Is Your Leadership Strategy Built for What’s Coming Next?
Change is constant and becoming more challenging to lead in a VUCA world (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous). Even the most accomplished executives find themselves overwhelmed. The stakes are high—culture shifts, transactions, board pressures, the vagaries of imposter syndrome, and digital disruption are no longer episodic events. They are the new normal. According to McKinsey, 70% of transformation efforts fail due to a lack of leadership alignment, cultural resistance, or emotional burnout. While organizations invest heavily in strategy, too few invest in the one factor that makes strategy succeed or fail: the humans who are responsible for planning and executing disruptive departures from the status quo.
So what if there were a way to help leaders navigate the storm—not with a manual, but with a mirror? What if the most powerful transformation doesn’t start with a business model, but with a conversation?
That’s where Linda (Lin) C. Coughlin, Founder and President of Great Circle Associates, makes her mark. With a rare blend of deep and wide C-suite operating experience and highly developed executive coaching knowledge and expertise, Lin transforms leaders. She helps them, for example, to master 21st century leadership best practices like transparency, authenticity, professional humility, shared accountability, measured risk taking, overcoming imposter syndrome, etc., This, while collaborating to realize their strategic priorities, taking advantage of Lin’s well-developed strategic thinking, planning and execution strengths.
Lin’s objective: to position clients to exceed their own expectations and that of key stakeholders. At her firm, Great Circle Associates, she’s become a trusted partner to executives at critical turning points when it matters most, guiding them through disruption, cultural realignment, and personal reinvention.
But what shaped Lin’s journey from the corner office to becoming one of the most sought-after executive coaches in the industry? And how is she helping today’s leaders evolve into the kind of human-centric visionaries and change-makers the world needs now?
Let’s explore the story, philosophy, and powerful legacy of an executive coach whose mission is to re-humanize leadership—one breakthrough at a time.
A Calling Borne from Courage
Every groundbreaking journey begins with a moment of clarity. For Lin, that moment came not in a boardroom but in the stillness of self-reflection after decades in high-stakes leadership roles. As a former CAO of a $20 billion dollar conglomerate and the youngest and first woman to lead the North American mutual funds business and Retirement Plan business at one of the top ten global asset management organizations, Linda C. Coughlin mastered the art of operational excellence.
But what she saw missing—again and again—was space. Space for herself and her colleagues to feel, to reflect, to envision new possibilities, to process disruptive changes from the status quo, and, most importantly, to learn to become personally and socially aware.
“I started Great Circle Associates in 2008 because I saw a need involving disruptive departures from the status quo that no one else was filling,” Lin recalls. “Leaders are often expected to have all the answers. But when you’re navigating a disruptive change, culture transformation, or personal reinvention, you need a trusted Guide.”
With a vision to become that Guide, Linda C. Coughlin founded Great Circle Associates (GCA)—a firm specializing in executive coaching and strategic advisory services for leaders at critical inflection points in their careers and/or with their business models. Her belief? That leadership is not about perfection—it’s about continuous progress and improvement, and mastering the art of living and being present in the moment. And the most powerful shifts happen when leaders are supported–not just intellectually, but emotionally and even spiritually.
The Evolution of an Executive Coach: Decades of Transformation
Lin’s coaching philosophy wasn’t born overnight. It is the result of a dynamic 25+ year career spanning several industries, especially in financial services. With each role—whether building divisions from scratch or leading through high-stakes turnarounds—Linda C. Coughlin refined her ability to assess people, and business processes and systems simultaneously and synchronistically.
“In the beginning, I thought coaching was about giving advice,” she shares. “But over time, I learned that real transformation comes from deep listening, asking powerful questions, and creating space for leaders to discover their own voice toward the achievement of game changing results.”
Her evolution reflects the broader shifts in executive coaching itself—from tactical skill-building to transformational leadership work. Today, Lin blends her hard-earned strategic and operational insights with well-developed emotional intelligence and a mastery of leveraging tools like a Strengths Report Card, a Leadership Timeline. 360 assessments and an exercise that provides leaders with crystal clear clarity concerning their Values, Traits, Skills, and communication style, to name a few.
Coaching Through Complexity: The Modern Executive’s Greatest Challenges
As Linda C. Coughlin puts it, “The work of leadership has never been more complex.”
From CEO transitions and organizational redesigns to culture rebuilds and purpose realignments, executives are grappling with a new set of demands:
- Imposter Syndrome – 60% of leaders doubt their worthiness to embark on expansions to their portfolios of responsibility, worried that they will be discovered as frauds.
- Decision Fatigue – In high-velocity environments, leaders are overwhelmed by choices.
- Team Misalignment – Vision alone is not enough; cross-functional teams must be inspired to coalesce around a shared purpose in safe, trusting, transparent environments, equipped and aligned.
- Operating in VUCA Environments – Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous environments call for planning processes characterized by high levels of adaptability, inclusivity, innovation, shared accountability and enduring commitment.
Lin’s coaching addresses these realities head-on. Her Guidance is not about quick fixes but about sustainable transformation—from the inside out. “While strategy development, planning and execution are must-have core competencies. “I also work with leaders on the human side of strategy,” she explains. “Because what’s often missing isn’t data or critical thinking—it’s clarity of purpose, conviction, and connection, without which leaders are far less effective and not likely to successfully align organizations around disruptive departures from the status quo.”
One Client, One Transformation: Coaching That Moves the Needle
Lin’s impact is best illustrated through stories—stories of transformation that go beyond KPIs to touch identity and purpose.
Take the case of a first-time CEO brought in to lead a rapidly-scaling media technology firm after a merger. The company was growing but fraying, fractured by cultural tension, unclear roles, and board pressure. Linda C. Coughlin was called in at a critical juncture.
Working closely with the CEO, she:
- Facilitated the administration of 360° assessments to uncover real and perceived strengths and blind spots among leadership team members
- Co-created a leadership narrative that aligned the Mission, with the organization’s Values for which she facilitated the articulation
- Helped reframe executive team relationships aimed at creating a safe environment where cross-functional executives could openly and freely solve problems and resolve conflicts
- Facilitated the development and execution of frequent communications with the board, aimed at eliciting their trust, support, and ideas
Twelve months later, the company reported:
- A 45% increase in employee engagement scores
- Reduced executive turnover
- A successful second-round funding
- A CEO who proclaimed, “I finally feel like I can lead as myself, not who I thought I had to be.”
The Growth of Great Circle Associates (GCA): A Trusted Name in Executive Transformation
Since 2008, GCA has grown steadily, rooted in referrals, the development of Lin’s reputation, and breakthrough outcomes. The firm’s secret sauce? Quality over quantity; going slow to go fast; and exceeding expectations.
Key accomplishments include:
- Leveraging her 15 years of Board and Operating experience in corporate America
- An 18 year track record at coaching and advising leaders and leadership teams to envision, plan for and execute positive disruptions from the status quo
- Hundreds of leaders coached from around the world and across a variety of industry sectors
- The development and operationalization of strong and healthy cultures in support of re-imagined Missions, Visions, Goals, and Values for PE-backed portfolio companies, Fortune 1000 companies, and Founder-led organizations
- Featured Speaker and Facilitator at Board and Senior Leadership retreats and Global Leadership Summits
- An extensive portfolio of provocative thought leadership pieces on strategy development and execution, transformational change planning and culture development, to name a few topics. Several of them can be found in the blog section of her website at www.greatcircleassociates.com
Leadership across Differences: Tailoring Coaching to Diverse Leadership Styles and Cultures
Having engaged with clients on five continents, Linda C. Coughlin is acutely aware that leadership is never one-size-fits-all. Her coaching is always contextualized to fit the unique challenges and cultural nuances of each leader and organization she partners with. For a tech CEO in Silicon Valley, the focus might be on scaling culture with agility amid rapid growth and innovation. In contrast, a financial services leader in Europe may need support in balancing regulatory compliance with the delivery of engaging, educational communications. Meanwhile, an entrepreneur might find themselves wrestling with the complexities of Founder’s syndrome and the need to build sustainable leadership within their organization.
“My job is to meet leaders where they are,” Linda C. Coughlin says. “And help them live their Values and to actualize their Purpose.” Her ability to adapt her coaching strategies to fit a wide spectrum of leadership profiles and environments—while maintaining a deep connection to a leader’s Purpose and Values—makes her an invaluable Guide for global executives navigating today’s dynamic and diverse business landscape. Her multicultural sensitivity, paired with sharp business acumen and strategic insight, allow her to unlock innovation and institutional and leadership growth. Her work with teams is transformative, enabling them to coalesce around shared Missions, Visions, and Goals that represent significant departures from the status quo.
What’s Next for Coaching? Future Trends According to Lin
As one of the most respected voices in the field, Linda C. Coughlin sees five game-changing trends shaping the future of executive coaching:
| What’s Next for Coaching? | |
| Human + AI Integration | AI will offer behavioural insights, but human wisdom will remain essential. |
| Coaching as Strategy for Boards | Boards will increasingly engage with executive coaches to strengthen governance. |
| Trauma-Informed Leadership | Leaders increasingly need healing as much as personal and professional development. |
| Sustainability and Values-Based Leadership | Purpose-driven leadership is the future |
| Expanded Coaching Ecosystems | Peer circles, internal coaching as a leadership best practice, and digital tools will complement traditional executive coaching approaches. |
“Best practice coaching techniques are evolving to accommodate the volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity that define the environments that leaders must navigate.” Linda C. Coughlin says. “Our job is to help leaders transform, while staying grounded in what really matters.”
Values That Guide the Journey
Lin’s leadership and coaching has, for 30 years, been defined by seven Values:
- The Celebration of Uniqueness -To welcome and embrace differences in backgrounds, strengths, work and communications styles
- Generosity of Spirit and Action – An attitude of the heart and a willingness to articulate and implement Missions and Visions for the good of all stakeholders including customers, shareholders, employees, partners and the local and global communities organizations operate in
- Professional and Intellectual Humility – The awareness and outward expression of our individual fallibility as we drive to the achievement of game changing results
- Reciprocity –An eagerness and prowess at giving as well as receiving toward mutually beneficial outcomes (“To whom much is given, much is expected.”)
- Transparency – A commitment to making visible, in truthful candid ways, processes by which conclusions are drawn, decisions are made, problems are solved and opportunities are envisioned
- Passion for the elimination of the status quo – A commitment to embracing change, not for change’s sake, but for the sustained well-being of an organization and its several constituents
- Courage – The willingness to confront hard truths and create shared solutions to problems
“These are not buzzwords—they are foundational operating principles that I continuously practice and teach leaders to master,” Linda C. Coughlin says.
Her Greatest Lesson as a Leader
Looking back over her expansive career, Linda C. Coughlin identifies one lesson that continues to anchor her work and define her leadership philosophy: “Your authentic presence is your power.”
Early in her career, success was measured in traditional metrics—promotions, profits, and influence. But over time, Lin realized that real leadership isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about the energy, clarity, and authenticity a leader brings into every room, every decision, every opportunity, every problem and every relationship.
“Presence isn’t just being in the room—it’s how you show up,” she says. “When you’re clear about and self-evidently at peace with who you are and what you stand for, and professionally humble you create safety, trust, and inspiration for others to step into their authentic power.”
As an executive coach and strategic advisor, Lin brings not just insight, but intention. And that kind of presence becomes contagious—it empowers others to go slow to go fast, reflect, and lead from a place of truth.
Words for the Next Generation of Leaders and Coaches
For Lin, the next generation of leaders and executive coaches has an unprecedented opportunity—and responsibility—to lead differently. The world is experiencing much volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity, and leadership must evolve to meet it with greater humanity, agility, and wisdom.
She urges future leaders to embrace continuous inner growth. “Be quick to look inward in everyday working situations. See how you can improve not just your technical skills, but your character, your presence, your impact,” she says.
Her mantra is simple but profound: “Be better today than yesterday; be better tomorrow than today.” To her, leadership is an evolving practice rooted in self-awareness, not self-importance. She encourages her clients to be selfless, to act as servant leaders, and to hold themselves to a high standard not out of ego, but out of devotion to the good of the businesses and those they lead.
To aspiring executive coaches, she adds: “Don’t rush to give answers. Create space. Go slow to go fast. Build trust. Enable people to arrive at their truth. That’s where real transformation happens.”
Her words are a call to action for a new era of leadership—one rooted in human connection, humility, and service.
A Legacy Still Unfolding
After decades of experience, Lin’s journey is still actively unfolding—and her impact is accelerating. Through Great Circle Associates, she has become a guiding force behind some of the boldest leadership transformations in the modern business world.
Yet Linda C. Coughlin does not see her work in terms of numbers or titles. She sees it in moments: when a leader shifts from fear to confidence, when a team rebuilds trust, when an organization boldly realigns with its purpose, and when a leader unflinchingly shares their authentic self.
Her Vision for the future is to expand her influence in developing more women leaders toward the full partnership of men and women leaders; fostering intergenerational dialogue and collaboration; and challenging outdated models of power and leadership. She envisions a world where leadership is no longer about hierarchy, but about shared impact. Where the most respected leaders are not those with the loudest voices, but those who value the development of authentic, heart-centered leadership.
“I want to be remembered not just as a change making executive coach, but as someone who helped restore leadership to its rightful place—as a calling, not a crown,” she says.
In organizations that lack a universally shared Mission, Vision, Goals and Values, Linda C. Coughlin offers much-needed depth. A steady hand. A wise heart. And a legacy of leading from the inside out.
An Open Letter to Leaders Driving Change
By Linda C. Coughlin, Founder and President of Great Circle Associates and a seasoned board director serving public and private and not-for-profit enterprises
To all the leaders, change makers, and passionate champions of positive disruptive change, this letter is for you.
With decades of experience working alongside courageous executives navigating high-stakes change, I’ve learned a sobering truth: No more than 30% of corporate change efforts succeed. Why? Because many organizations rush the process; skip critically important steps– especially related to communications; and/or underestimate the emotional and cultural implications that shape every strategic pivot.
Deep and lasting transformation—what I call Change at Core™—is not a sprint; it’s a disciplined, deliberate journey. It requires a roadmap, but more importantly, it demands character, resilience, and clarity of purpose.
Here’s what I’ve learned: Leaders don’t just direct from the top to effect transformative change. They listen deeply. They appeal to the heart and the head. They create a sense of urgency, build cross-functional teams of passionate champions, and empower team members to act. They’re not afraid to challenge norms or stand alone when necessary. They communicate their vision relentlessly and walk the talk with humility and conviction.
To those stepping into the fires of change, I offer this: Go slow to go fast. Honor the process. Cultivate allies. Lean into the resistance—there is wisdom there. Be a meaning-maker, a listener, and a servant leader. And above all, believe in the future you’re creating, even before others can see it.
Warmly,
Linda C. Coughlin
Founder, President & Board Director
Great Circle Associates
