LaTonya was one of those people who never “fit in at work.” She spent 15 years on a traditional career path in HR, talent management, and learning and development at Fortune 500 companies, so this was much more than an isolated incident. Repeatedly having these experiences motivated her to drive real change in the workplace and organizational cultures for good.

She started with the traditional approach of attempting to make change from the inside, but she eventually discovered the potential of leadership and team coaching to change entire organizational cultures. This unconventional yet evidence-based approach was refreshing and a welcome respite from the traditional programs that were clearly not preparing executives to lead future workplaces, connect across diverse teams, create cultures of belonging, or cultivate psychological safety on their teams. LaTonya was motivated to inspire change in these cultures that were stuck at the surface level.

Through her own experiences and by observing others, LaTonya learned that it wasn’t so much about the skills, values, and attitudes you bring to the table. What mattered in corporate culture was fitting in on a very superficial, surface level. Do you look the part? Have you bought into the competitive, relentless, undercutting standards of corporate leadership? Are you forced to keep your personal problems at home? It’s a terrible way to live, not to mention misaligned with today’s workplace. To make matters worse, LaTonya found it incredibly frustrating to realize that corporate leaders just didn’t have the people skills to work across differences. Coaching emerged as LaTonya’s unique opportunity to develop leaders change cultures, make real connections, and adjust to the future workplace demands.