Personal Leadership is a Journey – Coaching for Leaders

Michal Holliday: United States Air Force

Mike is a 26-year career military officer and colonel in the United States Air Force. He’s been a commander at the squadron and group level. Today, he is chief of engineering overseeing design and construction across the entire Pacific theatre. He’s also a longtime listener of Coaching for Leaders.

In this conversation, Mike and I discuss how his view of leadership has changed over time and how he’s used personal leadership to guide his journey. We highlight how he’s inspired vivid visions in his organization, created team expectations, and embrace a culture of more immediate coaching and feedback.

Key Points

“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” -Viktor Frankl
“The unexamined life is not worth living.” -Socrates
Vision statements often end up in a drawer. The vivid vision process taught by Cameron Herold has helped the vision to come alive.
Giving coaching and feedback more immediately is essential for learning and cultivating the right culture. “When I see something, I do something.”
There is a time and place for order-giving. Spending more time coaching, giving feedback, and listening well helps build trust for orders to be followed when that time comes.