You know your stuff. Why won't others follow?

You have the expertise, but your peers and executives just won't listen. I'll help you understand what moves them and build the influence to get the right thing done, instead of sitting on the sidelines muttering "I told you so." (I've been there. It sucks.)

Why “Too Many Trees”?

When you're the expert, you see every tree: every design doc, every number, every edge case. What disappears is the forest: what your peers care about, where the company is heading, the work only you can do. In our first conversation, I'll name the pattern that's keeping you in the trees. I know it from the inside: at Google, I was in every detail, working 100-hour weeks trying to earn a promotion, until I burned out. Later, as Chief of Staff for Search Ads, I earned that same promotion working 50 hours a week, because I'd learned to work through others instead of doing everything myself. I've coached more than 160 leaders since.

How we work

Naming the pattern is the easy part. Changing it is like learning to write with your other hand: you know exactly what to do, and you still need practice and guidance to do it well. That's what the three months are for. Six to seven one-hour sessions over three months. After each session, you get a written recap and one small experiment to try before we meet again, so you learn what actually works for you instead of collecting more advice. When it helps, I'll run a 360, either by interviewing your peers, manager, and reports or with the Leadership Circle Profile, whichever you prefer. And when a hard situation comes up (a reorg, a standoff with a peer, a board meeting), I'll bring twenty years of tech operating experience to it.

What I don't do

Tell you the answer. I don't know what will work for you, because your situation isn't anyone else's. When it helps, I'll share what worked for me in my own context. Sometimes you may try that, sometimes my story will spark an idea of your own, and sometimes we brainstorm from there. And I won't do the work for you: you run the experiments and hold yourself accountable, because you have to live with the results.

What clients say

“Deep empathy and a willingness to challenge me directly.” — Steve Lloyd, former CPO/CTO, Strava

I'll tell you what I see, even when it's uncomfortable, because I've lived through the mistakes myself. I was a key engineer at a startup that spiraled into bankruptcy. I was fired after a personality conflict with a founder. I spent years building a technology before it became an award-winning product. And I ran business strategy and operations for Google's $100B Search Ads business.

Where clients have gone

I can't promise you a promotion; neither of us controls that. But after changing how they lead, clients have gone from VP to SVP within a year, moved into the C-suite, and negotiated bigger raises, equity grants, and retention packages. Some stopped needing the next title at all, because they knew they were already operating at that level. Read what they say in their own words.

Ready to change what you’re doing?

Just stepped into a bigger role? Three months in and stretched thin? Or has it been longer, and you are tired of muttering “I told you so”? My clients usually start coaching when they are ready to stop blaming others and instead want to start changing what they do.

If that sounds like you, book a free 30-minute chemistry call. Come ready to tell me what's changed in the last six months, and I'll tell you the pattern I see.