Finding Support at the Top

By Julia Alvarez

Before I founded Point b(e) Strategies, I had the privilege of serving as the executive director of a small, grassroots international organization. And long before I became a nonprofit executive director, I heard everyone echo the same things: “It’s lonely at the top,” and “Watch for the burnout of nonprofit leadership,” and “Surround yourself with people smarter than you—you’ll need them eventually!” And while I believed what people were saying, I didn’t really understand or feel what they were saying until I became an executive director and realized just how true those statements were! Some days I just needed someone to talk with, to lean on for support, to serve as my thought partner, or to pull me out of the weeds and back into sky spaces of vision. And as a very small organization, I didn’t always have that!

Fast forward five years into my journey as the founder and CEO of Point b(e) Strategies when I decided to hire an executive coach. At the time, I didn’t know much about coaching, but I knew that I needed a sounding board and that my friends and family were growing weary of the task! When you google the definition of “coach,” the internet will give you myriad definitions, ranging from “the cheapest seats on an airplane” to “someone whose job is to train and organize a sports team,” along with plenty of other definitions. The one I like best is: “to coach is to help prepare someone for something.” I’m still working with my coach, since, as it turns out, there is always something else to prepare for.

Coaching is not about telling the coachee what to do but rather about asking great questions, listening deeply, reflecting accurately, and offering new or different ways of thinking about challenges. There is so much alignment between our work as strategy consultants and the work of a coach. As your consultants, we don’t always know the answer, but we take great pride in asking you questions, helping you pull on threads, and serving as sounding boards for your biggest—or your smallest—challenges. While we love supporting your organization as a whole, we would also welcome the opportunity to work one on one with you as you navigate questions, challenges, or opportunities. We know that not every question requires a facilitated workshop or a full scope of work—but that some questions just need a listening ear and a curious mind.

If there is something that you need to prepare for or talk through…Reach out! We would love to lend an ear!