Leading with Courage and Character

Coaching for inspired people managers.

Step boldly into authentic leadership.

What does it look like to create the conditions for mastery, autonomy, and purpose?

When does stress serve a useful role— and when does it become a hindrance?

At what point do our superpowers become liabilities that impede our team’s growth?

Leading with Courage and Character is an eight-week executive coaching program for emerging leaders who are navigating new challenges as people managers. Join an intimate cohort of peers on a path of self-discovery, guided by executive coaches with decades of successful leadership experience. Our highly interactive program integrates three pillars of leadership success: mindset, tool set, and skill set.

Karen and Gina created this program to fill what we see as a critical gap in traditional leadership development. While most programs skip straight to skill-building, we start with what matters most: attitudes, beliefs, and metal habits.

What participants are saying…

  • "I've participated in a lot of professional development programs. I mean A LOT. And so when I encounter a dud of a training I quickly move on to the next thing. And when I encounter gems I share it with anyone who will listen. This program was a ground shaking experience. Seriously. I've read what feels like all the books, done all the courses, gone to all the trainings and never have I felt this way about PD before. Karen and Gina have created something special, y'all, and you don't want to miss it. I recently started a new role and wanted to gain some skills for my new level. The gift of this experience is that I am walking away with a self awareness and a toolkit that goes beyond my 1:1s and quarterly business reviews and extends to every single relationship in my life. And I've met and created deep connections with nearly a dozen amazing leaders who are on this journey with me. Suspend your disbelief for 30 minutes during an intro call with Karen or Gina and just see what you might walk away with. I don't think you'll regret it."

    -SY

  • "I've tried to find the right words to express the support, tools, community, inspiration, and confidence this coaching helps you discover within yourself, but nothing quite captures the depth of my gratitude for this program. It’s truly an investment in yourself that pays back in ways I never expected."

    - TP

  • “By the end of the 8-week program, I had gained profound insights into my strengths and areas for growth, along with practical tools to apply in real-time leadership situations. This program has made me a more self-aware, effective leader, manager, and colleague.”

    - AA

  • "I truly cannot recommend this program enough. I’ve done other leadership courses, assessments, coaching, and programs - and this was completely different, in the best way. If you’re feeling stuck, or stuck-ish, as a leader, in your career, or in your life generally - this is a game changer. Do it!"

    - LJ

  • "This program came into my life at the time when I needed it the most, without realizing it! I've learned so much about myself- how I navigate the good, the bad, and the uncomfortable. It has allowed me to approach challenging situations thoughtfully, and with clarity. I cannot thank Karen and Gina enough."

    -GR

  • "Leading with Courage and Character was a transformative experience. The focus on self-command, managing as a coach, and developing a mindset that supports growth and self-reflection has profoundly impacted my approach to leadership and life. I highly recommend this program to anyone looking to elevate their leadership skills with confidence and authenticity."

    -LH

  • "As a new engineering manager, I struggled to find my identity after many years as an individual contributor. I read a lot of books and took courses that introduced me to tools and techniques. This program was totally different in that it helped me develop a new mindset - rather than just giving me knowledge. I've become more positive and less reactive in the face of problems and chaos. I've experienced first-hand what transformative coaching can do, and it's inspired me to improve my coaching of others. But maybe most importantly it's helped me to more intentionally chart my own course as a manager."

    -AL

Choose the program that’s right for you:

Leading with Courage and Character I

An eight-week program for mid-career leaders.

Leading with Courage and Character II

A six-month program for seasoned executives.

Want in? Of course you do. Let’s talk!

What’s included

Mindset

Building an Authentic Foundation
Get to know the habits that are holding you back, and start rewiring yourself for clear and courageous action. Develop the foundation for positive response to challenges through daily practice and weekly coaching guided by the Positive Intelligence™ app.

Tool Set

Interconnected Frameworks
Build leadership confidence and fluency with invaluable and pragmatic models to scaffold manager success, from building trust to engaging employees.

Skill Set

Confident, inspired leadership
Deepen skills and apply tools to real-time, real-life scenarios through group and individual coaching. Strengthen your skill at delegating, managing up, influencing without authority, and more.

Meet Your Coaches

Hi! We’ll be your guides on this journey. We’re drawn to this work from a place of deep conviction that with the right support, being a people leader can be so much more than a promotion and a pay increase.  

Our vision is to develop in leaders the mindset to navigate challenges with confidence, while staying true to their unique personality, values, and spirit- so that they become powerful enablers of positive change.

Karen White

Karen has more than 20 years’ experience as a product management and operations executive- including VP of Product at Edelman Financial Engines, where she met Gina. She’s had the opportunity to lead through all flavors of change, from hypergrowth to strategic pivots to mergers and acquisitions, and has seen firsthand how leadership that invokes both head and heart can help teams thrive even in the midst of real trials, yielding remarkable results. Karen completed her coaching certification through UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.

Learn more about Karen

Gina Cruse

Gina is a visionary leader and executive coach who has been artfully blending her knowledge and experience with genuine warmth and focus on business results for over 30 years. Her coaching work leverages her executive and senior leadership experience in the corporate world in both public and private sectors, across multiple industries. She met Karen during her time as EVP of Human Resources at Edelman Financial Engines. Gina completed her coaching certification through UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.

Learn more about Gina

Join the journey.

Want in? Of course you do. Let’s talk!