How many women do you know, who want to have a career pathway to senior management? Are they earning recognition and being rewarded for their contributions? Are they completely fulfilled in personal life and career? How are they doing in today’s challenging economy?

Let’s take it one-step further… are you a women who wants to develop your leadership skills, confidence, presence, or achieve goals in your career? Do you believe that your talents would be better utilized if you stepped-up into a management position? Are you in an unfulfilling job? Are you feeling burnout but ready to move forward to having the career you really want?

I interviewed Jo Miller, a Women's Leadership Coach in Silicon Valley, who specializes in helping women realize their leadership potential. Her clients are setting inspiring goals, assessing strengths and weaknesses, and creating development plans.  She started her ‘Jo Miller Coaching’ business 6 years ago, with the goal to “coach everyday women to become extraordinary leaders”.

Q: Jo, why did you decide to become a Women's Leadership Coach? 

Coach: After five years coaching I found myself working with many women in managerial and executive positions. Many of them were working at improving their leadership capabilities and confidence. 

I discovered some astonishing data: women hold 46% of professional and managerial positions in the US workforce, but only 16% of senior leadership roles, and 13% of board positions. And yet two thirds of women are not yet in senior leadership positions within their companies aspire to be there.  Women want to lead, but are being stymied. 
I felt a sense of mission and an urgency to help, because I know that coaching is a very effective way to help women step into their power.

Q: What's the inspiration behind your coaching practice?

Coach: The wisdom my clients hold. Even though they may at times struggle while executing their plans, they have such vision, creativity and resourcefulness. Every client inspires me, every day.

Q: What are your clients facing, and how do you help them?

Coach: The majority of my clients are women who are in executive positions who want to lead more effectively and authentically, and lead balance lives outside work. Some of my clients are at earlier stages in their career, and wish to design a career path upwards into senior management.
 
I help clients identify their biggest challenges and goals, and prioritize key areas to focus on. I help them devise 'stretch' goals in work and personal life, and create a plan to go after those goals. Common areas for discussion are how to work less but accomplish more, and how to become more visible, gaining recognition and reward.

Q: One of your talks is called, "Leading Life Forward: A Workshop on Self-Leadership for Women". Would you share a bit of the key points? 

Coach: There are 4 important elements to leadership: Presence, Vision, Values and Action. All must be present to lead effectively. They are all important skills to master if you wish to live an effective, high performing life outside work. In my workshop, women develop their own definitions of each element, thereby creating their own unique definition of leadership. They use their own style of Presence, Vision, Values and Action to create breakthrough results in challenging situations in leadership at work, or to gain greater mastery in their personal life.

Q: What advice do you have for someone who is thinking about becoming a coach?

Coach: Get professional coach training. Practice on as many people as you can. If you're not yet 100% confident: fake it, because you are adding value to your clients anyway. Choose a niche. Develop a business plan and marketing plan. 

Q: Any final thoughts you'd like to share?

Coach: The coaching profession is changing. Five years ago, there were very few coaches who specialized in coaching on a specific topic. Today, the most successful coaches are those that have chosen a specialty, and coach on a particular topic or have built their expertise in serving a narrow market segment.

End: Thanks Jo!

Jo Miller is a graduate of Results Coaching Systems, Australia. She offers phone coaching sessions and teleclasses. She is available for speaking engagements in the San Francisco Bay Area on topics relating to women's leadership development. She is Programs Chair and Past President of Silicon Valley Coach Federation, a Special Interest Groups Committee Chair of International Coach Federation, and a member of International Association of Coaches. For more information, visit www.JoMiller.net, call 408.866.4189, or email Jo@JoMiller.net