Maggie Anderson Phelps
Owner & Executive Coach
Life is simply too short to be anywhere you don’t want to be – physically, emotionally or otherwise. My work in leadership development and coaching centers on accessing a path toward possibility – for individuals and teams who are stuck or want to accelerate their growth.
Ultimately, I do this work as an agent of change and progress. At the center of any system that isn’t working, any team that isn’t in sync, or any individual who is in a rut, there are workable levers to pull underneath the surface. When you can connect with yourself and others in new ways, the possibilities follow. It’s rarely a straight-forward path to get there, which is why coaching is such a powerful resource.
The effects of this work trickle into every aspect of work and life – it crosses teams, organizations and family systems. Every community we are a part of is made of humans like us, doing the best they can. My hope is that in coaching and development we’re always trying to do better – not by achieving more, doing more, or trying to be something else – but by getting more and more familiar with what is true to us, who we are and where we want to be.
While this work is challenging, it doesn’t have to be complicated. Having a coaching partner alongside us in the work helps us to cut through the internal noise, gain clarity, and take deliberate steps in the right direction.
Background
Raised by an educator and an engineer, I have forever had a passion for experiencing learning and a knack for creatively solving puzzles. It’s no coincidence that my career interests have led me to this work — a fascinating intersection of education & learning, community involvement, leadership, and changemaking. I have jam-packed my career experience thus far with intensive work in challenging environments. I’ve worked closely with incredibly talented people who I remain indebted to for their guidance and knowledge-transfer. I have encountered both incredibly effective and deeply unhealthy leadership, and worked with highly functioning teams and dysfunctional ones.
An organization’s greatest potential lies in its people — in all of their humanness — their backgrounds, emotions, skills, as well as their challenges. Navigating a position of leadership is not as cut and dry as our business frameworks may lead us to believe. Leadership is innately intertwined with a person’s well being, emotional aptitude and life experiences. Leaders set the tone for every action within a place, and yet, they so often expect themselves to intuitively navigate their challenges alone.
I am hopeful for a more connected, compassionate way of life and work. I do this work to support the investment in proven, promising and potential-filled leaders and provide them the space to truly develop themselves in real, perceptible ways.
Here’s a sampling of my career experiences, all of which have led me to this work and these beliefs.
Studied and practiced with the Hudson Institute of Coaching, industry-leading executive coaching certification program; coached leaders across organizations.
Created and facilitated intensive development programs - focuses included (non-exhaustive): executive development, emerging leader development, community engagement and civic leadership, women’s leadership, DEI, and emotional intelligence.
Created and built businesses, new and mature, to exceptional growth and success.
Served as Executive Director of a local nonprofit, leading a team and partnering with a board of directors to expand impact across state lines.
Partnered with large corporations on leadership development practices & initiatives.
