IC-to-leadership coaching
You're good at the craft.
Leadership is a different game.
You've done the work. You're technically sharp, you ship, people respect your output. Maybe you've already been promoted - or you're right on the edge of it. And something feels off.
What the transition actually feels like
You got the title, but you're not sure you've got the identity to go with it. You're still doing IC work because it feels safer than the ambiguity of leading. You don't know how to talk about your impact anymore - it's not your work, it's your team's work.
You've been passed over for leadership roles and can't figure out why. You're second-guessing every decision because you're not sure whose voice to trust - including your own. That disorientation is normal. It's also workable. But you have to go to the source of it.
The playbook you've been running for the last 5, 8, 10 years doesn't transfer.
I've sat in the rooms where promotion decisions are made. I've watched talented ICs get passed over - not because they weren't ready, but because they couldn't articulate who they were becoming.
This isn't a skills gap. It's an identity gap. And that's a different problem.
Most career advice for this transition patches the surface - better LinkedIn copy, a new way to frame your work. That's useful. But it's not the thing. The thing is going to the source of the disorientation, not papering over it.
- Chris, Your Career Coach
Who this is for
You don't need to see yourself in all of these. One is enough.
- Just got the title You've been promoted into leadership but nobody handed you the manual.
- Right on the edge You're clearly ready for leadership but keep getting passed over and can't figure out why.
- Willing to go deep You know the answer isn't just a better LinkedIn headline - you're ready to do the real work.
- Stuck in IC mode You got promoted but keep defaulting to the work you know because leading feels too ambiguous.
- Lost the thread The craft used to anchor you. Now you're not sure what your value actually is.
If even one of these landed - that's worth a conversation.
How we work together
Two kinds of work.
The Inner Work
This is coaching
The identity work nobody else is doing with you. We'll surface the "who am I to lead" narrative, untangle the identity still tied to your craft, and connect you to the version of yourself that already knows how to lead.
The Outer Work
This is strategy
How you talk about leadership impact - not just craft. LinkedIn and portfolio that tell the story of someone becoming a leader. Interview prep that comes from self-trust, not memorized answers.
What 6 weeks look like
Sessions 1 & 2
Get Clear
What does leadership actually mean to you - not the job description version, but yours?
- Values work and honest audit of what's been draining you
- Define what you actually want from this next chapter
- Start building your leadership identity from the inside out
Sessions 3 & 4
Go Deeper
Surface the voices keeping you stuck and build the self-trust to lead from them.
- The "who am I to lead" narrative - named and examined
- The identity still tied to your craft - untangled
- Connect to the part of you that already knows how to lead
Sessions 5 & 6
Navigate What's Next
Close the gap between who you are and how you show up in the market.
- How to talk about your leadership impact - not just your craft
- LinkedIn and portfolio that tell the story of someone becoming a leader
- Interview prep that comes from self-trust, not memorized answers
This is what changes
When the inner work and the outer work are connected, something shifts. You stop navigating from uncertainty and start moving from a place you actually trust. That changes how you show up in rooms, how you make decisions, and how others experience you as a leader.
That's the work. That's what this is.
Ready to figure out what's
actually getting in the way?
30 minutes. No pitch. Just a real conversation about where you are and whether this is the right fit.
Book a free discovery call →Or email me directly if that feels easier.