In the high-stakes realm of the C-suite, where unchecked risks could lead to the demise of a business, and ongoing reinvention is required owing to market dynamics, Linda Coughlin works as a creative executive coach and strategic advisor. Coughlin is the Founder and President of Great Circle Associates, founded in 2008. She facilitates “Change at Core™” at the individual, team and enterprise levels. It suggests a structural change away from root-based mindsets and deeply ingrained corporate cultures.

With over 40 years of leadership expertise, Coughlin is able to bridge “the sublime with the pragmatic,” eliminating the obstacles that hinder leadership teams from reaching their full potential. As a result, she has become a highly sought-after advisor to mid-career transitioning high-potential leaders and C-suite executives.

The Philosophy Behind the Practice

Coughlin’s fundamental premise is that leadership development is highly customized and methodical.  Objectives that support each client’s strategic priorities are agreed to.  She begins every engagement with an in-depth, self-reflective discovery process. Leaders capture their greatest assets, obstacles, fundamental principles, traits, and leadership philosophies. But the process involves more than standard assessments. Coughlin also probes for the presence of imposter syndrome, which is thought to affect roughly 70% of leaders.

“A whiny little voice in their heads telling leaders they don’t deserve what they’ve achieved, or that they don’t belong,” is how Coughlin describes this all too often phenomenon. She has discovered that leaders are vulnerable to being exposed as frauds when they downplay their abilities and refuse to acknowledge their achievements. As direct as she may be, “The only way to avoid feeling like an imposter is to stop thinking like one.”

As a result, leaders become more self-aware, able to lead more effectively in the moment, and they communicate better. The creation of a “Work-Life Map” occurs in the second phase .Informed by the outcomes of the self-discovery process, it’s a purpose-driven development plan that serves as a guide for establishing strategic priorities in support of both life and career aspirations.

Coughlin’s final stage, preparing clients to communicate their development goals to managers and other key stakeholders, is perhaps the most atypical. She believes that this openness fosters trust and creates safe, stable, and open organisational cultures. It’s a necessary first step in the process of strategic reinvention.

Beating Myths about Leadership

Drawing on her own experience of years of leadership working with global leaders, Coughlin has pinpointed a fundamental misunderstanding that plagues most attempts at strategic reinvention. The need for radically disruptive change led by top leaders, she finds, consistently underestimates the need for ongoing inspirational communication regarding the “what” and the “why” of change endeavors. Top leaders also underestimate the value of acknowledging even the smallest success along the way as a means of gaining momentum.

“When attempting to inspire others, they also minimise the transformative potential of several emotional intelligence traits, such as self-awareness, empathy, relationship building and self-regulation,” says Coughlin. These lack of considerations typically signal the risk of failure for efforts at transformation, as technical competence alone cannot address the human subtleties involved in organizational transformation.

The Great Circle Associates Mission

Great Circle Associates’ mission statement distills Coughlin’s holistic approach to change: “To facilitate the strategically developed, timely and well-executed adoption of sustainable Change at Core™ at enterprise, team and individual levels to achieve bold growth or turnaround outcomes — this while imparting deeply held values and best practice leadership competencies and skills.”

This mission has been adapted to reflect more complexity of leadership in the modern-day C-suite. Coughlin’s Change at Core™ definition precisely denotes “decisive breaks from deeply ingrained mindsets and cultures, structures, legacy business processes, decision-making styles and problem-solving approaches.” She further adds that such change is hardest to anticipate, plan, and deliver, because it is always tied to stress on individual leaders, team members, customers, partners and infrastructure.

Real-World Transformation

Coughlin’s influence far exceeds theory. A specific instance that came readily to mind was the case of a newly appointed CEO, recruited by a private equity group to run a rapidly growing media technology firm after a merger. The firm was, in Coughlin’s term, “fraying — fractured by cultural tension, unclear roles and board pressure.”

Collaborating closely with the CEO, Coughlin advocated for administering 360-degree feedback to identify strengths and blind spots among the newly formed leadership team. She co-created a leadership narrative that connected the  Mission, Vision, Goals, and Strategies to Values of the organization. She reframed executive team relationships to establish a safe and supportive environment where cross-functional leaders would feel at ease being open and inclusive at resolving problems and conflicts.

The outcomes verify the effectiveness of her approach. Within a year, the firm had achieved a 45% increase in company-wide employee engagement scores, lower executive turnover, a successful second-round capital raise, and most poignant, a CEO proclaiming, “I finally feel like I can lead as myself, not who I thought I had to be.”

Transcending Systemic Obstacles

With over 18 years of experience as an executive coach and advisor, Coughlin has concentrated her practice on two significant obstacles to successful leadership: imposter syndrome (see above section on The Philosophy Behind the Practice), and toxic work cultures. Her solution to fighting toxic cultures is methodical, involving a five-step process for embedding values, cultural norms and desired behaviors:

1) Inclusively codifying values, cultural norms and desired behaviors;

2) Benchmarking employees’ practice of those norms;

3) Aligning performance measurement with the practice of values, cultural and desired  behaviours.

4) Building high impact internal communications activities;

5) Holding senior leadership accountable for modeling the values, cultural norms and desired behaviors.

This process is illustrative of Coughlin’s strongly held view that culture is not a discretionary planning aspect. It is the building block on which strategic transformation collapses or succeeds. She is aware that politically charged work cultures, especially in larger organizations, can bring down even the most rigorously designed strategic plans.

Balancing Stability and Innovation

Balancing operational stability with innovative boldness is perhaps the greatest challenge in strategic reinvention. Coughlin’s approach is not surprisingly practical: she facilitates the identification of high potential managers and leaders and challenges them to pursue innovative approaches to continuous improvement and change while maintaining operational stability, she invests heavily in their development throughout the transformation process, which may last 18 to 24 months.

Her model acknowledges that these leaders react favorably to coaching, mentoring and exposure to structured development programs tied to the achievement of strategic priorities.

The Nine-Step Transformation Framework

“Only 30% of corporate change efforts are successful. I have written and spoken extensively, and coached 100s of leaders over the last 18 years on leadership practices that lead to significant and enduring strategic departures from the status quo,” states Coughlin.

The most general lesson to be learned from the more successful cases is that the change process goes through a series of phases that, in total, usually require a considerable length of time. Skipping steps increase the illusion of speed but rarely if ever produce a satisfying result.

A second general lesson is that while course corrections are necessary, critical mistakes in any of the phases can have a devastating impact, slowing momentum and negating hard won gains.

Therefore, it is for leaders driving significant strategic departures from the status quo to adopt the following nine steps to successfully transform their organizations

1. Create a sense of urgency. Aggressively examine market and competitive realities.  Identify and do a deep dive with key stakeholders concerning the organization’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.
2. Create empowered cross-functional teams of passionate change champions. The most important step in the process, the selection of the team members, will largely determine the probability of success of the change initiative.  Invest heavily in their development.  Leadership qualities that typically define those who are best suited to   being members of the coalition follow

• Great changemakers see and are excited about a future that others do not. They have the courage of their conviction to advance Change at Core™.  Their foresight allows them to get ahead of oncoming disruptions or impending obsolescence.
• Great change makers possess the confidence to speak up, galvanize people, keep them emotionally engaged and get their buy-in to achieve breakthrough results. Their well-planned communications prompt personal curiosity and stimulate a willingness and positive bias to action.

• Great change makers appeal to the heart (emotion) and then the head (logic). They see team members in a sympathetic if not empathetic light.  They are trusted and leverage that strength having developed relationships based on mutual respect and commitment.  Their personal relationships enable them to bridge disconnected groups and individuals.  They are mindful of their relationships with influencers, cultivate fence sitters and handle resistors on a case-by-case basis by hearing them out and being open to the roots of their opposition

• Great change makers are not afraid to make decisions that go against dissenting opinions as they drive to Change at Core™. They do so with conviction and ownership of consequences, demonstrating that their intentions are motivated by the best interests of the organization.  This drives high levels of trust and respect by stakeholders.

• And, finally, great change makers are unlikely to give up easily. They are in for the long haul with all of the messiness and the twists and turns that characterize the accomplishment of Change at Core™.  Moreover, they not only follow through on commitments, but seek opportunities to make commitments and tend to over-deliver, an important trust-building behavior.

3. Create a bold self-evidently distinctive Vision that is clear about the desired future state. Articulate Goals and Strategies that support the realization of that Vision.
4. Codify and aggressively operationalize the creation of values, cultural norms and desired behaviors that support Vision, Goals and Strategies.  This is critically important to effect Change Core™.
5. Aggressively communicate the Mission and Vision. Err on the side of repetition.  Use all communications channels available to communicate the Mission, Vision, Goals and Strategies.  Take the time to teach new behaviors by the examples set by the coalition of passionate champions of change that were created in Step 2.
6. Empower as many as you can to act on the Mission, Vision and supporting Goals and Strategies. As a sponsor, focus most of your time on ferreting out and eliminating obstacles.  Have the courage of your conviction to change systems or structures that seriously undermine the advancement of the Mission, Vision and supporting Goals and Strategies.
7. Focus on low-hanging fruit opportunities for change to build momentum. Aggressively communicate short-term wins, as small  as they may be.  Plan for and drive visible performance improvements.  Recognize and reward employees involved in the improvement.
8. Consolidate improvements and drive still more change. Use increased credibility to change systems, structures and policies that do not support the realization of the Mission, Vision and supporting Goals and Strategies. Hire, promote and develop employees who will enthusiastically drive to Change at Core™.  Reinvigorate the process with new projects, themes and change makers.
9. Institutionalize new systems and processes. Articulate the connections between the new behaviors and organizational successes.  Develop the means to invest in leadership development and succession.

Future Focused

“We live and lead in a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) world,” Coughlin states. Today’s CEOs and C-level executives are redefining leadership by embracing a more adaptive, human-centric, and tech-integrated approach in response to geopolitical instability, AI disruption, and evolving workforce expectations. Here’s how leadership is evolving in each of these domains:

1. Geopolitical Instability: From Risk Avoidance to Agile Navigation

Old Model: Risk mitigation through centralized control and long-term planning.

New Leadership Response:

• Agility over predictability: Leaders are shifting to scenario planning and rapid decision-making models rather than rigid long-term strategies.
• Geopolitical literacy: Executives are investing in understanding global dynamics—supply chain vulnerabilities, sanctions, cyber threats, and political shifts—and integrating this into strategic choices.
• Resilience building: Focus has moved from just efficiency to include resilience, including reshoring operations, diversifying suppliers, and strengthening crisis response systems.

Example: CEOs are convening cross-functional “war rooms” to proactively respond to conflicts like the Ukraine war or U.S.-China tensions.

2. AI Disruption: From Technocratic Tooling to Strategic and Ethical Deployment

Old Model: Technology was delegated to CIOs or CTOs as a backend function.

New Leadership Response:

• Tech fluency at the top: CEOs are becoming more AI-literate to make strategic decisions around deployment, governance, and risk.
• Human-AI collaboration: Emphasis on augmenting human roles, not just automating them. Leadership is shifting toward “co-bot” culture rather than job replacement narratives.
• Ethical stewardship: There is growing executive accountability for ethical AI—transparency, bias mitigation, data privacy, and trust.

Example: Some leaders are forming AI ethics boards internally and linking AI initiatives to broader ESG goals.

3. Evolving Workforce Expectations: From Command-and-Control to Purpose-Driven, Inclusive Leadership

Old Model: Top-down hierarchy, rigid roles, focus on shareholder value.

New Leadership Response:

• Purpose-first leadership: Talent now demands meaningful work, so CEOs are aligning corporate mission with social impact, not just profit
• High EQs: The practice of emotional intelligence is the single most important antidote to leading and managing in a VUCA environment. The focus is on self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, relational skills, optimism, and a commitment to inspire motivation.
• Flexible work and well-being: Hybrid models, mental health support, and work-life integration are no longer perks—they’re expectations.
• Radical transparency: Younger employees expect transparency around pay, DEI progress, and decision-making. Authentic communication is now a leadership imperative.
• Co-creation and empowerment: Employees want to shape the organization, not just operate within it. Leaders are investing in shared ownership models, internal innovation labs, and continuous feedback loops.

Example: The rise of “employee activism” is driving CEOs to take public stands on political and social issues—a shift from neutrality to visible values.

4. Meta Shift: From Hero CEO to Networked Leadership

Old Model: The CEO as all-knowing, central authority.

New Leadership Response:

• Networked leadership models: More emphasis on distributed decision-making, cross-functional pods, and empowered teams.
• Humility and learning mindset: Successful leaders now model vulnerability, curiosity, and continuous learning, especially in uncharted domains like AI and global conflict.
• Stakeholder capitalism: CEOs are expanding their definition of success to include employees, communities, and the environment—not just shareholders.

Example: The Business Roundtable’s 2019 redefinition of the purpose of a corporation (updated from shareholder primacy to stakeholder value) has become a touchstone for this shift.

“In summary, Today’s C-level leaders are no longer just stewards of financial performance—they are diplomats, ethicists, futurists, and community builders. Leadership now demands navigating ambiguity with clarity, leveraging technology without losing humanity, and building companies that adapt without losing their soul,” shares Coughlin.

Personal Values and Professional Practice

Coughlin shares, “As a c-suite operating leader in corporate America I had always prioritized the need to surround myself with leaders who had the potential to do circles around me.  I therefore invested heavily in a strategic approach to their development, playing close attention to coaching, mentoring and empowering them to adopt a growth mindset, play to their strengths and learn to take measured risks”.

She states, “I always worked hard to create the full partnership of men and women leaders in male dominated environments.  This required me to master my active listening and collaboration skills, exercising a high level of laser focus on results, and ensuring that my team members were recognized for their achievements”.

She further adds, “It was therefore a natural for me to become an executive coach  focused on collaborating with leaders and leadership teams who are at significant  inflection points in their careers, and a strategic advisor to leadership teams who need to re-imagine aspects of their business models, leveraging my core competencies at strategic thinking, execution, communications and culture development”.

She has articulated six values as a profit center leader focused on the leadership of disruptive departures from the status quo:

1. The celebration of uniqueness: To welcome and embrace differences in backgrounds, strengths, work styles, problem-solving techniques, life experiences and perspectives, recognizing that the greatness of any enterprise arises out of the unique contribution of each individual.
2. Generosity of spirit and action: An attitude of the heart that manifests in an authentic expression of compassion and willingness to articulate and implement a mission and vision for the good of all stakeholders, including customers, shareholders, employees, partners and the local and global communities that organizations operate in.
3. Professional and intellectual humility: The awareness and outward expression of our individual fallibility as we drive to the achievement of breakthrough results.
4. Reciprocity: An eagerness and prowess at giving as well as receiving toward mutually beneficial outcomes (“to whom much is given, much is expected”)
5. Transparency: A commitment to making visible, in truthful candid ways, processes by which conclusions are drawn, decisions are made, problems are solved and opportunities are envisioned.
6. Passion for the elimination of the status quo: A commitment to embrace change, not for change’s sake, but for the breakthrough and sustained well-being of all stakeholder groups.

These values have endured, and she has practiced them for 30 years.

Her vow of transparency, for example, entails opening up processes where decisions are made, conclusions drawn, problems dealt with, and possibilities entertained. She does this in her coaching practice, where she sets clients up for negotiations with managers and stakeholders on their development plans. This prepping builds trust and a shared commitment to the possibilities and their achievability.

The Human Element of Strategic Change

What distinguishes Coughlin from other executive coaches is her acknowledgment that strategic reinvention, by definition, is a human process. Her focus on emotional intelligence as “the single most important antidote to leading and managing in a VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous) environment” indicates her acknowledgment that technical knowledge alone will not be able to ride out the challenges of contemporary organizational life.

Her practice repeatedly reinforces self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, relational skills and optimism, In Coughlin’s model, the behaviors form the basis of building the trust and commitment on which change can gain traction and take root.

Legacy and Vision

As Coughlin moves forward on her journey, she measures her legacy not in quantity or number of titles but by instances of enduring transformation. Her aim is to expand her influence in creating the full partnership of men and women leaders, initiating intergenerational conversations, and destroying old models of power and leadership.

“I envision a world where leadership isn’t about hierarchy, but shared impact,” Coughlin muses. “Where the most respected leaders aren’t the ones speaking the loudest, but those who focus on building authentic, heart-to-heart relationships and leadership.”

This is more than personal desire. It is an indication of a shift in what is valued as leadership effectiveness and value. Great Circle Associates’ experiences with hundreds of clients illustrates this shift, from command-and-control models to what she believes is leadership’s rightful position: “as a calling, not a crown.”

By her own rigorous but profoundly human process of strategic renewal, Coughlin keeps reconstituting individual leaders, teams and organizations, and the very definition of effective leadership. Not only is she a testament to success in transformation, but she is also one of contribution toward a more honest, emotionally intelligent, and purposeful model of leadership.

With organizations confronting threats of geopolitical upheaval, AI disruption, and changing employee aspirations, Coughlin’s people-first leadership and ethical stewardship maximize the potential of successful transformation. Her view is that the future’s most effective leaders are going to be “integrators of logic and humanity, tech and ethics, performance and purpose.” This offers a model to work through today’s complexities with the capacity to emphasize the irreversibly human aspects of creating sustainable change.