a school administrator for 31 years, with experience as an elementary principal, curriculum director and assistant superintendent. Bruce has presented nationally through Phi Delta Kappa, and is a licensed Curriculum Management Auditor. He has been a School Improvement Coach through ESD 189, and has worked as a consultant in underperforming schools in California. » Full bio

Lisa Holmes, M.Ed.

Lisa Holmes comes to the Leadership Innovations Team with a diverse background in public education, technology, grant writing as well as medical research. She has been in public education for twenty four years and has championed many issues facing rural and remote schools. She has served on a variety of committees both locally as well as state wide. Lisa was a member of the Smart Tools Task Force and later as a Smart Tools instructor in Washington State. Ms. Holmes was appointed by Governor Gary Locke to his state-wide task force working on online learning. » Full bio