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Wilkinson Coaching Partnering with Senior Leaders to Strengthen Leadership, Culture, and Results

Overfunctioning can look a lot like good leadership.You’re capable. You care about the outcome. And sometimes it feels e...
10/15/2026

Overfunctioning can look a lot like good leadership.

You’re capable. You care about the outcome. And sometimes it feels easier to step in and take care of something yourself.

But over time, you might notice you are regularly:

⚠️ Anticipating needs before they’re voiced
⚠️ Taking work back when it isn’t moving quickly enough
⚠️ Becoming the person everyone turns to for answers
⚠️ Feeling frustrated by how much you’re carrying… while continuing to pick up more

Here’s the tricky part: when leaders consistently overfunction, they can unintentionally create space for others to underfunction.

The shift is toward co-functioning: sharing ownership, trusting others to make decisions, and giving people room to build their own capabilities.

Sometimes that means resisting the urge to step in, even when you know you could do it faster.

Leadership isn’t about how much you can carry. It’s about building a team that can carry it together.

If you’re noticing patterns like these on your team, it may be worth looking more closely at what’s driving them.

Our Quick Self-Assessment Guide for Senior Leaders can help you identify potential causes of disengagement so you can better understand what may be affecting motivation, performance, and retention.

Get your guide here: https://wilkinsoncoaching.com/quick-assessment-guide/

HR Leaders, when was the last time you had space to simply compare notes with other HR leaders? ☕You’re often the person...
10/14/2026

HR Leaders, when was the last time you had space to simply compare notes with other HR leaders? ☕

You’re often the person others turn to with difficult situations, organizational challenges, and sensitive conversations.

But there aren't always many places where you can talk openly with people who understand the role.

That’s what our HR Leaders Coffee Chats are about.

On Wednesday, October 28, from 4-5 PM PT, we’ll get together for an informal virtual conversation to connect, exchange perspectives, and talk about what we’re seeing and navigating inside our organizations.

No presentation. No slides. No vendor pitches.

Just good conversation with other HR professionals.

☕ I’d love to have you join us: https://www.linkedin.com/event/manage/7513605123630112768/

10/13/2026

Creating calm is a leadership strength. But keeping the peace shouldn’t mean losing your own voice.

Type 9 leaders often bring something incredibly valuable to a team: steadiness, diplomacy, and an ability to understand different perspectives.

They help people feel heard. They notice group dynamics. They can bring balance when things feel unsettled.

But under stress, that same instinct for harmony can make it tempting to avoid conflict, delay a difficult decision, or hold back an opinion to keep everyone else comfortable.

The growth opportunity? Recognizing that your perspective deserves space, too.

For Type 9 leaders, stepping forward and making their voice heard doesn’t take away from their ability to create harmony. It can make their leadership even stronger.

Does this sound like you – or a Type 9 leader you know?

Watch the full video here: https://youtu.be/PUK_Gv_My-U

Learn more about the Enneagram and our iEQ9 assessments: https://wilkinsoncoaching.com/assessments/

“You need to develop more executive presence.”Okay… but what does that actually mean?Executive presence has become a gig...
10/12/2026

“You need to develop more executive presence.”

Okay… but what does that actually mean?

Executive presence has become a gigantic bucket we use to describe all kinds of leadership capabilities. And when we leave the feedback there, we don’t give someone much they can actually work with.

Get specific.

Is the real blocker their ability to:

👉 Think more strategically instead of staying in the day-to-day?

👉 Build stronger relationships with senior leaders and stakeholders?

👉 Communicate their ideas with greater clarity and confidence?

👉 Present effectively in larger, higher-stakes forums?

👉 Delegate and trust others instead of holding onto everything themselves?

👉 Understand how their behavior is experienced by others?

If someone is ready for their next level of leadership, vague feedback like “work on your executive presence” doesn’t create a development path.

Specific feedback does.

Sometimes we need to cut through the corporate jargon and say what we actually mean.
Maybe the issue isn’t “executive presence.” Maybe it’s that you dominate the conversation in meetings. Or you’re excellent at ex*****on but haven’t demonstrated enough strategic thinking. Or you haven’t built the relationships you’ll need to influence at the next level.

Once we can name the real blocker, we can actually work on it.

So, if you’ve been told you need more “executive presence,” don’t stop there.

Ask: What specifically would you need to see me do differently?

That answer could be far more useful for your growth than the label itself.

If you’d like help creating a clear development plan, let’s talk: https://calendly.com/bethwilkinson/60min

“You need to work on your executive presence.”It sounds like useful development feedback… until you try to figure out wh...
10/08/2026

“You need to work on your executive presence.”

It sounds like useful development feedback… until you try to figure out what you’re actually supposed to do differently.

Executive presence, strategic thinking, communication - these can become gigantic buckets that mean something completely different from one leader to the next. In our latest LinkedIn article, we look at why meaningful leadership development starts with getting specific about the behavior that needs to change.

Read the full article, and we’d love to hear: what vague piece of leadership feedback would you like to see retired?

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/work-your-executive-presence-isnt-development-plan-odstc/

We recently heard from a former coaching client we worked with years ago, and it was incredibly rewarding to hear how th...
10/07/2026

We recently heard from a former coaching client we worked with years ago, and it was incredibly rewarding to hear how the skills they developed through coaching still serve them today.

After being laid off when their team was outsourced, they found themselves navigating a job search again. Here’s what they shared:

💬 “I once again applied the techniques you taught me in job hunting, and next Tuesday, September 8th, I’ll be starting a new job with a 50% pay increase. Only three months into my search, too…

I just wanted to say thank you, yet again, for teaching me important life skills…

I love the team, the tech stack, good manager. I asked the right questions and found my read from those answers to be accurate… I credit your coaching for that too. I mean knowing what questions to ask and knowing what I wanted from a job going into interviews.”

We love this because the outcome goes beyond landing a new role.

It’s knowing what you want. Knowing what questions to ask. Being able to evaluate an opportunity based on what matters to you and having the confidence to make decisions accordingly.

Coaching may happen during one chapter of your career, but the skills, self-awareness, and clarity you develop can continue serving you through many chapters that follow.

Congratulations to this former client on an exciting next step, and thank you for taking the time to come back and share it with us.

Feeling stuck with motivation as a leader?It happens. Even when you care deeply about your work, there can be seasons wh...
10/05/2026

Feeling stuck with motivation as a leader?

It happens. Even when you care deeply about your work, there can be seasons when the energy just isn’t there.

Before assuming you need to push harder, it can be helpful to get curious about what’s underneath it.

💭 Are you overwhelmed by too many competing priorities?
💭 Have you been operating at full capacity for too long?
💭 Are you still challenged and engaged by the work you’re doing?
💭 Has what motivates you changed as your career has evolved?

Sometimes a lack of motivation isn’t something to “fix.” It’s information.

Taking the time to understand what’s behind it can help you get clearer about what you need, where you want to focus your energy, and what might need to change.

When your motivation dips, what helps you reconnect with your sense of purpose?

09/30/2026

Are you the one who says what everyone else is thinking…but won’t say?

✔️ You’re decisive and direct
✔️ You naturally step up and take charge
✔️ You’re fiercely protective of your people
✔️ You’re willing to step into conflict rather than avoid it
✔️ When others hesitate, you’re often the one moving things forward

You might be an Enneagram Type 8.

Type 8 leaders often bring strength, courage, and decisive action to their teams. They’re willing to tackle difficult situations head-on and advocate for the people and ideas they care about.

Under stress, however, that same strength can sometimes feel intimidating to others or unintentionally push people away – even when the intention is to protect or support them.

For Type 8 leaders, an important growth opportunity is learning to lead with both strength and vulnerability – recognizing that power and trust can work together.

Watch the full video to learn more about how Type 8 shows up in leadership: https://youtu.be/2gZn-0pVc4U

Curious about your own Enneagram type? Explore the iEQ9 Enneagram Assessment:
https://wilkinsoncoaching.com/assessments/

Burnout doesn’t look the same for everyone.One person may burn out from constantly striving for perfection. Another from...
09/28/2026

Burnout doesn’t look the same for everyone.

One person may burn out from constantly striving for perfection. Another from saying yes to everyone. Another from carrying too much responsibility without ever asking for support.

That’s one reason we use the Enneagram at Wilkinson Coaching. Understanding the patterns that drive us can help us recognize how we respond to stress, what may be draining our energy, and what we need to pay attention to before burnout takes over.

Here’s a quick snapshot of how burnout patterns can show up across the nine Enneagram types:

🔹 Type 1: Trying to get everything “right”
🔹 Type 2: Giving to everyone while overlooking their own needs
🔹 Type 3: Constantly striving for the next achievement
🔹 Type 4: Feeling misunderstood or disconnected
🔹 Type 5: Becoming overwhelmed by demands on their time and energy
🔹 Type 6: Carrying the weight of what could go wrong
🔹 Type 7: Saying yes to too much and staying constantly in motion
🔹 Type 8: Taking on more responsibility than they need to carry
🔹 Type 9: Avoiding conflict and putting their own priorities last

The Enneagram doesn’t just help us identify these patterns. It gives us greater awareness of what’s driving them, and where we may need to make a different choice.

Which pattern feels most familiar to you?

Curious about your Enneagram type and how it influences the way you lead? Learn more about our iEQ9 Enneagram Assessments: https://wilkinsoncoaching.com/assessments/

The qualities that make you a strong leader can look very different when you’re under sustained pressure.High standards ...
09/24/2026

The qualities that make you a strong leader can look very different when you’re under sustained pressure.

High standards can become perfectionism. Responsibility can become carrying everything yourself. Optimism can become avoiding what needs your attention.

The Enneagram gives us a useful way to recognize these patterns and respond more intentionally as stress builds.

In our latest article, we explore how pressure can show up across all nine Enneagram types, and why self-awareness matters long before we reach burnout.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-happens-your-leadership-strengths-under-stress-dbogc/

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