Coaching Testimonials

Great executive coaching is about disrupting your way of thinking about leadership, challenging your assumptions, and improving your ability to lead with vision and purpose. I’ve worked with hundreds of executives over the years as an Executive Coach. My clients tell the story of coaching better than I ever will…

Tim Barfield, President, CSRS, Inc
After Craig’s coaching of the executive team, my confidence level in our team has grown, allowing me to focus more on serving external stakeholders and on the strategic course for the company.  Our overall performance has significantly improved and I have also seen the engagement and morale of our employees increase. My coaching with Craig’s and his six years of working with my colleagues has had both a direct and indirect impact on all of these outcomes.

Danny Clark, President and COO, Stuller, Inc.
Craig has worked extensively with Stuller for over eight years and he has coached me, our Executive Team and numerous directors. He has an uncanny ability to understand each leader, build trust and create coaching plans that fit their individual developmental needs. Craig has become an indispensable part of Stuller’s strategic initiatives to develop our talent and accelerate our revenue growth. His previous experience as a CEO is invaluable to me and our company.

Robert Burgess, Retired President and CEO, St. Elizabeth Hospital
Craig has been an integral part of the talent development strategies of St. Elizabeth Hospital for nearly five years. His experience as a hospital CEO not only gives him instant credibility with our executives, it also allows him to understand our culture and the ever increasing demands upon our leaders. We are confident with his executive coaching skills at many levels in our health care system including the leadership team of today and tomorrow. I personally value his ability to translate his work with our employees into coaching plans that result in improved organizational performance.

Michael Hooper, Chief Executive Officer, La Capitol Federal Credit Union

Our credit union has worked with Craig since 2013 as part of our commitment to developing leaders and shaping our future. Craig has worked with most of our senior leadership team to help us sharpen our abilities to achieve our mission through membership growth and engagement. His previous experience as a CEO has been valuable to me and my team mates. We see him as an integral development strategist in our desire to grow our market share in Louisiana, as we take advantage of the rapidly evolving financial industry. Craig provides his clients at La Cap with unique insights, and his business experience translates well into our business model, one of the many reasons we choose to work with him as an executive coach.

Associate Director and Client; Major Academic Medical Center, Research and Teaching Facility

I was apprehensive about the idea of receiving executive coaching. I work in a niche industry which is tightly regulated. How could an executive coach understand my industry much less help with improving my leadership skills? On the other hand, a chance to work with a coach was an exciting opportunity. Craig’s warm and open demeanor at our initial meeting put me at ease. I also appreciated that the coaching process was confidential and I was impressed by Craig’s coaching and leadership experience.

Craig’s process starts with self-awareness, which includes questionnaires, personality and/or behavioral assessments, and a 360 evaluation. For me the questionnaires and assessments were insightful and helped me to understand my reasons for certain behaviors. Be prepared. The 360 evaluation can be very bruising to the ego. While the 360 process was the most painful for me, it was the instrument that most propelled my growth. During the process, Craig provided interpretation and helped me to see the criticisms as opportunities and worked with me to improve. He had a knack for assigning just the right homework or articles to read to help with whatever issue that I was facing at the time.

We had a key personnel change during my coaching process, and Craig helped me as a strategic thought partner. With his guidance I worked with my team to devise a plan to continue operations and create growth and leadership opportunities for my team. The new leadership structure created a greater sense of comradery and was a catalyst for changing our workplace culture. Work became enjoyable again.

Craig is truly a transformative coach. I recommend him highly for anyone seeking a life and career changing executive coaching opportunity.

Director of Bridal Fine Jewelry and Client; Industry Leading International Manufacturer and Wholesaler

Working with Craig was one of the best gifts I’ve received during my professional career. I am so grateful and fortunate that my company invests in leaders with this extensive coaching program. Meeting with Craig for 60 to 90 minutes at a time truly helped me to focus on myself and my role as a leader, allowing me dedicated that time to the company’s and my professional growth.

Craig’s strategy of one-on-one sessions, always followed by a personal email with notes on the session, and homework to support the session is thorough and well thought out. It helped me to always think of the areas we were working on – even in the days and weeks in between coaching sessions.

Being “young” in my career, Craig helped me to identify ways of establishing my own identity as a leader, while building on my strengths without allowing them to become weaknesses. He helped me to work through any tough issues at hand, while always bringing them back to underlying leadership qualities.

I will always value the time spent with Craig and lessons learned. Not only did I walk away with valuable professional tools, I built a strong trust in Craig as a mentor and coach. 

Program Director and Client; Regional A&E Firm

It’s been about 8 weeks since my 6-month long executive coaching experience with Craig came to a formal close, which has given me time to truly evaluate the impact it has had on my work, my relationships with colleagues, and effectiveness in other aspects of my life.  I’ve read a few of the other testimonials below and unlike the experiences documented, I went in with very high expectations.  I had heard good things from senior leaders and colleagues I respect in my firm who had gone through the ringer with Craig, and seen positive changes in how they managed and related to staff members and each other.  So, quite frankly, I was looking forward to that pixie dust being sprinkled upon my head.  But instead of magic, what Craig did was flip the script and put a big, fat mirror up in front of me, but also created a safe space to introspect and come to realizations that are often hard to swallow.

He helped me see the good, the bad, and the ugly, and gave me to the tools (many tools, actually) to analyze all three and pivot to foster the good, soften the bad, perform extracting surgery on the ugly, and move forward much more effectively. And it wasn’t easy, in fact it was quite a humbling experience, but as a person who has a tendency to become defensive when hearing not-so-great things about herself, his style and skill masterfully navigated those traits to help me learn how to be a better and more effective me. And don’t get me wrong, changing yourself and habits (that you’ve
unconsciously fostered for years) is hard work…and requires constant effort, but Craig helps you understand and want that change.  Not only am I grateful to him for that, but my colleagues, I’m positive, are immensely appreciative as well.

It’s clear that Craig has worked with every personality under the sun, and has the uncanny ability to know what methods of coaching are most effective for each type of person.

Perhaps that is his pixie dust.

Director of Software Engineering / Development and Client; Industry Leading International Manufacturer and Wholesaler

I was recently provided the opportunity to work with Craig as part of my company’s Executive Coaching program. The 6-month experience afforded me a set of “fresh eyes” from which to view my coworkers, company, and career.

One of the most significant things that I’ve been able to take away from the coaching process is the value of building relationships – both internal and external to my immediate area. I’ve come to see that while I may be able to determine successful strategy and solve challenging problems, it takes equal effort to bring others up to speed. Doing so is very much worth it in the long term. It’s easier to achieve a positive/productive outcome when others are engaged and contributing.

Craig also helped me understand the importance of my time. We had very open conversations that led me to make changes and delegate responsibilities to members of my team that allowed them to be more effective. These changes ultimately made it possible for me to branch out and build relationships, provide direction, roadmap projects, and explore technologies/solutions for future initiatives.

I appreciate the openness that Craig brings to each session. There were many times in our meetings that I was forced to think about my career, both professionally and personally – examining where I was, and where I wanted to be. That made me approach situations outside our meetings in a more productive way as well.

I would strongly recommend a coaching engagement with Craig for anyone looking to expand their business relationships and understand how they can lead more effectively.

Director of Program Delivery (Education Programs) and Client, Regional A/E Firm: 

I have been through several training sessions over my 20 year career, but nothing quite as substantive as the results of Craig Juengling’s executive coaching.  I approached the training as another required series of character building sessions that I hoped would finally yield better results than previous journeys.

I have stated to others that there is room for me to improve in my career, without having a full understanding of my flaws.  After years of successful management of substantial programs for my company, I considered myself a leader and the best at the work we perform.  Within the first two (2) sessions, Craig opened my eyes to my strengths and weaknesses, all of which were in reverse of what I believed prior to the sessions.  Of course, I internally disagreed, but through Craig’s recommended reading and coaching, I quickly understood where I needed to focus if I were to rise to the executive rung of our company.

A major area of improvement was to take my “confessional moments” with Craig, and apply the same honest, but tactful, disclosure to coworkers and superiors.  Many times, I realized, the problem was my lack of communication…  The homework assignments were clear and meaningful.  I often shared lessons learned with my wife, possibly eliminating a potential client for Craig, or opening a new niche as a marriage counselor.

Craig always communicated what I needed to hear versus feel good statements that would never result in growth.  Well before the sessions were complete, I consulted with Craig on areas of my personal life that were well outside of the coaching sessions.  I advise anyone that engages Craig’s services to fully engage and be truthful with yourself to yield the best results.

I look forward to his continued guidance and positive impact on me and my family!

Director and Client; Regional A&E Company

Where do I start?  Mr. Juengling was hired by my firm to provide myself and several colleagues with some executive coaching.  I was unsure just how effective it would really be, but I went into it with an open mind.   Wow, was I pleasantly surprised.  Not only was Craig on his A+ game, but his methods and processes were quite effective.   Over the course of the last year, I have seen transformational improvements in my ability to lead my team and my organization.  My ability to provide focused, sustainable leadership is stronger than it has ever been…from leading employees through often difficult changes to generating new revenue for our business units to fine-tuning my executive presence.

Let’s talk about the coach himself.  Craig Juengling is a first-class coach, and he continually displays professionalism, courtesy, and attentiveness.  What distinguishes Craig is his sincere and genuine approach.  He never let off the gas and never took it easy on me, but he was consistent, patient, and engaged when working with me to improve.

However, Craig is more than just a coach to me now…I have the distinct pleasure of calling Craig a friend.  I know that seldom will time lapse that I won’t call on Craig for advice and mentorship.  And what makes him unique…he will be there when you need him.

If you are looking for an executive coach that will deliver quality outcomes for you and your organization, then Mr. Juengling is your choice.  I highly recommend you give Craig Juengling a call…you will not regret your decision.

Chief Digital Officer and Client; State-Wide Federal Credit Union

Craig Juengling has been an important part of the credit union’s leadership team for many years.  As such, I have been able to witness, first hand, his work with my co-workers.  When I accepted the position of Chief Digital Officer about a year ago, I was thrilled to have been given the opportunity to lead my credit union in the development of a digital strategy that would guide us well into the future.   However, with this undertaking, it was important for me to gain ground fast with my fellow executive team members.  Working with Craig helped me to realize how I was viewed by others at various levels throughout the credit union and those areas that I needed to focus on for my personal and team development.  Taking actionable steps going forward and having someone push me when I needed to be pushed helped tremendously.  Developing yourself and your work team doesn’t happen overnight — it takes time, focus, effort and commitment.  And sometimes, it takes someone from the outside looking in to help uncover those areas your team needs to work on to be more productive.  Craig’s insight has helped my team get on the right path and I look forward to the many successes we will experience in the days to come!

SVP Communications & Marketing and Client; Metropolitan Texas Community College System

I have a lot of problems with Craig Juengling.

One is my problem with organization, and how it impedes my ability to stay focused and keep things moving on schedule. Craig’s got that covered, and I’m improving.

Another is my problem with avoiding conflict, and how it causes me to internalize things. Guess who encouraged me to address them head-on?

I also have a problem with over-analyzing things, which often causes me to procrastinate rather than just jump in and get started. Craig set me straight.

You get the idea. I’ve had my share of accomplishments, and Craig was quick to acknowledge those. But I have some things to work on, too. His mission was to help me turn my weaknesses into strengths, so I can be a more effective manager and executive.

My quality check nowadays is: What would Craig say? And I go from there.

Want your problems solved? Give ’em to Craig. That way, you’ll have a lot of problems with him, too. And you’ll be better off for it.

Note to my readers: I loved working with this client and couldn’t wait to see what he’d write for a testimonial. Enjoy!

Principal, Business Unit Leader and Client; Regional A&E Company

No offense, but I set my expectations fairly low going into this exercise. I originally felt as though there wasn’t much I could do to change at this point in my career. Boy was I wrong.

The coaching allowed me to focus on myself for a change. How I view others, how I relate to others, how I look to others. Things that I do not think about in my daily activities. The introspective look was enlightening and set in motion initiatives related to transitioning my role and position in the firm that I had been wanting to do for some time.  With new tools in my toolkit, I have been able to “let go” a bit more than I have in the past. I have also been “finding my voice” more and more.

I do recognize that the actions I’ve taken since beginning the coaching to re-structure the leadership of the BU has allowed me to shift my focus on the things I should be doing. Leading vs managing. Business development vs business execution. It’s more of a personal ROI than a business ROI, but the two are forever tied together. As someone without a lot of “woo”, I felt we spent more time chatting than coaching. But, in your own devious sort of way, that was probably part of the coaching for someone like me. I would have spent 58 minutes each session diving deep into content. But I guess it was part of the plan to force me to slow down a bit and notice that there is a whole world of people out there.

I’ve really enjoyed our sessions together and will be forever grateful for the things you taught me.

Director of Merchandising and Client; Industry Leading International Manufacturer and Wholesaler

During the coaching, my eyes were opened to several aspects of my personal development. The strongest being the ability to adapt to the styles of others when necessary, understanding the dangers of incivility, as well as the value of observing body language. Diving into self-reflection is something I think I was more inclined to do in the context of parenting, or bring a good partner or even spiritual. Funny how satisfying it was to dive deeper in to career development. It makes me wonder how the heck it took me until 35 to devise a hard, written plan. I am thankful the company invested on my behalf.

I have found the value in working myself out of a job every day. Helping the team develop has been very satisfying part of the whole experience. I see the value that adds to the company as well as our individual team. It’s something that has left such an imprint one me that it will continue to be a priority for the rest of my career. I have always the natural ability or desire to lead. I think the natural ability has led to me where I am today.

Coaching has placed a new desire within me to for the company. I have always loved the industry and my company. I now have a mindset of “whatever it is, I can make it better” and I have much more confidence in myself and my creative abilities. I love strategy and thinking long term. The return on investment in my opinion is the desire to push myself into areas of the company that need me no matter how out of my comfort zone that may be. The coaching has made me much more of a long term player within the organization.

Executive Director of Logistics and Client; Industry Leading International Manufacturer and Wholesaler 

Since working with Craig my confidence is way up!  His guidance has helped tremendously with my self-awareness.  I have been much more visible with my direct reports which has created more trust and more efficiency.

Craig was very skilled at framing topics for me.  He provides feedback verbally with subtle suggestions and opens your mind to views you would otherwise not be exposed to.  Depending on the topic sometimes the feedback or suggestion would hit me right away and other times the scenario would be upon me and the work we did together would shine through.

The exercises and articles he recommended really built upon skills I needed help on, whether I knew it or not.

I cannot thank my company and Craig enough for the gift of executive coaching!

Assistant General Manager (COO) and Client; Regional Vertically Integrated Agricultural Producer

Before I started working with Craig I thought I knew what a leader was but I’m here to tell you I was way off base.   In the absence of formal evaluations, training, and constructive feedback from my leadership this was a long overdue look at my leadership potential and what future role I had in the organization.

Craig’s professional background and relatable stories gave so much credibility to what he was telling me.  I told myself early on “you know this guy left the C-Suite to become a coach and he’s here to make me a leader, so listen up”.

Beginning with our first session Craig recognized and adapted to my task-oriented personality which made our sessions and developmental assignments more meaningful to my progress. We covered so many subjects (like innovation, emotional intelligence, body language, managing up, and delegation) that I rarely even thought of and now they are a part of many of my day to day actions.

Craig had a way about telling you the truth in the most constructive way possible, this was important when we took a real look at how I made others feel and how others felt about some of my prior actions.

I’ve been inspired to think globally (occasionally) and to break away from my inclination to think linear about everything.  A treasure trove of team-building and problem solving exercises were passed on, in fact the Post-mortem exercise is a personal favorite that I’ve done a few times with our team.

The evidence of my leadership development is there, since we began working together I’ve been asked to serve on an additional Board, an organization’s Exec Committee, I’ve received a promotion, and most of all I see the changes in areas of the organization that I’ve influenced.

I rank working with Craig as one of the most meaningful experiences in my professional career and am most thankful for the confidence he instilled in me because without I don’t know if I would have ever transferred from a manager to a Leader.

Note to my readers: this is a client who worked really hard and received a promotion to head up operations last year. His employer is the dominant sugar cane grower and mill in Louisiana, and continues to grow while their competitors struggle. I am grateful for the small role I played in his development as a leader.

Director of Inpatient Services and Client; Regional Healthcare System

Honestly, I was reluctant to meet with you, I saw you as a last resort for our troubled souls, a last ditch effort before termination. My impression has changed and I thank God for you, I needed you exactly when you arrived.

You provided me perspectives and insights that allowed me to take a hard look at myself and how I manage and lead others. I was feeling overwhelmed and having difficult setting limits for myself and burnout was right around the corner. My personality does not allow me to disconnect and has not allowed that behavior for years, so it was a giant step to learn new leadership strategies, which allow for better work life balance. Recently I went on vacation and disconnected. IT WAS WONDERFUL! Coaching has been counseling and therapy for me. You’re honest and straight forward. The accomplishment on my part seems fairly small to most but the ability to disconnect for a week is amazing!

Now I feel ready to pursue my MBA and look forward to the next chapter in my professional life. Craig honestly you are wonderful! If you will, please stop by and check on me when you come by the hospital to work with “other troubled souls” like me!

Chief Operating Officer and Client; Regional A & E Company

Before I met Craig, my understanding of the reasons for and the outcomes of the coaching were nebulous; I even thought if I was expected to transform and mold to fit the changing personalities of the organization. On the contrary, through the executive coaching experience, Craig helped me realize the power I already had. Now, I feel forearmed and better prepared to navigate and influence the others in navigating the changing landscape.

I have gained a much deeper self-awareness of the effects and consequences of my mostly unintentional behaviors.  Hence, I am able to understand and be understood by others, I am able to listen and be listened by others more effectively.  I am aware of which skills I need to practice more or “less” when needed, and which behaviors I need to live by in order to become a well-rounded leader. It takes a lot less energy to influence things happen rather than to make things happen!

The executive coaching has already paid off financially for me and our firm. Ever since I have joined the firm four years ago, I have been trying to convince one of the original owners to start a new service line. With some of the new skills I have learned I was able to convince him to move forward with a very strategic hire.  Within the first two months of employment, the strategic hire was successful in bringing in business to the firm.  Furthermore, we have added additional staff member to this service line.

I am very grateful our President brought Craig into our company and I had an opportunity to work with him. I see how Craig made such a difference in our company, as we grow and evolve to meet the demands of our clients and the expectations of our employees.

Controller and Client; Regional Specialty Health Care Provider

Craig Juengling and I worked together during a pivotal time in my career. I had recently had my leadership abilities questioned and I had taken the criticism hard. On our first day together, I spent most of our time in a pity party while he listened intently as I gave several excuses as to why I didn’t think coaching would make a difference in my situation. Craig then explained the commitment required of me for this experience to be successful. He explained how I would need to own my fault in the current situation, which I struggled to do.

Over the next few days I thought about what I had done to cause my leadership skills to be questioned. I was a hard worker and very technically skilled at my job. How could I have caused others to question my leadership? I was still struggling to own any part in the current situation. At our next session I explained my struggles with owning my mistakes and then Craig enlightened me. My technical skills weren’t the issue. I could be the most technically skilled individual in my profession but if I didn’t personally connect with those around me, I wouldn’t be an effective leader. I had failed to connect with my colleagues. They didn’t know the real me and I didn’t care enough to get to know them. Those who did connect with me personally enjoyed working with me. But those individuals were few and far between. I had to learn how to connect with others and show a sincere interest in getting to know them. The more I understood others and what made them “tick” the better I would be able to lead others because they would want to follow me. I came to the realization that my colleagues thought of me as egocentric and uncaring. I hadn’t made the effort to get to know them or show them that I cared for them as a human being. I was forced to own this and it was an eye opening moment for me.

Once I had committed to the process and understood my contribution to the current situation, I was able to embrace Craig’s coaching and the techniques being taught and put them into practice. The results were extraordinary and others noticed my efforts. I made a sincere effort to get to know them by opening up personally and showing my true self, my real personality, the real me. “And they liked me!  They really, really liked me!” as Sally Fields would say. I also began observing more and speaking less. This was very hard for me but I quickly realized the immense value in observation. I began to see the signs of frustration in others; for example, one of my colleagues would begin tapping their pen on the table when they became frustrated or shut down, another would pick at their fingernails, and another would sit on their hands! If I could look for those signs when working with them, I would know when to back off or use the skills I was learning to diffuse a negative interaction. How powerful!

My time with Craig was cut short when I left the organization I had worked for many years. But I didn’t stop using what I had already learned and began a new position with a very different approach than I had ever used before. I was determined to be personable and empathetic towards my coworkers immediately and let them get to know the real me as I made a sincere effort to get to know them. I also speak less, listen to others and observe more. It has made a tremendous difference!

Craig has stayed in contact with me and continues to offer advice when I need it. He has become one of the cheerleaders in my corner. He’s more than a coach. He’s a confidant, a Voice of reason, a teacher, a mentor, and most of all a friend! Thank you Craig for believing in me! Thank you for making me own my mistakes and holding me accountable. I am a better person because of you!

If you don’t think you need coaching, you may be where I was less than a year ago…egocentric and uncaring. You may be the best in your field but if you’re not well liked, then you probably aren’t the best leader. You need to meet with Craig and be open to his guidance. You will see an immediate difference in your leadership abilities if you do the hard work. It’s a lot of work and a huge commitment but it is absolutely worth it!

Director of Chemical Manufacturing Facility and Client; International Chemical Manufacturer

As a 28yr employee for a large chemical manufacturer, I was reluctant to jump into the coaching sessions because I didn’t think I needed it.  But, after the first session Craig challenged me to think about how I wanted to be remembered as a leader.   “What legacy do you want to leave?” he said.

That struck a nerve, because as a technical guy I always associated success in terms of problems solved or projects completed.  I valued success with hardware assets that were built.  Craig made me realize that people are the true assets that any company has.  Development of the people that work for me and with me are much more valuable than any project installed.   How we as leaders can inspire our folks to be better and perform at a higher level is all about how we inspire them.

Craig taught be to be a better listener. He focused my attention on being more collaborative by seeking win-win scenarios vs the competitive right or wrong scenarios with my people.   Craig coached me to allow my employees and peers to navigate their way through problems and investigations vs telling them the answer or solving the problem for them.   I listened to Craig and applied more of the technique’s that he offered.   I found my job satisfaction improved.   I became more of a coach/mentor to my people vs a boss.   My coaching sessions with Craig has given me a greater insight into the powers of people development.   Inspiring and leading others has become fun for me. I have found I am much more suited to this kind of leadership style than I realized.  These techniques come more natural to me than the direct results oriented methods I learned over the years.    This was a great experience for me personally and I appreciated Craig’s honest feedback.  I am a better leader and a better person after completing my executive coaching with Craig.

IT/IS System Manager and Client; Major Health Care System

I had an opportunity to work with Craig, as part of the Executive MBA Program at LSU.  I actually hired Craig privately after graduation from the MBA Program, as I wanted to get more perspective on my leadership and my development.

The coaching sessions were very helpful and met my goals.  The DISC and 360 allowed me to see to gain perspective about myself and really understand how others saw me as a leader. Craig provided valuable insight into issues such as team building, leading vs. managing and the need to network internally and externally to build visibility.  Many leadership concepts, ideas and perspectives were clarified. I feel like I understand myself better and can read people better.  Specifically, I understand personality types and how I should interact with them. My leadership has improved and I know which areas I need to improve.  He provided multiple leadership concepts to use, I just need to make sure I apply the concepts correctly. My leadership capabilities have improved because I am more confident which allows me to communicate my thoughts more clearly and reduce self-doubt.

I know what I need to do to continue my professional growth and I am committed to actively leveraging my coaching and my EMBA to take my career to a higher level.

Note to my readers: I have the privilege of working with all the EMBA students at LSU; this is an amazing group of professionals who purse their passions for development. Executive coaching is another component of their Program where we can address the next steps in their careers with a real focus on leadership development. I truly enjoy the work I do with them!

Chief Marketing Officer and Client; Regional Consumer Packaged Goods Company

I wasn’t 100% sure what to expect initially in the coaching sessions, but I found our time together to be useful in a many ways.  You were someone to bounce ideas off of given real time situations, and the structured approach gave me solid feedback on mannerisms or behaviors that I may be overlooking. I learned to better frame up conversations that are important to be successful in a very dynamic environment.  I also gained some perspective and the coaching reinforced my confidence that it is not all me, and that others have their own challenging behaviors that I must learn to deal with.

I know I have greater clarity on areas to focus upon necessary to meet my supervisor’s expectations. I have a better understanding of the impact that body language can have and realize I have to adopt different approaches to leadership, given the audience and the context of the situation. I learned to have more effective one on one time with each of my direct reports, and drive our team’s performance more effectively. The Strengths Based Leadership exercise with my team was particularly insightful and beneficial. The increased interaction and relationship building with my peers is leading to a higher level of collaboration / results.

VP of National Accounts and Client; Regional Consumer Packaged Goods Company

I had the opportunity to work with Craig as my Executive Coach over the last nine months. I have been through many self-improvement/coaching sessions that yielded results but not at the depth you provided.  Your attributes that most impressed me were the following:  very good listener, honest, patient, adaptable, caring and sincere.

I am confident the skills I developed will stay with me a lifetime. I now have an understanding of behaviors, driving forces and how to integrate them when communicating at an individual or group level.  My leadership capabilities have improved.  I also understand that there must be a conscience and ongoing commitment towards personal development in order to continue growing as a leader.  My oral and written communication has been focused, relevant and effective.

My next step is to continue applying the tools and techniques I learned during this coaching session specifically developing an Individual Development plan and making it a discipline I practice going forward.  My immediate focus will continue to be on improving listening skills and communication at the Executive level.  I am happy to be a reference for you and will recommend you without reservation.

Director of Ancillary Clinical Service Department and Client; Regional Healthcare System

I really did not know what to anticipate when I began my coaching journey, and I was really apprehensive about the process.  Craig took time to assure me that this was an investment in my future.

Once I moved pass being apprehensive and embraced the process the time flew by and Craig utilized his unique skills to lead me in a journey that allowed me to take a reflective view of my leadership strengths and weaknesses.  Throughout the process coaching and sharing skills that have helped me to become a better more engaged leader. He has also shared with me skills that have helped me change the way that I approach communication and interactions with my peers.

This was really an experience that every leader should be afforded and has truly been a life altering experience.  As we approached the end of our sessions Craig became more than a coach but a person that I could put my trust and confidence in.

I am truly thankful for the opportunity to experience the coaching that Craig provided and his commitment to develop emotionally intelligent leaders.

Executive Director Operations/Production, and Client; Industry Leading International Manufacturer and Wholesaler

I have always believed that we are either growing or we are wasting away.  Real developmental coaching is so often missing in the business world that meaningful growth stagnates.  Craig’s engaging coaching style takes you on a journey to self-awareness to prepare you for growth.  You will not find silver bullets that instantly make you a better leader. Those don’t exist.  Rather, Craig will inspire you to make targeted, incremental, high-impact behavioral changes, which over time, will make you a better leader.

Craig did a great job of reminding me about my strengths and how to use them in the most effective ways.  He also taught me about different behavioral idiosyncrasies that had unintended negative impact on my subordinates, peers and supervisors. By making some small adjustments and just being more aware, my teams have already recognized the positive changes.

If you are ready to take a personal leap forward, I encourage you to connect with Craig.  You will find him to be a great coach, mentor, teacher and friend.

Merchandising Director and Client; Industry Leading International Manufacturer and Wholesaler

This was a first for me and I didn’t know what to expect.  I come from an industry that is dominated by a lot of small, family owned businesses that are not inclined towards any kind of coaching.  Now, at the later stage of my career, I’m with a large company that has an emphasis on leadership development.  Since I had been receiving good feedback all along from our COO I wasn’t sure what Craig’s coaching would mean for me.

From my first meeting with Craig my reaction was WOW!!  Where were you 20 + years ago, before I had figured out so much on my own, by trial and error!!  But my experience was about much more than that.  With less than 15 years to go in my career with my employer, Craig has helped in many ways.

First he helped see the true value that I can bring to the organization, which isn’t about day to day results.  Once I got to that point, then I could see the path to developing the next generation of leaders who will follow me.

As I’ve learned that I have so much more to give than I realized, it helps me in my career by continually establishing my value to my employer in new ways.

Our 90 minute meetings flew by, as I found Craig easy to talk with.  Not just reviewing what was on the agenda for that week but also discussing how I’d handled situations since our last meeting.

I highly recommend Juengling & Associates, and not just for those in their first leadership role, but also for those of us who have been around the block a couple of times.  There are great benefits for both the organization and the individual. It’s a win-win!  Thank you, Craig!!

Human Resources Manager, System HR Liaison and Client; Regional Healthcare System

After coaching, I look at the glass half full and not jump the conclusions as readily.  Prior to the 360, I thought I handled criticism with grace, but I didn’t.   Now I am more self-aware of how other people view me and I have “lowered my shield”, I delegate more, and can mentor other leaders better, using tips and tricks learned through coaching.  For example, lead from the front, and listen instead of being authoritarian.

You were what I needed at one of the most critical times in my life.  I think without you, I may have gotten myself into trouble.  I am more engaged and see a future ahead of me.   I feel that as a result of my last assignment (the interviewing project), I was put in front of an audience that I would have not pursued otherwise.  They were able to listen to my story and hear about my gifts and talents. I also learned a lot from them and with this information, I can positively impact my career and the company.

I need to continue to grow in accepting change and trusting people and processes.  I have tamed my tongue (but it could use some more taming J) and I often refer to the materials you shared (especially employee engagement) to continue to set forth efforts for our employees to be a happy, dedicated workforce. I believe that along with some behavior changes, the coaching will lead me to the next step in my career.

I hope to one day grow in my career and become an executive coach. It has been a career and life changing experience for me.

Maintenance Manager and Client; International Chemical Manufacturer 

The primary accomplishment through our executive coaching relationship is the increased confidence I have in myself to lead others and lead change.  I came into our relationship uncertain of the value I offered to my employer at times.  I questioned what I uniquely bought to the table. You gave me honest feedback from your interviews with my peers and direct reports, which allowed me to focus on the right improvements on my end, and stop feeling like I had to be great at everything.   

I believe my team’s success in the recent maintenance turnaround is a really good measure of the effectiveness of our coaching.  The turnaround budget for the two plants I led was $25M.  We were projected to be more than $3.2M over budget before we started.  Our team was able to finish the turnaround with no injuries and under budget by about $1M.  I believe this end result was directly related to my leadership. I had a great team to work with and I quickly established authority and trust with my team, and I led them to a great result. I received the highest rating our company gives on my performance review and a nice raise to go with it. 

I know I will not be satisfied if I do not feel I am advancing in responsibility.  At the same time I want stability for my family, so I feel my desire to advance is sometimes in conflict with what I want for my family right now.  I have come to realize I am not being held back by anything or anyone (other than myself) from achieving my personal goals.    I am happy with the balance I have struck for now and don’t feel the overwhelming sense of urgency to have everything plotted out for the next 15 years.  I can be smart about positioning myself for opportunities when I’m ready for them. Your guidance, feedback and insightful questioning have prepared me for whatever my future in leadership holds.

Vice President-Sales/Business Development and Client; Industry Leading International Manufacturer and Wholesaler

Our company uses the coaching capabilities of Craig as a way to influence Organizational Development. All senior managers will at some time work with Craig as a way to better understand themselves as well as other key players.  In my experience, this works very effectively.

Looking at the Bruce Tuckman model of team development-forming, storming, norming and performing, Craig made us aware of the piece most organizations don’t do at all, or if they do, they do poorly-storming. Craig taught us the importance of being passionate regarding the disciplines we represent, and respectful of each other. This has helped us to be a high-performing organization.

I have been through several organizational improvement initiatives in my career, and find that I got much more out of the one-on-one coaching approach Craig uses. Craig quickly establishes an environment of trust and openness like I have never experienced, and at the same time sets a high bar of performance expectation. He will improve your ROI.

Director and Client; State of Louisiana Department

Craig didn’t change the way I manage, he improved the way I manage. His coaching style conformed to my personality; straight forward, direct, and to the point. Similar to my military past, he gave me some feedback that was hard to hear, but essential for my growth. He provided me with the tools needed to become a better leader.

Craig provided several insights to becoming a more effective leader and his questioning really made me think differently. We discussed both strengths and weaknesses, how to better communicate both verbal and non-verbal, how to welcome and learn from the feedback from others, and recognizing those who perform, and coach those who need a push.

I was asked to participate in coaching and was skeptical. I know now it was worth every minute we spent together. Thank you Craig!

Senior Director and Client, State of Louisiana Department

You have encouraged, motivated and inspired me in more ways than you know.   You are a great listener and communicator.  You have challenged me to think creatively and have always asked the right questions to make me think.

You are the epitome of a great leader, teacher and coach.  There is no doubt that you have a profound commitment to coaching and a genuine interest in the leadership strengths and professional and personal development needs of those you coach.  Because of you, I have become a more effective leader.  I will continue to build on what I have learned through this coaching experience.  I feel that what I have learned that my possibilities are endless.

In the beginning of the executive coaching program, I really did not know what to expect, but I am so glad that I embraced the Executive Coaching Program with an open mind.  I must say this last six month journey has been “Amazing” and “Life-Changing”.  I will be eternally grateful to you and the leader I report to, for giving me this awesome opportunity.   I would highly recommend you to anyone who is seeking to enhance their leadership skills and personal development.  This has been a priceless investment!

Regional Engineering Director and Client; International Chemical Manufacturer

The opportunity for coaching came to me from my immediate manager who had gone through the executive coaching experience as well.  Initially I was skeptical as to whether his recommendation was coming for negative concerns or positive development, regardless I began to view it as a good opportunity to work on areas I had identified myself.  Over time, on my own, I had attempted to make the necessary corrections to, what I would call, “my passion for my work” with very little success.  My ability to improve – 1) My communication, both verbal and non-verbal, to a consistent effective delivery; 2) effectively delegate both task and authority to my staff; 3) my listening capability; and 4) improving my leadership, coaching, and influencing skills – was a welcomed opportunity for me to get coaching assistance.

For me, going into the experience with Craig with a fully open mind was key to beginning the process of identifying the focal point of these areas.  It was validating to see that those interviewed by Craig saw the same things in me, that I saw in myself as far as areas for improvement.  To get a full understanding of how effective this process was, I have to share an early example of our coaching session.  I recall meeting with Craig and getting into an in depth conversation about one of my trigger points through an actual example.  I remember my energy building as I described the conversation to Craig in detail, and internally felt inside that Craig was “supporting” or “agreeing” with everything I had done, and how I did it in that example.  Then just when I felt that euphoria, telling myself internally “See, even my coach agrees that my actions were justified”, it happened, Craig said those words that stick with me today “….and how did that work out for you Keith?”.  Simple, I know, but it started the process of refining myself and my approaches.  From that point, Craig worked with me to develop tools and processes that work for me.

The feedback that I have been receiving now, since my coaching, is tremendous.  It shows that what Craig has helped me do is a step change in my effectiveness as a leader and coach.  I absolutely need to keep practicing and working with the tools and processes I have learned, but for the first time I’ve made a step change in my performance in these areas.

I strongly recommend Craig as an Executive Coach to anyone who is wanting to further develop or improve in areas similar to mine or others.  His approach, attention to detail, and ability to find the right tools and processes to effectively help you as an individual is priceless.

Application Development Director and Client; Regional IT Consulting Co.

I was encouraged by my COO as well as a trusted colleague to work with Craig to continue and expand my leadership skills and am glad that I followed their advice.  Craig was quickly able to pinpoint where we should focus our efforts for my leadership growth goals.  Those efforts were focused in the areas of making decisions with confidence, innovation and being comfortable taking more risks which would strengthen my overall leadership maturity and confidence.  Part of the lack of confidence revolved around what the overall impression of me as a leader was within the company.  Going through the 360 feedback exercise definitely shed more light on where I stood, which was actually very refreshing.

Because of this exercise, I feel I have greater confidence in making decisions and providing direction which has led to more timely, efficient and productive activities from myself and our team.  This exercise couldn’t have come at a better time with my career here and Craig has become a great sounding board and adviser where I could safely explore the challenges being presented to us while developing a strategy to help manage and mature our office.

To work on the innovation maturity of myself as well as the company, I have put in place a team of volunteers from within multiple areas of the company to look ahead on new types of products and services which will help bring our company to the next level of service.  We have restructured a bit which has allowed me to step outside of my day to day and focus more on these other value providing opportunities, which is very exciting.

I can confidently recommend Craig as strong leadership coach and have done so internally within our company as well.  With this new found confidence and direction, I am encouraged and greatly anticipating where the next chapter lies within our company, our team and my growth opportunities.

Strategic Engagement Manager and Client; Regional IT Consulting Company

Eight months ago when I initially started working with you, I set my goal as being promoted to a role that would entail consulting with clients to determine how we can make a meaningful impact to their business through technical solutions. I would have the ability to consult as well as earn commission on new business development.

I would say I made a lot of progress toward meeting this goal as I was promoted to a strategic account role for a Fortune 500 company, in September of this year. I have been able to actively provide meaningful solutions for this company and act as a trusted adviser for them, through the challenges of their recent acquisition of another multi-billion dollar subsidiary.

Surprisingly, the most progress I feel that I made is with my professional interpersonal relationships (both within my client company as well as my employer). The DISC assessment and 360 results were very eye opening and humbling for me. It was a great opportunity to get unbiased feedback from my coworkers and clients, and has helped me change some of my work behaviors and strategies. I have received feedback from several individuals at my employer that they have seen a positive transformation in my work interactions. I also know I can think more strategically and big picture instead of focusing on the day to day minutia, and learned to set boundaries between my work/home lives. This is relevant for both my professional relationships as well as time management.

I am truly excited about my new position and the ability to make bigger contributions. Executive coaching has been a great experience for me and I have recommended it to my colleagues at the client company I work with, and my employer as well.

Note to my readers: this former client was recently hired by the Fortune 500 Company and is now on a bigger stage with greater scope and opportunities to solve their technical challenges. She is extremely talented and even today, is being groomed for her next rung in their international ladder.  

Chief Marketing Officer and Client; Industry Leading International Manufacturer and Wholesaler

This has been a tremendous learning experience!  I wasn’t really sure what to expect going into this.  I had participated in “management training” programs in the past, but they were always as part of a group.  Having the individual one-on-one time is a much, much more valuable and beneficial experience.  The coaching was a great balance between more objective assessment tools (360, DISC, etc.) and subsequent sessions designed to interpret and discuss the findings.  I also found that the assigned articles provided great support of the ideas and concepts related to the process and sessions.  Being more of an “engineer” in mind, the aforementioned balance in the program’s content made it much easier for me personally to understand and apply the findings to “real world” experiences.

The greatest benefit to me personally has been the opportunity to identify opportunities for leadership improvement – particularly, given my role within the organization.  Moving to a C-level role with a greatly expanded area of responsibility and much larger team is something new for me (compared to my past experience).  The coaching has allowed me to see the areas I need to work on and you have provided some very good insight and “tools” for improvement – specifically:

• Improved delegation.  Recognizing the strength of team members and letting them do their job – freeing my time to focus on larger goals, objectives and strategies.
• Increased partnership with areas outside of Marketing.  Considering my role and the importance of aligning Marketing strategies with other areas of the organization to ensure awareness and ultimate success.
• Being more cognitive of body language.  Being cognitive of others and my own body language when interpreting dialog and conversations.
• Improved communication and listening skills.  Making sure I give the speaker my full attention.  Conveying relevant information to all levels of the team to enhance engagement and employee awareness and satisfaction.

The other great output you helped drive was the definition of the company’s Marketing mission statement.  This was a great exercise as it provided me with the opportunity to engage other key folks within the organization in an effort to build better partnerships while gathering their individual perspectives for use in developing a much more engaging mission for the Marketing team.

Craig has been able to effectively identify areas for improvement and have supported change with relevant dialog and content.  It now falls on me to leverage those learnings to continue to improve my personal leadership skills.  I do confidently feel that what I have learned and experienced will change the way I lead and manage my team which will ultimately have a positive impact on the way the Marketing team performs and contributes to the overall organization.

General Manager (CEO) and Client; State-Wide Vertically Integrated Ag Co-Op 

I didn’t know what to expect before I met Craig. I haven’t had much feedback in the 15 years I’ve been here and I have never been evaluated by anybody (still haven’t).  At the time we started, I was ready to leave this place even though I felt a need to finish the job.  Now, everybody seems to be happier!  I think the bigger picture has improved since the low point almost two years ago, but I know I have changed as well. I am more aware of other people’s personality types and I have become more inclusive of my subordinates in the on goings of the Company; this has paid dividends with two employees, but another still struggles with having to think on a higher plain. I have improved is some areas and still find some challenging.  I hope to spend some more time on my work leading the co-op, as I can move some more responsibilities to others.

You helped me land JH as an employee and he has been a god send for relieving me of the membership issues.  The ROI on this position is enormous! Secondly I, either due to your coaching or my old age, have been a moderating voice of reason in a game changing attack on our entire industry. Oddly, I keep reminding our side that we have to work with these people whether we like them or not, whereas before I might have chosen an outright aggressive stance, that might not be as productive (emotional intelligence)? 

Your experience and knowledge serves you well in executive coaching. I struggled at times to find a connection to our co-op’s unique circumstance and our employees, with our Board.  I also knew that I was not the perfect CEO, but your observations of the Board and the interaction therein helped me see that we’re all part of the problem. Your experience working with boards was invaluable to me and helped me understand more effective and more productive ways to manage them. Our annual meetings are a huge success now and every one of our employees participates in working with and communicating with, the membership and board. While working with the Board will always be a challenge, I am much better prepared to do so.

I have decided to stay and work on the strategy of the co-op and our future success! I can clearly recommend you to any CEO struggling with their board and how to become a more strategic leader. 

Director of Business Services and Client; Regional Physician Practice 

I worked with Craig as my Executive Coach for about 8 months. When we finished, I feel that my outlook is different, and my confidence is heightened.  The main thing I have concluded is that while I have to be cognizant of the impact to others regarding my actions and behavior, I do not need to over analyze my every action. I need to speak up when needed, and stay focused when necessary.

I have really tried hard to think before I react and to express concerns before it causes too much tension and frustration. Some can appreciate this new trait and some do not, and that is ok. I do communicate the sensitive matters, more so than before. I definitely have improved with delegating and determining when I have to take responsibility. My managers have benefited from this. I have stepped out of my “box” and will continue to do so.

I have absolutely realized that what others think is important to your ability to influence and lead. Some of the discussions during these coaching sessions were hard at best, and extremely humbling, but I have improved my trust with my direct reports and empowered them more so than before. This has been beneficial to both them and myself. We are setting the standard within the health system in business services on many processes. 

Director of E-Commerce and Client; Industry Leading International Manufacturer and Wholesaler

I was volunteered by my supervisor to attend coaching sessions with Craig to improve my leadership skills in anticipation of future growth in the company. I had heard about his presence in the company, working with other individuals who were viewed as future leaders, and the benefits they had personally received from working with him. Because of this, I had high expectations for what my results could be. I wanted the most that I could possibly get out of the experience, so I dove in head first and never looked back.

Over the course of several months, Craig and I were able to identify several areas within my leadership style that either needed improvement or needed to be maximized. We did this through numerous types of exercises during and after our sessions together.

I have to say that Craig has an uncanny ability to pinpoint behaviors in people without ever really seeing them exhibit them in person. After just a session or two, I felt like he knew a lot about my style, both at work and at home, as well as where I wanted to get to. Every conversation yielded new learnings for me, whether it was personal learning or things I could use with my team to help them grow as leaders.

Because of Craig, I learned a great deal about how I am perceived by others in the workplace. This was one of the most important pieces of the puzzle for me. It allowed me to focus heavily on improving relationships with my network of direct reports, peers, and supervisors, as well as better understand what people value in a leader from all perspectives. Ultimately this exercise has made me a better person professionally and in my personal life, and the results are noticeable by those around me.

If you get the opportunity to work with Craig, you most certainly will benefit from it if you give yourself to the process entirely. Craig’s approach to coaching seemed to be custom tailored to the individual, which is amazing to me. It truly means that he takes this very seriously, and wants to make a positive impact on the lives he touches.

It was an absolute pleasure working together with Craig, and I highly recommend taking advantage of what he has to offer if you’re ever in a position to do so.

Note to readers: this client received a big promotion shortly after we finished our coaching. He clearly is someone of high potential within his company and this promotion will surely not be the last rung upwards in his corporate ladder.

Site Engineering Director and Client; International Chemical Manufacturer

The reason that I initially asked for coaching was based on an experience I had in early 2014 at a training course that provided a brief personal coaching experience.  After the training, I felt that I needed to work harder at delegating and building my team’s capabilities versus me always taking the lead. However, during the assessment process with Craig, it became more evident that improving my listening and influence skills could help me to be a more effective leader.  I’ve learned to think more about how I show up to meetings and interactions with others.  I think more about how I can positively impact and inspire my teams.  I feel more confident in my role in the organization – especially related to being a female role-model.  In my organization, the stakeholder dynamics can be complicated, and I feel better equipped to understand this and be more effective as a leader.

During the coaching process, I interviewed for a position that was a level above my role and was the successful candidate.  I’m sure there are multiple aspects to achieving this milestone, but I think our coaching activities helped me to think about my work and experiences in a different way that allowed me to interview more successfully.

I strongly recommend Craig as an Executive Coach to anyone wanting to learn to lead more effectively. My company is very committed to the coaching process for development of its executives and I have recommended Craig to my colleagues who wish to engage in process.

Note to my readers: this client was promoted to a Director during the engagement so I had the opportunity to work with her to prepare for the interviews and assist with her transition into the new role. She is now one of the highest ranking women in North America. She is a wonderful role model in a male dominated profession and someone I am very proud of; she works as hard at being a great mom as she does at being a great leader… and succeeds at both.  

Multi-Site Physician Practice Leader (COO) and Client; Regional Hospital System 

I had heard wonderful stories from our leaders who had the privilege of working with Craig and was therefore excited when I had an opportunity to personally work with him. Working with Craig gave me insight into my own behavior styles and how those affect others around me. As a senior leader, I needed tools to help my team work better together. Through Craig’s guidance, I was given those and the team is performing better than ever.

Craig’s experience lends itself well to working with executives in a manner that builds confidence while driving performance and improvement. I will, without hesitation, continue to utilize Craig’s talents to improve our team and my leadership.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Note to my readers: I don’t often get the opportunity to coach the top leaders of an organization, all at the same time. Every once in a while, a powerful opportunity like this comes along. I hope this explains why so many of the following testimonials are all with one “department” aka a division, within the state of Louisiana.

Secretary (CEO) and Client; State of Louisiana Department

As a result of our work with Craig, my confidence level in our entire executive team has grown, allowing me to focus more on serving external stakeholders, on the strategic course for the department, and my specific areas of responsibility managerially. Despite major operational initiatives and continuing operational challenges, the department’s overall performance has significantly improved, and the perception of our external stakeholders regarding this performance has also improved. In addition, I have seen the engagement and morale of our employees increase.  I clearly know from his work with our leadership team, that they are on track and capable of handling their current responsibilities and potentially more.  His coaching has had both a direct and indirect impact on all of these.
As a result of my work with Craig, I better understand my strengths and weaknesses and areas for growth and development. In particular, I have identified some areas to address that I did not previously understand as well. I am motivated and engaged in other areas for personal and professional development, as well as be a better mentor and facilitator for the development of those around me. He helped me get out of my comfort zone, with his feedback and questioning.

I highly recommend Craig to any leader and CEO that wants to improve the performance of his organization. His insights as a former CEO were invaluable to me and I know our return on investment in coaching is significant.

Senior Operations Leader (COO) and Client; State of Louisiana Department

I was recently introduced to Craig and the concept of executive coaching after being an executive for over 10 years. While I had some reservations about what this involved and the impact it may have on my career, I was willing to give it a chance. I quickly recognized how valuable this would be for my professional and even personal growth. I discovered a number of characteristics and motivators, which I never thought made a difference to others or how it impacted my leadership abilities. Craig helped me recognize those assets that have made me successful and discussed in detail why they have worked. Craig also helped me identify those areas where I’m deficient and how they can disrupt my leadership if not dealt with accordingly.

I became interested in discovering if I had the “right stuff” to go even further in my career. Craig was extremely helpful in allowing me to participate in the process to determine what it would take to reach the highest levels of leadership. Craig was excellent in communicating ideas and strategies that I could use on a daily basis that will strengthen my overall leadership abilities. He identified unique ways to motivate and communicate that suited my strengths. He challenged me to try new activities that broadened my overall appreciation of the big picture when reaching the highest level of an organization. I truly learned more about myself and how I’m perceived by my peers than I ever thought I would. This information is valuable regardless of what level I reach with any organization. This information and how it is incorporated in my work will be the cornerstone of my leadership as I move into higher levels of management.

Craig is someone you can trust with personal information and is someone that I anticipate I will keep in touch with for years to come. It wouldn’t surprise me, when I do get that next opportunity, if I don’t reach out to Craig for a quick refresher since I trust his knowledge and wisdom of what I’m about to embark on. I consider the opportunity to have worked with Craig at this stage of my career to be invaluable.

General Counsel and Client; State of Louisiana Department

Craig is an excellent executive leadership coach!  His methods, demeanor and great personality got me to change my skeptical outlook on what I thought I could receive from an executive leadership coaching experience.  He showed me the difference between leadership and managerial skills and how to use those skills to better myself and my ability to interact with my colleagues.

I also benefitted from having Craig coach me, “in the moment”.  I was enlightened and satisfied to experience the positive results that came from applying the various theoretical leadership exercises and concepts to a real “live” work situation that occurred during a coaching session. In that moment, I knew the leadership skills taught by Craig were a powerful tool.   More importantly, that experience and these leadership skills have already allowed me to re-tool my career and future endeavors!

In short, I highly recommend Craig’s executive leadership coaching services to anyone who is interested in moving their career toward any managerial and/or top executive positions.  Craig will help give you a clearer picture of the skills you need to succeed and be a POSITIVE impact on your company and the people you work with.

Senior Level Operations Executive and Client; State of Louisiana Department

The head of my agency was generous enough to pay for personal, “one-on-one” coaching sessions with Craig.  Being close to retirement eligibility, I was curious as to why the agency would provide me with this resource.  What I learned from Craig more than explained to me why:  not only to prepare me for the potential leadership opportunities with the agency in the future, but to assist me with determining what my future career path would be.

The most prominent thing I learned from Craig was the difference between “being a manager” and “being a leader”!!!  This included things like seeing the value in continuing my own education, whether it is through formal classroom training, or informally researching the information available from experts in the leadership world.  Recognizing this allowed me not only to broaden my leadership horizons, but also helped me to recognize the leadership potential in others for the sake of their development and my own succession planning.  Craig helped me recognize my worth to the agency not only in terms of technical knowledge, but coaching and mentoring skills I actually did not know I possessed.  I also learned to recognize that there are many, many coaching opportunities with staff every day, and the most effective ways to take advantage of them in order to continue to develop my staff.  But perhaps the most valuable thing I learned in our coaching sessions was how to make my life easier by developing the courage to delegate and let go of the day to day tactical work, so I could focus on more strategic leadership roles, as well as being able to carve out more free time.

I quickly recognized that Craig could not only be a very effective executive coach, but also a trusted colleague that I could count on to reach out to for career and professional guidance long after our formal coaching sessions ended.  I consider the time I spent with Craig “priceless”.

Senior Level Executive HR Strategy Leader and Client; State of Louisiana Department

I have had the pleasure to work with Craig and both my current and prior organizations. Craig has partnered with me to develop coaching programs for executives in the organizations that I’ve worked for, which have truly had an impact to the organization.  I’ve worked with Craig both as a coach to my peers and other executives in the organization, as well as an executive coach for me personally.  I can truly say that I’m a better leader, employee, and person, as a result of Craig’s coaching.  Additionally, I have seen incredible improvement with my peers, as a result of the coaching, and the feedback from them regarding their coaching experience has been extremely positive (and many were skeptical regarding the idea of an executive coach in the beginning).

Craig has a unique, but productive technique to build self-awareness, in such a way that is accepted by the leader where constructive feedback is needed, but also gives the same priority to focusing on strengths, which we all know is equally as important when developing people.   He utilizes a blend of data through assessments, as well interview feedback from the individual, as well as others, to facilitate the coaching process and impact the outcomes of the coaching process.  He has truly been an asset to me, and I feel confident that his coaching will continue to yield dividends long term to our organization, as well as to me personally.

Product Line Director and Client; Industry Leading International Manufacturer and Wholesaler

Having had the opportunity to witness the success in leaders at my company who were coached by Craig, I was excited for the opportunity to work with him on my own development.  The coaching sessions were everything I thought they would be plus a lot more.  Craig has an uncanny ability to understand the nuances of different roles and responsibilities in different companies and pinpoint specific issues/opportunities.  He has a deep knowledge and understanding of the inner workings of a corporation regardless of type of company,

Identifying the things I need to do differently in order to accelerate my growth helped to put my new thought processes/roles in perspective. I now can empower my team to do their best work thus producing the best outcome.  By delegating more tasks and taking the time to “coach” people through the task, I am growing them, thus increasing their value as well as potentially growing the business. I am able to be more direct leader when it comes to “tough” coaching conversations.  Being able to talk through the issues and identify the important talking points with Craig, gave me the confidence to be more direct.

Working with Craig as my executive coach was great, I love the new perspective it brought as well as the awareness to my behaviors that if I work on, will lead to success.  I loved the honesty as well as how our conversations always lead back to the areas I am working on. 

SVP, Chief Lending Officer and Client; State-Wide Federal Credit Union

I had the opportunity to meet Craig several years ago when he did a team building retreat for the senior leadership of the credit union. I began working with him 1:1 as my executive coach about 10 months ago. My time with him has been invaluable and insightful.

I accomplished a number of important goals in coaching, especially in delegating to my staff for growth. I am much more thoughtful and thorough in my delegation of duties and responsibilities.  This was a big part of a recent success of upgrading and installing a new lending software system.  I also learned to be more visible and open to others, and that showing the human side of me is important.  Emotional intelligence is important to every executive and now I understand how to use it more effectively. I have made a concentrated effort to balance work and the rest of my life.

I have begun working on a succession plan through all levels of the lending departments at the credit union.  While it will be at least ten years before I plan to retire, we need to build a depth of talents and knowledge to move the credit union forward.

Craig worked with my leadership team as the first part of a four part series we designed to improve the functioning of the team. Our initial step was a big one and we will continue to work on developing the behaviors of leadership necessary to work well together and achieve our business goals. I recommend Craig to any leader to wants to learn more about themselves and how to lead more effectively.

Chief Financial Officer and Client; Industry Leading International Manufacturer and Wholesaler

My early goals in executive coaching were to obtain a clearer understanding of how others perceive me as a leader and to identify opportunities to grow and further develop my leadership skills and abilities.  I met these goals and have accomplished more than I anticipated.

The series of coaching sessions with Craig, the various assessments, readings and reflection allowed me to slow down and to recognize that I must place more time in my schedule to focus on the emotional intelligence aspects of leadership.  At the end of the day, it boils down to getting work done effectively and efficiently through others by way of providing a sound and clear vision of what the future looks like, aligning people with such vision through various and continuance forms of communication, and setting a positive tone that motivates, inspires and engages people. The coaching helped me to focus more on the desired outcome and less on how to get to the desired outcome. The 360 clearly demonstrated I needed to let people get to the desired outcome their way, versus my way, as long as it is effective and efficient and allows for controlled failure.

I began to put into practice learnings I obtained from coaching through implementation of a major strategic initiative.  As the Executive Sponsor, I am placing the majority of my time with team helping them to understand the significance of the goal, and the significance of change required to succeed, and purposely staying out of the details of the plan to accomplish the goal.

At the end of our coaching, Craig and I mapped out a plan for my continued development as a finance professional and a leader. I clearly recommend executive coaching to any leader and confidently recommend Craig as an Executive Coach. Coach Craig brings a great tool kit, along with extensive practical experience that helped me to look deeper into myself than I could have without him!

Director of Education/ Marketing and Client; International Specialty Software Designer

Success starts with understanding your strengths (and your weaknesses) as well as knowing them for those on your team. I gained so much knowledge from my experience working with Coach Craig. I am a better manager, employee, parent and partner. I recommend Craig as an Executive Coach without reservation.

As soon as our leadership team began coaching with Craig we experienced a major breakthrough in communication and accountability. Coach challenged us to be direct in our communication in a very constructive way which allowed us to put the needs of our business at the forefront. The result of this new approach was increased efficiency and more effective business practices. This directly correlates to greater financial opportunity. The impact of this gain resulted in a morale boost which in-turn built better relationships throughout the company.

Coach Craig provides a unique perspective allowing you to compare how you see yourself and how others (boss, peers, direct reports) view you. This vantage point was instrumental in my journey towards becoming a better me.  My goals from the coaching included becoming a better listener, using new tools to help me deal with rapid change, identifying my triggers and more importantly how to better navigate those tough situations. Using the guiding principles that Coach instills I feel empowered to tackle these challenges in a new way.  The work that I put in pays off exponentially, and is evident when others communicate to me they notice I am applying the tools I learned from the coaching experience. It speaks volumes of the value coaching has had on the company as a whole. My favorite part of the coaching is I was not forced to follow an exact path. The sessions were allowed to address specific situations and learn more effectively how to navigate the situation. I was impressed with how capable Coach Craig was able to guide the session with no script and no advanced notice of what may transpire each time. He is very impressive at coaching without a net.

If you are seriously interested in improving your business, becoming more effective and seeing direct return on investment, then coaching with Craig is the way forward. But, be prepared for some honest-to-goodness feedback.  I look forward to continuing to use the tools I learned from Coach, which I am confident will turbocharge our business and my personal growth.  This is only the beginning.

Vice President of Sales and Client; Gaming Company

I began working with Craig as my Executive Coach as part of the LSU Executive Education Program. The coaching process has helped me improve my overall self-awareness and my leadership of others.  I now understand that a team is built by people participating and not just because I grouped them together, and by examining when best to add my feedback or when to allow others to participate, the entire team will learn more effectively. This has increased my overall leadership capabilities because my team is allowing me to be their leader, because I am listening to what they are saying and what they need!

When I distill down all the new things I learned in coaching and view it from a business outcome standpoint, it is the development of my team that is most impactful. We have come together to work towards common goals. This has allowed us to accomplish many goals including increasing sales, but more importantly to increase our overall efficiencies and partnerships within each region. Coaching has also allowed me to increase the bond between Marketing and Sales to further increase our organizational capabilities.

Vice-President and Client; Industry Leading International Manufacturer and Wholesaler

While I have not participated in formal coaching sessions in the duration of my career, I have always sought out feedback and constructive criticism from my peers and superiors. I can truly say that Craig is the only person who was able to open my eyes to the opportunity to become the best leader I could be.

Craig came in with the highest pedigree of experiences and background in the coaching field.  He had all the right tools, sophisticated units of metrics, and all the proper assessments that would help us on our mission.  While these tools were extremely beneficial and accurate, Craig has an uncanny ability to figure out what type of personality you are essential to guide you in the right direction in the workplace. To my benefit, Craig did not let me get away with anything.  He was tough and he challenged me to think about things from another’s perspective, while also coaching me how to become a strategic leader.

Since I completed the engagement, I have built a new team of talented people and we are consistently delivering strong results and growth for the company.  As a result, we have promoted many people in the department and we have a motivated team that is always up for new challenges.  In fact, many of the product categories have produced the most profit the company has seen in over 7+ years.  We are truly on the road to success and believe me when I say, I could not have come this far already without Craig’s coaching – his homework assignments, dedicated time and passion, and continuous pushing and challenging to be the best I could be.

On a human level, I have to say that Craig is a true pleasure to work with.  He is engaging and he keeps the sessions fun while being extremely informative and constructive. I highly recommend Craig and his coaching expertise for management at all levels.  It will change your world!

Note to my readers: due to her success as a leader, this client was promoted to vice-president as our engagement came to a close. I am excited for her and how she continues to grow as a leader and deliver exceptional business results.

Physician Practice Administrator and Client; Regional Hospital System

I have had the privilege of working with Craig over the last year and grow as a leader. I have not only gained a tremendous amount of knowledge and wealth of information about leadership, I also grew as a person professionally and personally.  Sometimes it is hard to be hear from your superior you are doing something wrong, or can do something better, if you have been doing it that way for long time.  Craig’s approach is so welcoming and it allows you to see how others see and perceive you, which sometimes is a hard pill to swallow.  Craig coached me to listen more, be a better communicator, and that less is more sometimes when I speak, and I don’t always know everything (laughing).

I always looked forward to my meetings with Craig and will truly miss the relationship that we built.  I always know I can call him if and when I need him.  I recommend Craig as a Coach; it is clearly money well spent.

Regional Director and Client; Major Regional Healthcare Insurance Company

For all of you job veterans out there this one is for you.  After 25+ years in the same organization, I was given the opportunity to participate in a first-ever executive coaching program we were rolling out to our future sales leadership.  My 9-month journey concluded this summer of 2014 has been the most revealing, eye-opening professional and personal experience of my working career.  Craig engaged me in a very personal process of self-awareness and introspection through the use of multiple tools and real-life examples from his own working career.

The coaching itself often took me outside of my comfort zone.  I mean, after all, in 25 years you can become set in your ways which can be a major career staller.  Craig pushed me to do a major ‘reboot’ with my team of direct reports and peers and the feedback has been tremendously positive.  The moral of my story is it’s never too late in the game to learn how to be a more effective leader.

I am happy to know that Craig will be continuing to develop others within our organization.  He is on the top of my list of people to recommend for anyone looking to improve any organization’s most valuable assets – its people.

Vice President and Client; Major Regional HealthCare Insurance Company

I had the opportunity to work with Craig over the course of a year. Our industry was evolving rapidly and our company was committed to refining our culture accordingly. As exciting as it was to embrace the new culture, full adoption throughout the organization was going to take time. I sometimes found it difficult to navigate the inconsistencies as each individual evolved at a different pace. Craig led me through a structured process to create more valuable collaborative relationships within the demanding environment of personalities and company projects. I am more self-aware, but also more aware of how to continue learning from others as I watch them lead successfully, too. I “listen” differently and more effectively.

As I am in a position that touches many areas of the company, I understand how important it is to lead with influence and how this concept produces results. When I practiced what we discussed, it brought me more success. I can clearly recommend Craig as he has helped me produce measurable results; I have asked him to coach some of my direct reports as well.

Vice President and Client, Information Technology; Leading International Consumer Products Manufacturing and Sales Company

I worked with Craig as part of my company’s leadership development program. It was an opportunity for me to gain some insight into how I could succeed at the next level of my career – the next job so to speak.  I entered into the engagement a bit unsure of how the journey would evolve. Craig helped me form the focus of the journey – an awareness of using my strengths to the fullest advantage and see how to transform myself from a technical business leader into a business leader responsible for technical business.

My experience was about self-awareness on a number of related fronts.  It was about the work that I need to consider to be prepared for the next job.  It was about how to use conversation, stories, and feedback to become a more effective communicator and leader.  It was about how to think differently – from a tactician point of view to a strategist point of view.  It was about how to use emotional intelligence to help form your leadership style.  It was about how to engage and relate to the people I will have the responsibility to lead.

Craig provided insight into the results of strengths tests.  The tests were pieces of the puzzle, but interpreting the results in a meaningful manner was the key.  The other pieces of the puzzle were the learnings that came from probing conversations, reflection, and the always popular deeper-dive homework.  How the pieces fit together will be for me to figure out.

This experience did not make me a better leader, but helped me be more aware of what it takes to become one.  I can say that I am better prepared to take on the next role than I was prior to the coaching experience.

Note to my readers; this client was just promoted to Vice President from a Director role. I am excited to have been a small part of his new story. His leadership journey continues!

Sales Manager and Client; International Specialty Software Developer

I would highly recommend Craig for coaching to any manager, at any level. My company had recently merged with a larger company and after years of working side by side with a pretty open management network, I was asked to become more in-line with the corporate way of thinking. To say that I was nervous about this was an understatement, as I had never worked in a tight corporate structure before and I needed some guidance on how this would all come together.

Lucky for me, our company hired Juengling & Associates for executive coaching and I was introduced to Craig Juengling. Craig and I immediately hit it off and I felt extremely comfortable with him and the direction that he could give me. As a CEO, Craig had run many larger businesses and had managed a diverse group of employees. His insight and words have assisted me to better understand what is expected of me to move to the next level, and to navigate the management structure of a larger company.

Not only has he helped me to understand the expectations of what our parent company expects, he has helped me to grow on a personal level as well. To pay attentions to body language and how I say my words in all situations is something that will help me today and into the future.

I have worked with other management coaches in the past but hands down Craig is the one that really helped me to understand why all of these skills are important, especially during a time of transition.

Chief Supply Chain Officer and Client; Industry Leading International Manufacturer and Wholesaler 

Craig is a remarkable executive coach.  It was clear, shortly after we met, that he was to help me discover the work that I needed to focus on for the ‘next’ job.  From that point on, the sessions were spot on.  The sessions were a great set of reflections, practices, and actual live work!  Craig strongly believes in taking the theory of coaching and making it a learning experience; we had numerous exercises of follow up work that resulted in putting “coaching” to work in my workplace.

My initial expectations were much more local (Supply Chain specific).  I felt like I needed to describe all the ‘great’ things we were already getting accomplished… again, in a local way of thinking.  After a few sessions, I understood that the greater learning would come from learning what I needed to work on for the ‘next’ job and my responsibility to the ‘people’ of the company I serve.

What sticks out the most for me is the transition from thinking locally to thinking holistically.  From a Supply Chain only focus to a Company focus.  I’ve sharpened my point of view on why our company exists… BEYOND just the Vision and Mission.  It’s been the most exciting part of this learning.  My confidence to help people grasp why our company exists and touch their hearts early has sky rocketed!  I practice it on my friends and family too. As I said, he is remarkable and very effective; his experience as a CEO has been invaluable for me.

Note to subscribers: I have enjoyed working with this client and many of his peers and colleagues; I found out today he was promoted to Executive Vice President. I could not be happier for him!

Vice President and Client; International Specialty Software Developer

I can confidently recommend Coach Craig as a solid expert in his field. His coaching and teaching has been a major factor in our company’s success by helping our entire team grow and develop powerful leadership skills.

I had the opportunity to work with him personally for over six months.  As they say, “a kick in the behind, can be a step forward”… I can personally attest to this. With Craig’s guidance and resources, I developed strategies to be more effective and move forward. My energies were directed to understanding key leadership behaviors and skills which in turn allowed me to focus on business outcomes. I feel highly privileged to have been part of Coach Craig’s executive coaching.

Vice President of Sales and Business Development and Client; Regional IT Application and Design Consultant Company

Anyone looking to take their company and career to the next level needs to invest in professional development.  After taking this step personally in early 2013, Craig has been the coach and mentor needed to help me uncover my true potential as a leader, not through academic minutia, but through practical examples and life experiences.  That, combined with a number of personality and strengths assessments, helped me create unique personal development plan that was executable and realistic in approach and outcomes.  Our focus was primarily on enhancing my strengths instead of trying to improve things that I’m simply not wired to do well.  In doing so, he gives you the confidence to succeed in the areas that will enhance your career and find ways to partner with other leaders that have complementary skills that allow the entire organization to benefit from the collective good of the leadership team.

His coaching style is one of continuous questioning to elicit the outcomes that he knows you are capable of, never telling you what to do, but coaching you on how to do it.  The best part of it all is that Craig also shares his own story and development objectives making the experience unintimidating and relatable.  I’ve since taken what I’ve learned and incorporated that into coaching sessions with my employees, and have seen dramatically different results.  There is no magic bullet to turn you into a Level 5 leader overnight, but Craig can give you the tools and confidence to embark on that journey.

Senior Vice President and Client; National Health Care Provider

Prior to meeting you, I looked at executive coaches as a positive resource that some companies employ to help their employees grow, develop, and learn to build new habits.  What I discovered was that by going through the process with you, I learned many things, including how to be a better leader.  I also learned to be a better listener, peer, partner, inspirer, wife and overall I am more confident in my role as a leader.   The conversations were incredibly powerful and life changing, and people have shared that I seem happier.

With the work you did with my team, I have learned more in the last few months about building team goals, setting team priorities, understanding the true blessing that a variety of “strengths” within a team can have, and the balance needed between strength areas for a fully well rounded team. Let me share again, that you have been amazing to work with and the process has been incredibly challenging, fulfilling and in a very neat way, spiritual thanks to you.

Note to my readers: after a major corporate re-organization, my client was tapped to lead a new enterprise wide team essential to re-position the company for the Affordable Care Act.  She is an influential and essential part of the new future for the company, and I am incredibly proud of her.

Director of Performance Improvement and Client; Community Hospital

I began working with Craig in February 2013. In all honesty, I wasn’t sure what to expect as I had never had the opportunity to work with an executive coach. Little did I know that it would be a life and career changing and enlightening experience.

Craig is amazing at helping you understand who you are, your goals, and what developmental steps are needed to reach those goals. We used a variety of assessments that proved to be exceptionally beneficial. While the tests were fantastic, it was Craig’s insights on how to use the results that proved to be the differentiator.

Personally, I believe that I will be a better leader after being under Craig’s leadership. The most important thing that we worked on was emotional intelligence. While I had heard the term previously, understanding and living it was something I wasn’t familiar with. Craig brought it to life in a way that was engaging, insightful, and practical for me.

I am tremendously fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with Craig for nine months. I have recommended him to many of my colleagues and peers because I know they will also find the value in his efforts. The bottom line is if you are looking for someone to help make you, or your organization, a better performer through the growth of executives or high performers, Craig is someone you want as a partner.

Executive Director and Client, Marketing and Public Relation; Industry Leading International Manufacturer and Wholesaler 

When my company chose me to participate in our executive coaching program, I was flattered and excited.  And after the first meeting with Craig, I knew I’d have a wonderful experience.

Many years ago I hired an executive coach on my own, but I ended up disappointed and unsure of an executive coach’s purpose, so I was curious to see if I would get something out of it this time.  Craig was extremely well-organized, humble, and clearly eager to help me grow in my profession.  I was comfortable that he truly knew and loved what he was doing and he immediately gained my trust.

Through Craig’s guidance, I learned a lot about myself, my management and leadership styles, and where I needed improvements to make the next move in my career path.  Craig gave me the tools and confidence to believe in myself and become a better leader for my department and for my company.  I’m now armed and ready to go for that Chief Marketing Officer position to which I aspire!

I look forward to working with Craig again someday in any capacity.

Chief Executive Officer and Client; Statewide Financial Institution

I started with Craig as my Executive Coach after he worked with my leadership team during a retreat in 2012. Early in our coaching, we initiated the process of creating personal self-awareness and we began goal setting immediately. I knew of several areas I knew I needed to improve in, but Craig also expanded my learning to include additional unexpected knowledge on how to do my job better. His previous experience as a CEO was essential and it helped me expand my thinking and improve my leadership.

My listening and communication skills have improved and I am better able to lead the team toward a common vision.  I am also more confident about how to share my expectations with staff and coach them toward achieving those expectations. My company’s leadership team has improved dramatically and my role on the team is better defined and more effective. I have learned the importance of emotional intelligence as a leader, but also know how important it is for my teammates as well.

Perhaps no greater recommendation for Craig as an Executive Coach is the fact I will engage him to coach the leaders who are part of our company’s succession plan. I am confident he will be equally effective with them, as he was with me.

Physician Practice Administrator and Client; Regional Specialty Hospital System

What first interested me about Craig Juengling was the fact that he had a career in healthcare administration and had actually served as a CEO in the hospital environment.  My reason for exploring the use of an executive coach was that I had been at my new employment for a relatively short amount of time when I realized that the transition from the private physician practice environment into the hospital owned practice environment, was very challenging and sometimes unfamiliar. I knew that Craig’s unique experience as a CEO would be welcomed. Once I decided I would like his assistance with coaching. During our six months of work together, Craig not only helped me identify and better understand the different personalities found in my workplace and how to meet each of their expectations, but also the many dynamics and challenges that one faces routinely as an executive.

Craig also helped me assess my own style and personality traits in an effort to make me be more self-aware and strategic about the actions I take.    I was aware that my actions and ideas were not working as I’d like and that’s why I engaged Craig’s assistance.  With his coaching, I was able to explore and try out different options and tactics. Many times the actions Craig challenged me with were not the easiest or most comfortable course of action for me, but that’s exactly what I was looking for and why I had asked for his coaching.  Although I have completed my coaching sessions currently, if I ever have a need for an executive coach again Craig, would certainly be my top choice.

VP, Leadership Team Member and Client; Regional Multi-Line Insurance Agency

I was offered the opportunity to work with Craig as part of a transition into a large regional insurance agency, following an earlier career stint with a Fortune 100 multi-national insurance company. I needed someone to be honest and direct with me through this process and Craig did just that.

During the year I worked with him, I learned many things about myself and the importance of how I interact with others. I am learning to lead, rather than simply manage. I know I can achieve this through thinking more strategically and taking the initiative to make positive, progressive change when needed. I am more confident in my abilities as a leader thanks to coaching, and my assertiveness and ability to communicate based on different personality types, is much more effective.

I am ready to continue to grow as a leader and focus on the development of my team as I participate more strategically as an organizational leader. With the end of the coaching engagement, Craig and I worked on a clear path to further my professional growth so I can achieve the career goals I have set for myself. It has truly been a pleasure working with him and I sincerely appreciate all the  help, support, and direction he has given me.

Director of Surgical Services and Client; Community Hospital

I had the pleasure of meeting Craig approximately a year ago. I have accomplished and learned so many things since our first meeting. I have become a more effective delegator, which has helped me as well as my managers and team members. I also learned to be more effective in developing others and utilizing their gifts and talents to help my department in so many different ways. Using these skills effectively, has allowed me more time to think strategically and to be a part of several hospital projects; in fact, I have been asked to lead several major change initiatives at the hospital.  All of my goals were met through our coaching sessions as I will continue working on developing myself to become a better leader with the information and guidance provided by Craig. I truly enjoyed working with Craig as he is a great listener and teacher. I highly recommend Craig Juengling as an Executive Coach.

Director and Client; Business Engineering; Major Statewide Insurance Company

Before I met Craig, I had goals for improving my leadership skills such as staff development, command, presentation and strategic thinking, but was not focused enough to attain my goals.  The 360, DISC, Strength-finder and numerous articles and exercises Craig used in coaching me helped to objectively identify specific weaknesses and strengths in my leadership competencies, allowing me to define and focus on attainable goals.

Craig’s constant words of encouragement helped me to gain confidence and strengthen my ability to lead.  In the last few months, I have been more assertive in my tone of voice, delegating and communicating to my teams, and feeling confident and good about leadership skills.  The delegation checklist and priority grid tool aides he shared with me are helping to keep me focused.   By delegating appropriately, I am completing assignments more timely and growing my staff’s skills and capabilities.

Craig’s honesty, sincerity and encouraging words helped me see a brighter future and believe in myself again so I can learn how to become a effective leader.  Our focus on team work and furthering important relationships with my supervisor and peers have resulted in better outcomes and a more collaborative environment.  I would recommend Craig to anyone who wants to accelerate his or her leadership skills.

Local VP of Operations and Client; Regional IT Application and Design Consultant Company

Development opportunities for professionals are endless, but only some of them provide the individualization that Craig’s executive coaching can.  During a 6 month engagement, Craig helped me identify traits that set me apart in the workplace, while revealing those that also hold me back.  By first setting bold goals for the mentorship, we kept focus on key characteristics that would help me achieve them.  After his coaching was complete, I know I am better prepared to take on a much larger position in our organization more rapidly than I would have otherwise.

Craig’s style focuses on understanding how to take advantage of strengths and play off your weaknesses through clever, yet powerful self-realization techniques.  His approach supports your progress while continually challenging you along the way. Anyone who commits themselves to the coaching with Craig will walk-away a stronger, more prepared professional and leader than they were before.

Note to my readers: I am thrilled to report my client received a promotion to the Chief Operating Officer of the entire multi-state company. He has worked hard to achieve this goal and I am excited to have been a small part of his leadership journey.

Non-Profit Fund Raising Director and Client

I sought Craig out to make sure I was on the right track in my work. What I got was more than I bargained for. Over the course of several months, Craig helped me sort out what values matter to me in life and career. Then Craig walked with me in every step of planning to start to bring it to reality.

I expected to find my strengths and weaknesses-but the truth is I had taken assessments before and didn’t expect to learn much new. Craig used the results and his keen perceptive abilities to reveal extremely useful new information-and then worked with me on personalized strategies to capitalize on it.

Craig has made himself available and has connected me to key professionals in the community to further my and my organization’s goals. I am a more productive employee, a more effective leader and communicator because of his work with me. As the Fund Raising Director, I am focused and understand how to use my strengths with my work team to produce even better results. I highly recommend Craig for anyone wanting to improve their leadership capabilities.

Physician and Client; Community Hospital Emergency Department

I must admit I was a little intimidated about the process before it began.  I suppose nobody feels like they need to be “coached”.  I have never been one to do well with criticism.  So I entered the relationship with trepidation.  I was more than pleased when we began and continued our sessions for months.

Craig is very non-confrontational.  While working through exercises and feedback he manages to be nonjudgmental even about the obvious weakness.  It never felt like criticism.  It was just constructive.  I was able to open up and look at myself and my habits and with Craig’s help work on ways to be more effective in my workplace.  Our relationships with our coworkers are critical to our success.  I was able to learn more about how to take that into account when communicating such that my goals were easier to achieve through a mutual respect. It is easy for me to recommend Craig to my colleagues and friends.

Director of Patient Care and Client; Community Hospital

I can truly say it was a wonderful experience to walk away from every coaching session with a renewed sense of accomplishments. The coaching sessions were very beneficial as they allowed me to take a panoramic view of myself. Through the means of Craig’s tactful and deliberate coaching skills, I was able to relax and allow positive energy that was the turning point of directing me to focus on my self-awareness and effectiveness as a leader. Through Craig’s professionalism and his nurturing methods, I was able to revive my strengths and grow in my areas of opportunities. All of his sessions were supportive of me as a person, even when the conversation was developmental in scope; I was able to gain great insight and directions to move me to the next level of understanding myself and my professional strengths.  Craig’s sessions are exceptional, and provides great inspiration to anyone looking to fashion a successful and rewarding career.

Director of Claims and Client;  Major Healthcare Payer

After many years managing large operations, I was fortunate to have the privilege of working with Craig Juengling as a coach.  I only wish the opportunity had come earlier in my career.  Craig’s credibility as a coach is enhanced by his extensive business experience and expertise.  Craig was able to quickly assimilate a vast amount of information from interviews and surveys and to clearly see my strengths and opportunities.  His ability to see through to the essence of feedback and the individual is exceptional.  I was initially dubious of the benefits of coaching, but in the first session, I became convinced of the personal benefits.

Craig has a special ability to tailor his work to the needs of the individual.  He is supportive, but honest and fair.  His insight into me as an individual and a manager, and to the organization and how I fit, have been invaluable.  As a coach, Craig works as a partner, and he has been very responsive to what I felt I needed as well.  I trust Craig completely to keep confidences. I have appreciated his gentle but firm  style of pushing back when I was not seeing a critical point or an opportunity to change.  As a coach, Craig is also an excellent motivator.  I have learned a tremendous amount from Craig, and I credit him with significantly improving my leadership effectiveness.  I could not recommend him more highly.

Director of Operations and Client; Healthcare Payer

Over the course of my career, I have worked with a few coaches and each of them have met with varying degrees of success.  Like other coaches, Craig Juengling brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table.   He artfully administers tests and surveys, and can point you to some of the best commentaries available in today’s crowded marketplace.  He knows when to talk and he knows when to listen.  And he knows when to just observe.  He keenly integrates his own life experiences into the discussion so you feel fortunate to be learning from someone who has been there.

Craig helped me to appreciate the importance of recognizing/adapting to your environment.  While geography will always play a part in cultural differences, the cultural differences that we addressed pertained mostly to that of the organization.  Choosing to ignore your organizations unique culture can often times be the difference between success and failure.

I received a firsthand lesson from Craig on the art of adapting your style to fit your audience.  During the duration of my coaching experience, Craig coached two other individuals from my organization.  After comparing notes with my peers, I was struck by how different his approach seemed to be from one person to the next.   Yet each one of us felt that he was a perfectly suited mentor and coach.  One person viewed him as an instructor, another as a counselor and yet I viewed him as a partner.  We all needed something different.  Craig figured out what that was, customized his approach . . . and optimized the results.

Craig has helped me to become a more self-aware and effective leader.   At the end of the day, Craig wisely acknowledged that as a coach, he can only lead me to water.  Ultimately, I need to take accountability and decide how badly I want this.  My objectives are now clear.   In order to optimize my organizational effectiveness, I must adapt to the culture of my organization and be in tune to the unique needs of my audience.

I would strongly recommend Craig to any leader who is struggling or simply interested in breaking through and getting to that next level.

R&D Manager and Client; Major Petrochemical Company

There comes a time in most managers’ careers where we need insight to advance to the next level – to accentuate our strengths and to address our weaknesses. I came to that point in January of 2012.  A vice president told me I had the potential to grow into an executive leader, but needed a leadership style shift, but I was not clear how to make this happen.  After exploring several training options, a contact recommended executive coach Craig Juengling.

Craig assessed my leadership skills and quickly concluded that I had strong interpersonal skills, but needed to improve effectiveness in strategic planning, delegating tasks and effective confrontation.  Over the course of 12 months, Craig taught me to delegate – without delegation skills, I simply could not improve in other areas.  We also worked on strategic planning and vision development while also dealing with situational leadership.

After one year, I’ve seen substantial progress.  My leadership confidence has never been stronger.  I naturally look for opportunities to delegate tasks and to develop leaders in my organization.  I actively refine my group’s strategies.  I look for opportunities to surround myself with strategic thinkers.  And I see where I need to focus attention to improve my leadership even further.  It’s a journey, but progress has been tangible.

I would not have made this progress without Craig’s input, insights, personal challenges and encouragement.  I would recommend Craig Juengling to any leader who is serious about improving effectiveness and being positioned for professional advancement.

Chief Financial Officer and Client; Large Regional Specialty Hospital

I sought healthcare administration/ leadership coaching to supplement the lack of healthcare experience necessary in my role as CFO of a large regional specialty hospital. Although I was a CFO with over 20 years of experience in other industries, healthcare was a unique challenge due to regulatory, governance and operating issues that are specific to this industry. What I received when working with Craig was considerably more than I asked for.

Craig took a holistic approach designed not only to meet my perceived need, but also to address the many factors which can and do impact leadership success.  Success is a dynamic concept, changing rapidly depending upon the particular corporate environment, industry challenges, and our season of life including skill sets and philosophies.  Through working with Craig, I learned how to hone my leadership skills and lead a talented team of directors more effectively.    I believe Craig possesses an exceptional talent in assessing all of those factors in order create a road map of leadership excellence in whatever journey one takes.

Bio-Medical Research Center Director and Client

I have had the distinct fortune of securing the services of Mr. Craig Juengling to serve as my Executive Coach during a very difficult and challenging time in my career.  After over twenty years of experience in healthcare executive management, I made the decision to change the focus and direction of my career and began the process of transitioning into a new vocational path.

Craig worked closely with me to define my occupational goals and provide me with potential options for future employment.  Using a combination of assessment tools, he was able to assist me in defining my personal strengths and identifying specific roles in which these strengths would result in professional successes.  Furthermore, his assistance was invaluable in the refinement of my resume and the sharpening of my interview skills.

I highly recommend Craig Juengling, and am proud to provide this testimonial to the nature of his services.  His skills as a coach and advisor are unparalleled.  His recommendations are well founded and based upon his vast experience and professional successes.  .  With his help, I was able to secure an excellent position that has provided me with professional fulfillment and personal satisfaction.

Medical Practice CEO/Administrator and Client; Regional Specialty Medicine Practice

Craig has been my Executive Coach for just over a year.  We began our relationship on the heels of a particularly difficult time in my career, and my confidence was low.  I knew that I needed the guidance of an expert to help me navigate to a place in which I felt at the top of my game once again.  In addition, I needed to develop some new skills in order to advance my performance to the next level.  Craig was invaluable to me!  He provided me with some helpful self-assessment tools, helped me develop new skills, and prodded me to set some attainable, but challenging goals.  The new knowledge and successful attainment of goals boosted my confidence, and propelled me back to a high level of performance.  My work relationships are better than ever, and I’m proud of what I have accomplished over the past year with Craig’s help!

Special Project Assistant for American Experience and Client

As a master’s student in Library and Information Science, I had never had a “professional” job, much less have had to interview for those jobs or work to build my own professional network.  Being able to talk about it and communicate that excitement to others was a very different story.  I had no idea where to start.

Craig helped me discover my innate strengths, and he worked with me to identify ways in which I had used those strengths in the work I had been doing in school, and for my graduate assistantship.  He taught me how to describe my strengths and provide measurable results to people in a networking situation.  He helped me learn to communicate why I love what I do. In the end, his guidance had increased my confidence exponentially.  I was ready to take Boston by storm.

I’d like to say that I owe it all to Craig, but he would be too humble to accept my gratitude. The truth is that all leaders have great strengths, and good leaders love what they do and are excellent at doing it, but we don’t always know how to use them or communicate them to others.  This is where Craig’s services bring out the best in leaders’ strengths and where his work will ultimately lead you to success.

Note to my subscribers: I was particularly touched by this testimonial, but she gives me far too much credit for the hard work she did. I don’t often have the privilege of working with recent graduates. I am so very proud of her, how courageously she left home for Boston and how quickly she found a destination employer, the national headquarters of PBS. She is living her dream to become a part of the American Experience team doing outreach and research for their Emmy award winning documentary series. 

Assistant Vice Chancellor and Client

For nearly a year, Craig and I have shared a professional coaching partnership.  As one of the leaders of a busy communications and marketing operation for a large research university, it is essential that I continuously sharpen my leadership skills and stretch and enhance my management capabilities.  Over the course of our weekly meetings, Craig has helped me to identify opportunities for growth, in addition to pointing out the inherent strengths in my management style.  He has helped me to become more effective and strategic, while providing me with ideas for collaborating with colleagues in a way that inspires, motivates and engages them. (On a personal note, Craig helped me to discover the internal focus and discipline I needed to successfully cross the finish line in completing my dissertation this past summer after four years of coursework, research and writing.)

Craig helped me to achieve a major goal this year in initiating a first-time strategic planning process with my colleagues.  With Craig’s assistance, this project has brought about many short-term successes, and we are certain it will result in several long-term benefits for improving employee morale, satisfaction and engagement, as well as productivity and higher levels of customer satisfaction.

Perhaps most of all, Craig has helped me to become much more self-aware.  He has guided me in realistic, positive ways and has been a trusted listener of many of my thoughts and ideas, giving me constructive criticism along the way.  He has helped me to see that there are countless opportunities in my future career path for growth and development and has helped me to enjoy the place I am in currently, both personally and professionally, as a stronger, more self-confident leader.

Craig has had a tremendous influence in my professional development and I look forward to continuing and investing in myself through our coaching relationship for some time to come.

Attorney/CPA, Business Owner and Client

As a dual practitioner Attorney/CPA, most of my business time is spent working with and for clients and keeping up to date with changes in the law.  Undergraduate and post graduate education prepared me for the practice of law and public accounting, but not for how to handle employee conflict and strategic planning for a small business.  I opened my business more than seven years ago, and have been blessed with great clients and plenty of work, but insofar as management, staffing and strategic planning,  I knew I could do better.  I remembered that a friend had mentioned using a “business coach” at one time, so I called and asked for the number.