Like couple’s therapy for your most critical work relationships.
2:1 Tandem Leadership Coaching
Your work relationships provide the most fertile ground for growth—yours and your organization’s. This is heart-centered, 2:1 coaching for pairs of leaders who want to amplify their impact through strengthening their relationship.
Relationship dynamics are the patterns, behaviors, and emotional exchanges between people who are connected.
Dynamics encompass the roles we take on, the vibes we create, the expectations we harbor. In our work relationships, if the dynamics are the “play”, the work context is the “stage”.
Tandem Leadership Coaching was born when a 1:1 coaching client asked me to support her and her manager through their leadership succession—a critical moment of change for their organization. These were two high-performing leaders, with mutual respect, a shared diehard passion for their mission, and specific marching orders. This “should” have been a simple, straightforward succession.
So why were they asking for help? Here’s why:
The most human thing we do is relate to others, and that doesn’t change when we step into our offices. In any relationship, including our work ones, dynamics are formed. Things like power, identity, past experiences, strengths and growth edges all play into the dynamic
Sometimes, those dynamics get stale. Imagine a partnered couple that has a solid relationship. They enjoy each other’s company, they love each other, they have fun and celebrate each others’ unique strengths and understand each others’ weaknesses. All is well, until - BAM! They have a baby. Suddenly, the anxiety is heightened. The roles and emotional atmosphere has changed. Everything suddenly feels higher-stakes, and now the things that used to feel manageable start to feel hard.
Similarly, as work circumstances shift and things higher-stakes or change, the higher-intensity your work relationships become. That’s a lot of pressure, and that’s when dynamics that might be fine in other situations suddenly stop working and start causing friction.
This is not just about getting unstuck in a specific moment. This is about shifting the way you relate to others and having a lasting impact on your organization’s success.
You want to succeed at the work, deepen your relationship with your colleague, and grow your own leadership capacity—all at the same time.
You might be co-founding or co-leading an organization, collaborating with peers on a leadership team, navigating a complex relationship with a manager or direct report, transitioning into a crucial new working relationship, or working through a leadership transition.
You and your #2 struggle with role clarity and understanding each other’s jobs. You care about each others’ success, but interactions are feeling charged, and you haven’t found a way to talk about it.
You’re planning to take over for your manager and step into a leadership role. You’re excited (and so is your boss!) but the plan still feels muddy or fraught, and you’re confused about how it’s going to go down.
Your boss went on leave, and you had to step up in her absence. But now she’s returning to work, and going back to how things were doesn’t feel right. You’re not sure how to move forward.
You and your colleague share space on the senior leadership team of your organization. You keep running into conflict and have a hard time collaborating. You’re getting the feeling your colleague doesn’t like you, and it’s making leading together a struggle. Tackling it head-on hasn’t helped.
You and your colleague, no matter how hard you try, just aren’t seeing eye to eye on what needs to happen next, and you often find yourself in intractable arguments or tension when making strategic decisions together.
You have mad love and respect for your colleague, and know they have that for you too. But the boundaries are feeling blurry, and your relationship — however positive — is having an impact on the work.
Imagine a world where…
You and your colleague have a deep and shared understanding of your relationship dynamics—and how they impact your work together.
You both have a shared language to talk about how you work together—and the capacity to use that language to solve challenges and dissect interactions.
You now have a shared vision for where you’d like to take your relationship, and importantly, for the shared work you’d like to accomplish together.
You and your colleague have a clear plan and next steps to reach that vision.
Your work together feels easier, smoother, and more fulfilling—you’re getting more done together and enjoying your interactions and relationship in the process.
You’ve learned more about yourself through the process and have become a better leader—in relationship with your colleague and with others too.
Your team is feeling the impact of your growth —meetings are smoother, communication is better, and the air feels lighter.
Are you a fit for Tandem Coaching?
Tandem Coaching is for…
Colleagues who have pre-existing mutual respect for each other.
Colleagues who are ready and willing to do the work and change their mindset and behaviors.
Colleagues who are committed to their shared work and believe in the power of their collaboration.
Tandem Coaching is not a fit for…
Colleagues experiencing acute interpersonal challenges or issues
Managers who want to solve performance challenges with their direct report
A last-ditch effort before a termination or PIP
Colleagues who don’t share mutual respect and admiration already, in some capacity
The brass tacks
Tandem Leadership Coaching is a 1-3 month commitment with lasting, measurable, highly impactful results.
We start with one coaching session individually with each leader. I then design 3-5 90-minute tandem coaching sessions that we do as a pair.
We then have 1 coaching session per leader on the back-end to check in, and a tandem check-in session a month or so later to see how you’re progressing.
Tandem Coaching is more facilitated than 1:1 Executive Coaching in that I set an agenda, give pre-thinking to complete in advance, and share a synthesis and assign “homework” after each session.
This approach allows for more shared accountability and preparation, and allows everyone to show up and make the most out of the sessions each time. It also crystallizes learnings for future reference.
If this sounds like it might help, let’s talk.
Hi, I’m Lia.
I am a transformational coach, deft facilitator, clarity conjurer, relationship whisperer, and the mother of two small humans.
I know from personal experience that being a high-achieving, goal-oriented leader and a feeling, sensitive person can be a lot to hold at once. Despite consistently outperforming my goals and earning lots of accolades over my career, in the second of my highest-stakes role as an Executive Director, I hit a rough patch that changed forever how I lead and how I think about what’s possible for leaders and teams. I emerged from that rough patch a more evolved and grounded person and leader, convicted that a different kind of leadership is not just possible, but exponentially more impactful and sustainable.
Now, I bring my 20+ years of experience to my work with clients, who, despite their brilliance and potential, question their intuition, spin their wheels or feel stuck. They know that what got them here won’t get them where they want to go, but aren’t sure how to move forward.
I help purpose-driven leaders and teams facing uncharted territory explore big ideas, navigate complex emotions, and anchor to what matters most so they can achieve the impact they seek—more grounded and confident than ever.