Letitia Moore (pseudonym) is the CEO of a start-up pharma company. A dream come true for this trailblazer who’s always wanted to build something from the ground up. It’s also the biggest gamble she’s made in her 25-year life-sciences career.

 She’s energized by the opportunity to be involved in something that could make a difference in the fight against a difficult-to-treat form of breast cancer. But when her husband was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2021 her world view changed. “The risk I was taking came with a start-up came into sharp focus,” she says. “I had to determine if I had the energy, determination, and drive to secure funding and/or partnerships for clinical trials and product development. Though I believed in the science behind our work, I knew it would likely be a tough road ahead and wasn’t entirely sure if I was ‘up’ for it.” 

What followed was a courageous journey into beliefs, fears, assumptions, and interpretations that defined her view of herself and the company she led.  An “inside out revolution.”

The issues that concerned Letitia were focus, prioritization, decision-making, accountability, work style, leveraging powerful teams and obtaining a reasonable work/life balance, especially in the wake of her husband’s diagnosis. The questions we asked were:

What is your leadership style, and will it help move the company where it needs to be? What do others perceive your leadership style to be and how does it enhance or detract their efforts? Where do gaps exist and why?

What drives you/ Why are you really doing this?

Who are you capable of becoming? Who do you want to be (both personally and professionally)?

What are the most important priorities for the company today? What are the most important priorities for you as a human being?

Who are the people who will get you where you need to be and how will they do it?

What do you believe is standing in your way? What do others believe may be standing in your way?

The message was clear: in those areas where transformation was needed, it had to start within. For Letitia to unleash her full leadership potential, she had look at blind spots, biases, habits, patterns, and rationalizations to break free of disempowering behaviors and messages that were limiting her and her teams. And Letitia had the courage to do so.

Expectations of self and others quickly came into focus.  Letitia explored a relentless drive for excellence in every corner of the operation that was, at times, perceived as lack of confidence in staff and micromanagement. She began to understand how her own impulses and anxieties were negatively affecting otherwise- competent teams and managers. She learned to ease up by setting clear written expectations for all direct reports and teams, and then holding them accountable without becoming directly involved in their work.

Letitia learned to sit with and process uncomfortable “triggers” that emerged when she felt her value as leader was, or could be, threatened. The benefit of taking a few deep breaths and mindfully considering challenging situations from a wholistic perspective before commenting or acting proved to be invaluable. She began to see the impact her blind spots and assumptions had had on individuals and teams, and learned how to honor and engage her best self.  It’s still a work in progress.

 For Letitia, the decision today is no longer “stay” or “go.” It’s how to pivot effectively, look at fear and discomfort head-on and continue to grow from the inside out.

Let’s schedule a free discovery session to learn how this will work for you. Drop me a line at laura@bydesigncoachingcenter.com.