From Expert to Executive: Navigating Transformative Leadership

By Sandra M. Martínez, Ph.D. PCC

Being an expert problem solver is one thing, but translating that expertise into executive leadership is another. With support from executive coaching, the client evolved from a highly capable individual contributor into a self aware, strategic, and empowering leader as he intentionally shifted from personally driving solutions to cultivating the thinking, ownership, and growth of others and in doing so embodied transformative leadership.

Context for Engagement

Jack was an experienced and exceptionally capable engineer. He consistently delivered under difficult circumstances and had been performing well as a project manager on a complex, high‑stakes project involving multiple, highly interdependent stakeholders who were not always transparent with one another. Deliberate and tactical by nature, Jack was in the process of forging a new area of operations for his firm, creating new templates and processes where none had previously existed. His manager and other senior leaders recognized his potential and wanted him to develop into a more senior executive leader. Jack himself had his sights set on becoming a Vice President.

Problem: The limitations of intimidation in leadership

Jack’s subordinates and peers liked and admired him. He held high standards for himself, was clearly very bright, and was always well prepared. He demonstrated technical mastery and reliably found workable solutions to complex problems. The challenge, however, was that Jack could be intimidating to others. Some peers and subordinates felt uncomfortable around him, particularly those who were more junior, newer to the organization, or unfamiliar with his way of working. While it was never Jack’s intention to intimidate, those who did not know him well often interpreted his formal, direct demeanor as distant or even condescending. This dynamic did not support the development of trust and collaboration, nor did it foster a learning environment with timely feedback—both of which are critical in his industry.

From Jack’s perspective, he was making efficient assessments of the skills and dispositions of team members and peers. He frequently took on responsibilities that could have been shared, believing he was ensuring the work was done well. However, by not sharing how he assessed situations, arrived at solutions, or made decisions about how to approach problems, others felt excluded from the process. His subordinates, in particular, were not given sufficient opportunities to contribute or learn. Jack needed to involve others more deliberately, grant greater autonomy to both the team and individual leaders, and shift from doing to enabling. His managers were clear that they also wanted to see Jack grow in his ability to inspire others.

Jack was a strong organizational citizen who consistently put the firm’s values and success first. He was honest to a fault. Having served as a military officer, his sense of accountability and integrity was evident in all his actions.

Solution: Creating a roadmap to executive leadership

Jack committed to accelerate his growth into executive leadership, with priorities to:

1. Increase openness and empathy in communication.

Jack knew himself to be kind and empathic, and those who knew him well experienced him that way. His challenge was to communicate this more effectively so others could experience him as approachable. He also wanted to increase his awareness of how his behavior impacted others.

2. Expand from expert problem‑solver to strategic leader.

Jack sought to move from being primarily an engineering SME to a more facilitative and strategic leadership role—one that could more quickly foster trust and collaboration as teams worked together toward solutions.

3. Develop habits and processes to engage others.

He aimed to adopt new approaches that would engage and gain the commitment of team members, clients, and other stakeholders.

Project Execution

Here are the steps we took to help Jack execute his goals:

1. 360‑Degree Assessment and Debrief

We administered and I debriefed a 360‑degree assessment. During the feedback session, I shared direct quotes from Jack’s colleagues so he could hear their perspectives in their own language. The feedback was fair and balanced, combining strong positive assessments with candid observations about areas for growth. Jack was open, thoughtful, and entirely non‑defensive. He was deeply interested in understanding how others experienced him. Together, we explored his recurring behavioral patterns and examined the often‑unexamined assumptions that were shaping his actions.

2. Leadership Development Plan

We co‑created a leadership development plan, with Jack articulating his priorities while I served as scribe. We clarified his baseline for each goal, defined what success would look like, and identified concrete actions he would take to achieve those outcomes. Several specific practices and experiments were outlined, along with others that emerged over time.

3. Heuristic for Responding to Inquiries

We designed a simple heuristic to guide how Jack responded to questions and challenges from team members—an approach that resonated strongly with him given his analytical mindset:

• Pause and step away from habitual responses; ask questions that invite dialogue and reflection.
• Elicit thinking by asking how the other person would approach the challenge before offering guidance.
• Frame experience by sharing, “This is how I’ve approached similar situations in the past,” positioning his perspective as a reference rather than a prescription.

4. Polarity Mapping

We explored a core leadership tension for Jack: Accountability and Tolerance. Once he recognized that both values were essential, we examined how this polarity showed up in his behavior and interactions. We then identified specific, actionable practices that would allow him to honor both values and realize the upside of each, strengthening his overall leadership effectiveness.

5. Structuring Difficult Conversations

We prepared for upcoming challenging conversations using a four‑part framework:

• Framing
• Advocating
• Illustrating (with concrete examples)
• Inquiring (listening)

This ensured balanced attention to clarity, perspective‑sharing, evidence, and genuine dialogue.

6. Safe‑to‑Fail Experiments

We identified real‑world contexts and situations where Jack could experiment with new behaviors in low‑risk, safe‑to‑fail ways. He committed to these experiments, and we reflected on outcomes and learning in subsequent coaching sessions.

7. Supplemental Resources

Jack had a strong appetite for learning and regularly requested additional materials. I provided selected HBR articles and books on personal branding, leadership in complexity, feedback, and related topics to support and deepen his development.

Outcome

Client’s takeaways:

1. Team members noticed meaningful changes in his behavior and responded with greater openness and collaboration.
2. Jack embraced a mentoring role and found it both rewarding and energizing.
3. He expanded his habitual approaches to conversation and technical problem‑solving, experiencing positive outcomes from these changes.
4. His understanding of his own identity and behavior evolved; he recognized that assumptions about “right” behavior were not always producing the outcomes he intended.
5. He successfully completed his project management assignment.
6. In partnership with senior leaders, he committed to a new role that leveraged his skills and expanded leadership capacity.
7. He increased his ability to build trust and commitment through open dialogue.
8. He developed a deeper appreciation for complex dynamics at individual, team, organizational, and industry levels.
9. He found that his expanded awareness and behaviors positively influenced his life outside of work.

Coach’s takeaways:

1. Trust as foundation: This engagement reaffirmed the foundational importance of trust and confidentiality in coaching. With trust established, we were able to create a space where the client felt safe exploring the impact of his behavior and the underlying beliefs driving it.
2. Supporting non-linear shifts: The work reinforced how challenging—and non‑linear—the transition from expert to collaborative leader can be. This shift requires sustained commitment, reflection, and practice, as well as a willingness to question deeply held values and assumptions.
3. Application of systems thinking: Growth into strategic leadership requires not only increased self‑awareness and interpersonal skill, but also frameworks and tools that help leaders make sense of organizational culture and complexity. Jack’s curiosity about the broader system greatly supported this work.