Newberry Solutions

⚽️The 2026 FIFA World Cup is here — and Dallas is right in the middle of it! My son and I went to the England vs. Croatia game yesterday. It's hard to put my experience into words. I'm so grateful to have this opportunity and to share it with my son.

Tens of thousands of people from different countries, different backgrounds, all there for the same thing. The energy was palpable.

A huge shoutout to the organizing committee and the sheer number of people who worked to bring something this big to Dallas (Monica Paul, Dan Hunt, Nina Vaca, Noelle LeVeaux, among so many others) … It was wonderful to see several of you there.

It's moments like this that are a reminder of what’s possible when people pull together toward something larger than themselves. I’m thankful for the chance to experience it all.

Are you going to any of the matches? I’d love to hear about your experience.

It's a lonely road if you feel like you have to know it all. So many of us underestimate the power of vulnerability and pulling others in to help.

Thank you again to Mark Benton and Patti Johnson for spotlighting this topic on your podcast. It's more timely than ever!

#arentyatiredof #careeradvice #leadership #collaboration | Mark Benton Aren’t Ya Tired Of…thinking leadership means carrying it all alone? One of the quiet traps of leadership is believing that confidence has to come before action. That if you are unsure, you should keep it to yourself. That if the situation is difficult, you need to have the answer before you brin...

✅5 things to ask an executive coach before you hire them:

1. What are your credentials and training?👩🏽‍🎓

ICF certification isn't the only marker of quality, but it's the most established standard the profession has. There are three levels: Associate Certified Coach (ACC), Professional Certified Coach (PCC) and Master Certified Coach (MCC). The difference between them reflects not just training hours but observed coaching competency and experience. An MCC, for instance, requires 2,500 hours of coaching experience and a rigorous performance evaluation. Ask about formal training from an ICF-accredited program, and take the credential level seriously.

2. Do you have real-world business experience?💼

The most effective executive coaches have led teams, mastered organizational politics and driven change themselves. This real-world expertise gives them a deeper understanding of their clients’ experiences, as well as a deeper well of proven strategies from which to draw.

3. What’s your approach?⚖️

Are they going to tell you what to do, or help you discover your own answers? Will they challenge you, or just validate whatever you're already thinking? Coaching that makes a lasting difference strikes a balance: It's deeply supportive and genuinely challenging at the same time. If a prospective coach can't articulate their approach clearly, that's a red flag.

4. What results have you gotten for clients?📈

Good coaches can speak specifically and concretely about the outcomes their clients achieve. What percentage of their clients have been promoted? How do they measure progress? What does a successful engagement look like from start to finish?

5. Are we a good fit to work together?🧩

This one is underrated. You will get far more from coaching when you feel you can be completely open with your coach about your fears, your blind spots, the things you're not sure you're handling well. If the chemistry isn't right, the depth of the work will be limited no matter how impressive the coach's resume is.

Since this is ICF’s International Coaching Week, I’m sharing answer to some of the most common questions about executive coaching. Got something you’re wondering about? Just drop a comment⬇️ and I’ll address the topic in our upcoming content.