#Values Archives - McGinty Coaching

Gratitude as a Leadership Practice

Posted on November 21, 2025 by Tina-Schuricht

Gratitude as a leadership practice in the workplace is far more than a fleeting “thank you” scribbled on a sticky note or tacked onto the end of an email. For leaders, genuine gratitude is a powerful tool that shapes culture, boosts morale, and helps teams navigate the inevitable storms of high-stress seasons. When leaders weave appreciation into the very fabric of their leadership style, it becomes a steadying force that can sustain and energize teams through the toughest challenges.

Why Gratitude Matters in Leadership

Research consistently shows that when employees feel genuinely valued, they are more engaged, resilient, and productive. Gratitude helps build trust, fosters psychological safety, and encourages open communication – all essentials when workloads spike, deadlines loom, or uncertainty shakes the status quo. Yet, expressing gratitude requires intention. It’s not just about saying “thanks”; it’s about creating a culture where appreciation is visible, specific, and woven into daily interactions.

Practical Ways to Embed Gratitude Into Team Culture

Model Authentic Recognition

Leaders set the tone. Express gratitude openly and sincerely, highlighting specific actions or attitudes rather than offering generic praise. For example, instead of “Great job,” try “I appreciate the extra effort you put in to help us meet last week’s deadline. Your dedication made a real difference.”

Make Gratitude a Habit, Not a Highlight

Build moments of appreciation into regular routines. Start meetings with a round of shoutouts, end project reviews by acknowledging contributions, or dedicate a few minutes each week for team members to recognize each other. Consistency is key; over time, these rituals become part of your team’s DNA.

Encourage Peer-to-Peer Recognition

Gratitude shouldn’t flow only from the top down. Create opportunities for team members to celebrate one another. This could be as simple as a shared digital “kudos” board or a rotating “gratitude champion” who highlights others’ efforts. When appreciation is mutual, it strengthens connections and reinforces a supportive environment.

Personalize Your Approach

Not everyone values recognition in the same way. Some may appreciate public acknowledgment, while others prefer a quiet word of thanks. Take time to learn what feels meaningful to each team member and tailor your gestures accordingly. This attention to individual preferences amplifies the impact of your gratitude.

Link Gratitude to Values and Purpose

Connect appreciation to the team’s bigger mission. Recognizing how someone’s actions align with organizational values or contribute to shared goals elevates gratitude beyond the transactional – it becomes transformational. During stressful times, this reminds everyone of the “why” behind the work.

Gratitude Under Pressure: Navigating High-Stress Seasons

When stress is high, appreciation can easily fall by the wayside. Yet, this is precisely when gratitude is most needed. Leaders can:

Check in more frequently with team members, asking not just about progress but about how they’re feeling.
Publicly acknowledge the extra effort, flexibility, or creativity being shown in response to challenges.
Celebrate small wins and incremental progress, not just final results.
Recognize emotional labor – the unseen work of supporting one another or maintaining a positive attitude under pressure.

A Sustained Commitment

Gratitude as a leadership practice is not a one-time action or a perfunctory gesture. It is a sustained commitment to seeing, valuing, and acknowledging the humanity and hard work of your team – especially when the going gets tough. By embedding authentic appreciation into daily practices, leaders can foster a resilient culture where people feel empowered, connected, and ready to face challenges together. Reach out if you want to learn more about how to make gratitude a part of your leadership shadow.

Getting Out of Your Own Way

Posted on September 26, 2025 by Tina-Schuricht

Getting out of your own way on your path to success can be challenging. Change is thrilling, but let’s be honest—it’s messy too. Whether you’re aiming to reinvent your career, lead a transformation, or simply break an unproductive habit, the biggest obstacle often isn’t external. It’s you. Or rather, the internal dialogue, assumptions, and behaviors that quietly sabotage progress. Getting out of your own way isn’t about hustle—it’s about clarity, commitment, and courage.

Here’s how to shift gears and drive change more effectively:

🔍 Recognize Your Resistance

Before you can shift, you have to spot the friction. Are you procrastinating? Overanalyzing? Seeking perfection? These aren’t character flaws—they’re often protective strategies your brain uses to avoid discomfort. Name them. When you label resistance (e.g., “I’m delaying because I fear rejection”), you disarm its power.

🧩 Refocus on Your Why

Change without meaning feels like a chore. Reconnect with your purpose—what impact will this change make? How will it shape the life, team, or organization you envision? Anchor into a meaningful “why” that’s so compelling it trumps the discomfort of the unknown. Let it be the compass that guides every decision.

🚪 Simplify Your Strategy

A bloated plan can paralyze action. Instead, choose one action that nudges you forward—make the call, write the email, say yes. When you do this consistently, momentum builds, and the path becomes clearer. Complexity is often a sophisticated form of avoidance. Instead, ask: “What’s the simplest next move I can make today?”

🗣️ Challenge Your Narrative

We’re natural storytellers—and sometimes, that story is “I’m not ready,” “I need more time,” or “What if I fail?” If your mental monologue reinforces doubt more than possibility, reframe it. Shift from “What if this goes wrong?” to “What if this works?” The story you tell yourself influences the outcomes you chase.

👥 Engage Trusted Voices

You don’t have to do this solo. Invite feedback from mentors, coaches, or trusted peers. Sometimes, an outside perspective can spot a blind spot or re-energize your confidence. The right conversation at the right time can dissolve hesitation and fuel courage.

🌱 Embrace Discomfort as Growth

Growth rarely feels graceful in the moment—it’s awkward, emotional, and often uncertain. But that discomfort is fertile ground. Instead of resisting it, learn to sit with it. Ask yourself, “What is this discomfort trying to teach me?” That’s often where breakthroughs are born.

🚀 Get Out of Your Own Way

Getting out of your own way isn’t a one-time act—it’s a continuous practice of awareness, intention, and humility. Real change starts when you stop trying to be perfect and start showing up—even if imperfectly. That’s where possibility lives. Reach out if you want to talk more about strategies you can use to break through and make the change you are seeking.

Coaches Help Establish Your Personal Brand

Posted on June 13, 2025 by Tina-Schuricht

Coaches help establish your personal brand. When it comes to navigating your career, very little is more important for both you and your potential employers than clarity on your personal brand. And your brand is more important than ever in today’s digitally driven world.

Whether you’re a leader or a professional in a corporate environment, an entrepreneur growing a business, or someone seeking new opportunities, how well you know yourself and how you present yourself to the world can significantly impact your success. Your brand is your reputation, your values, and the unique qualities that set you apart from your competition. It’s the way people perceive you, and how you want to make others look and feel when they are around you. Managing this brand effectively can open doors, build trust, and establish long-lasting relationships. And this is where coaches can play a pivotal role in guiding individuals through the complexities of personal branding.

What Is Personal Branding?

Personal branding is the intentional process of defining and showcasing who you are, what you stand for, and the value you bring. It goes beyond just having an attractive LinkedIn profile or a polished resume—it’s about crafting a consistent narrative that reflects your expertise, personality, and passions.

The benefits of a well-managed personal brand can:

Boost credibility and authority: When your brand aligns with your expertise and values, people begin to see you as a thought leader in your industry.
Expand opportunities: A strong brand attracts potential clients, employers, partnerships, and collaborations.
Create a lasting impression: In a competitive market, a compelling personal brand helps you stand out.
Enhance trust and relationships: People are more likely to engage with those who are authentic, reliable, and transparent in their personal branding.

Why Managing Your Brand Matters

While creating a personal brand is the first step, maintaining and evolving it is just as crucial. The way people perceive you can shift over time based on your actions, communication, and engagement. Mismanaging your brand—whether through inconsistencies, lack of visibility, or negative interactions—can hinder your growth and opportunities.

Common challenges in personal brand management include:

Inconsistency: If your online presence differs from your offline behavior, it creates confusion.
Lack of clarity: A vague or unfocused brand does not resonate with your target audience.
Poor online reputation: Negative interactions or outdated content can impact credibility.

How Coaches Can Help Strengthen Your Brand

A coach acts as a strategic partner in defining, refining, and amplifying your brand. They provide insights, accountability, and guidance tailored to your goals. Some key ways coaches help include:

Clarifying your vision and values: Coaches help you articulate your strengths, passions, and unique qualities that shape your personal brand.
Enhancing communication skills: A coach ensures that your messaging aligns with your brand, whether in networking, public speaking, or digital content.
Improving online & executive presence: They provide strategies to optimize professional profiles and support you in increasing your executive presence
Providing ongoing support: Coaches help adapt your brand as your career evolves, keeping it fresh and relevant.

Your Brand – Your Most Powerful Asset

Your personal brand is one of your most powerful assets. It influences opportunities, relationships, and career opportunities. By actively creating and managing it, you can establish a strong, authentic presence that reflects your expertise and values. With the guidance of a coach, you can ensure your brand remains authentic, impactful and relevant. Reach out if you want to learn more about how coaches help establish your personal brand.

Ethan Johnson on Balancing Work, Family, & Fulfillment

Posted on May 28, 2025 by Tina-Schuricht

In this episode of Success Your Own Way, “Finding your Agency: Ethan Johnson on Balancing Work, Family, and Fulfillment”, Yifat Rogers and I sit down with Ethan Johnson who recounts his career journey. It started with formative experiences like carpentry and washing dishes, which instilled a strong work ethic and creativity. Next, he transitioned to the tech industry where he gained valuable experience in finance and project management as well as roles in payments, marketing, and sales, fostering curiosity and expanding his skill set. Most recently, Ethan pursued entrepreneurial ventures, focusing on advisory roles in startups, gaming studios, SaaS providers, and Athlea – a sports tech company combining AI and physical fitness.

Over the past five years, Ethan’s concept of success evolved from career titles and promotions to empowering teams, fostering collaboration, and creating impactful environments. Drawing on his experience as a rowing coach, he emphasizes understanding individual motivations and tailoring leadership approaches to inspire growth. Ethan advocates for mid-career self-assessment, aligning work with personal values, and prioritizing family dynamics. Ethan highlights the importance of helping others succeed and navigating life transitions with mentorship and coaching. Through deliberate reconnections and holistic exploration, Ethan embraces adaptability, curiosity, and continuous learning as keys to fulfillment.

About Ethan Johnson

Ethan has over 25 years of experience in the tech industry. He led teams in sales, marketing, finance, and operations across consumer and commercial businesses. He spent 18 years at Microsoft, most recently leading multi-channel Go-To-Market strategy and execution for the Surface line of hardware and services in multiple markets. Recently, Ethan took on advisory roles with small businesses and early-stage ventures supporting business development. Ethan lives in Seattle with his family and two huskies. He is a sometimes-competitive rower and rowing coach, woodworker, record collector, and live music enthusiast.

Let me know what you are interested in hearing about in future episodes of Success Your Own Way!

Coaches Help Leaders Navigate Career Change

Posted on May 9, 2025 by Tina-Schuricht

Coaches help leaders navigate career change. For leaders, navigating a career change can be as exhilarating as it is daunting. Sometimes the change is their choice and sometimes it isn’t. Regardless of how the career change came about, it is more daunting for a leader to pursue a new path than those earlier in their career. Why is that? It is because the challenges leaders face during a career change go beyond personal adaptation—they also involve external expectations, the weight of their leadership legacy, supporting their team and maintaining their current duties while transitioning, and the need to align their identity with a new path. Plus, some leaders are not great at letting others help, especially when it comes to taking on a potentially long and emotional journey that not only encourages but requires them to be vulnerable.

Coaches are Trusted Advisors

Whether it’s stepping into a new industry (by force or by choice), pursuing a long-held passion, or transitioning to a different role within their organization, the journey often involves uncertainty, self-reflection, and strategic planning. This is where coaches come in as invaluable allies. Coaches, as trusted advisors, can play a crucial role in guiding leaders through this process, helping them manage both the practical and emotional aspects of transition.

Clarifying Values, Goals and Vision

One of the first steps coaches take is to help leaders clarify their values, goals and long-term vision. Many leaders may know they want a change but feel unsure about what direction to pursue. Through targeted questions and exercises, coaches assist leaders in identifying their aspirations, values, and priorities. This clarity lays the foundation for a career move that aligns with their values, goals and objectives (both personal and professional).

Identifying Strengths and Skills

A career change often requires leaders to evaluate their existing strengths and skills while identifying areas for development. Coaches guide leaders in conducting a comprehensive self-assessment, highlighting transferable skills that can be applied to new roles or industries. They also encourage leaders to address skill gaps proactively by seeking further training or certifications. This strategic preparation boosts confidence and ensures leaders are equipped to excel in their new pursuits.

Managing Emotional Challenges

Career transitions can bring up a range of emotions—excitement, anxiety, self-doubt, and even fear of failure. Coaches provide a psychologically safe and nonjudgmental space for leaders to explore these emotions and develop strategies to overcome mental barriers and obstacles. They help leaders reframe negative self-talk, build resilience, and cultivate a positive mindset. With a coach’s support, leaders can approach their career change with a sense of optimism and determination, regardless of how it came about.

Crafting a Strategic Plan

A well-executed career change requires a thoughtful and actionable plan. Coaches assist leaders in mapping out the steps necessary to achieve their goals, from updating résumés and LinkedIn profiles to networking with industry professionals. Coaches also emphasize the importance of setting short- and long-term milestones, enabling leaders to measure progress and stay motivated throughout the transition.

Navigating Uncertainty and Risk

Career changes often come with a degree of uncertainty and risk, particularly when moving into uncharted territory. Coaches help leaders assess potential challenges, weigh risks, and develop contingency plans. By fostering critical thinking and problem-solving skills, coaches empower leaders to make informed decisions and adapt to unexpected obstacles with agility.

Enhancing Networking and Personal Branding

A successful career change often hinges on effective networking and personal branding. Coaches work with leaders to refine their elevator pitches, build meaningful connections, and communicate their unique value to prospective employers or collaborators. They also provide feedback on personal branding strategies, ensuring that leaders position themselves authentically and compellingly in their new fields.

Encouraging Continuous Growth

Even after transitioning to a new role, coaches encourage leaders to embrace lifelong learning and self-improvement. Whether it’s seeking mentorship, staying updated on industry trends, or cultivating new skills, coaches help leaders stay agile and adaptable in their evolving careers.

Turning Aspirations into Achievements

Coaches help leaders navigate career change. By offering personalized support, actionable strategies, and a steady source of encouragement, coaches help leaders transform uncertainty into opportunity and turn aspirations into achievements. With a coach by their side, leaders can confidently navigate their career transitions and set the stage for continued success. Reach out if you want to learn more about how coaches help leaders navigate career change.

Building Trust as a Leader

Posted on April 18, 2025April 23, 2025 by Tina-Schuricht

Building trust as a leader is the cornerstone of any successful organization. Have you worked in organizations where there is a lack of it? Did you have to follow (or create) a lot of governance and process documentation? Did you feel as if you spent more time justifying your existence through status reporting than actually doing the work you want to do? Well, unfortunately, you’re not alone. Not only is not having a trusting environment no fun, but it is expensive. In my experience, the more governing, micro-managing, and documenting needed the more inefficient the organization is and the more waste is created.

As a leader, fostering trust isn’t just a “nice-to-have”—it’s essential for driving team cohesion, increasing productivity, and ensuring long-term organizational success. In a workplace where trust flourishes, employees are more engaged, innovative, and willing to go above and beyond.

Why Trust Matters in Leadership

Fosters Collaboration: Teams with a foundation of trust are more likely to share ideas, cooperate effectively, and collaborate toward common goals. When employees trust their leader, they feel safe to voice opinions and work together without fear of judgment or failure.
Enhances Employee Engagement: Employees who trust their leaders are more committed to their work and the organization’s mission. They feel valued and understood, which motivates them to invest their energy and creativity wholeheartedly.
Drives Organizational Success: Trust reduces the friction often caused by micromanagement or miscommunication. With trust, decision-making becomes faster, teams operate more autonomously, and the organization becomes more agile and competitive.
Builds Resilience During Challenges: Organizations inevitably face setbacks or periods of uncertainty. A leader who has cultivated trust can guide their team through difficult times with transparency and confidence, ensuring stability and commitment even under pressure.

Tips for Building Trust as a Leader

While the importance of trust is clear, earning it requires consistent effort and deliberate actions.

Be Transparent and Authentic: Communication is the backbone of trust. Share information openly, even when the news isn’t positive, and make an effort to explain your decisions. Authenticity is key—employees trust leaders who are genuine and relatable.
Follow Through on Commitments: Consistency is crucial in building trust. When you make a promise, stick to it. If unforeseen circumstances prevent you from delivering, address the issue honestly and proactively.
Listen Actively: Show your team that their thoughts, concerns, and ideas matter. Practice active listening by giving your undivided attention, asking clarifying questions, and reflecting on what’s shared. Listening builds a sense of respect and mutual understanding.
Empower Your Team: Micromanaging erodes trust. Instead, delegate tasks, provide clear expectations, and trust your team to execute. Empowering employees with autonomy shows that you have confidence in their abilities.
Demonstrate Empathy: Take time to understand the challenges and emotions your team members may be experiencing. Express empathy and provide support when needed, reinforcing your role as a compassionate and dependable leader.
Model Integrity: Lead by example and demonstrate ethical behavior in every interaction. Your actions set the tone for the organization—by showing integrity, you create a culture where trust thrives.

Building trust as a leader is the cornerstone of any successful organization. Building it is not a one-time task but an ongoing process that requires transparency, empathy, and integrity. By prioritizing trust, leaders can create an environment where employees feel valued, inspired, and united—a recipe for organizational excellence. The good news is that coaches can help leaders improve in their abilities to build trust with their teams. They can help unlock various strategies to be more authentic and empower their team members consistently so that trust can be built. Reach out if you want to learn more about how coaches can help leaders build an organization based on trust.

Tag: #Values