Chris Connors - Associate
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I come to executive coaching and organizational consulting later in my career, after more than 30 years of leadership experience in the human resources, organizational development, and leadership development fields. I devoted my Human Resources career to supporting not-for-profit and mission-driven organizations such as WGBH, Education Development Center, Abt Associates, and Berklee College of Music. In my most recent role at Berklee, as vice president for Human Resources, Diversity, and Inclusion, I was responsible for managing both the human resources and diversity and inclusion teams (HRDI) to create a working and learning environment that fostered creativity, diversity, collaboration, and innovation. Through a wide variety of services and initiatives, we worked with all areas across the college to recruit, develop, and retain a diverse and exceptional faculty and staff.
During my time in leadership at Berklee, I was fortunate enough to have an outside executive coach to help me further develop my own leadership and management skills. This collaboration with my coach was transformational – it deeply changed both how I lead my team and my life. The experience was so impactful that in 2016, I decided to leave full-time employment and dedicate the rest of my career to executive coaching and consulting for other not-for-profit and higher education leaders. Most satisfying work As the world of work continues to speed up and grow even more complex, I love working with senior organizational leaders that are looking to expand their leadership capabilities in a deep and authentic way. I am passionate about the journey of leadership as a process, not a destination, with a few “aha” signposts along the way. It is a sincere honor to walk this path with my clients, learning and teaching together. Frequently used theories and tools My approach to coaching and consulting is deeply embedded in the leadership theory and models of Bob Anderson and the Leadership Circle as well as the leadership and adult development theories of Richard Boyatzis and Robert Kegan. It is also rooted in the work of Jennifer Cohen and Gina LaRoche, founders of Seven Stones Leadership Group and champions of sustainable abundance, a leadership movement that engages personal development with global sustainability. In addition, I incorporate the latest thinking about the body-mind connection, somatic coaching, emotional intelligence, mindfulness, and executive presence. My facilitation and conflict resolution approaches have been honed through years of Human Resources and team leadership experience, as well as training with the Harvard Program on Negotiation and the Center for Community Change, Inc. Certifications and degrees I received an MBA with distinction from Bentley University and a B.S. in business administration from Stonehill College. I am certified in the administration and interpretation of the Leadership Circle 360° tool. (www.leadershipcircle.com) I am also a certified Sustainable Abundance coach through Seven Stones Leadership Group. (www.sevenstonesleadership.com) I live in Northampton, Massachusetts, with my wife Bev, and our dog Tallulah. In my spare time, I enjoy music, nature, hiking, and reading. |
Chris's picks:
BOOKS
Dare to Lead by Brené Brown
The fear of failure and shame can lead people to hold back ideas, avoid risks and tough conversations, which stifles learning and creativity. This hinders success in a world that demands continuous innovation. Using research over two decades, and her real-life experience, Brené Brown has discovered a fear and shame remedy: brave leaders who are willing and able to face uncertainty and vulnerability head-on, and teach their teams to do the same. Dare to Lead also provides insights from Brown’s previously written books (including The Gifts of Imperfection, Daring Greatly, and Rising Strong), along with her latest findings and explains how you, too, can become a daring leader. The Way of Transition: Embracing Life's Most Difficult Moments by William Bridges William Bridges' work has been devoted to a deep understanding of transitions and what it takes to get through them. When his wife of thirty-five years died of cancer, however, he was thrown head-first into his own painful and confusing transition he had never experienced. Providing an honest account of being in transition, this uncommonly wise and moving book provides a richly textured map of the personal, professional, and emotional transformations that stem from and grow out of tragedy and crisis. He highlights the profound significance and value of endings in our lives, by demonstrating how disillusionment, sorrow, and/or confusion can blossom into a time of incredible creativity and contentment for us. The Seven Laws of Enough by Gina LaRoche and Jennifer Cohen The 7 Laws of Enough is about a shift from scarcity to sustainable abundance, the most radical kind of change, at the personal, societal and organizational levels. Presented as seven principles, they guide readers on a both a transformational journey of self-discovery, towards new leadership strategies, and a renewed sense of fulfillment and purpose. Downshifting: Reinventing Success on a Slower Track by Amy Saltzman In this book, Saltzman discusses how our drive to succeed, while being exhausting, is leading successful professionals to search for and find a better way to take control of their careers, and in turn their lives. She provides an eye-opening overview of the inspiring trend called "downshifting,” to help others temper their ambitions and find success and satisfaction on a slower track. Mastering Leadership by William A. Adams and Robert J. Anderson Adams and Anderson offer a systemic approach for developing senior leaders and the leadership system of organizations. It states that this real development requires a strategic, long-term, and integrated approach in order to forge more effective leaders and enhanced business performance and does not recommend quick fixes. "Mastering Leadership" gives a developmental pathway to bring forth the highest and best use of oneself, life, and leadership. It describes by more meaningfully deploying all of who we are every day, collectively and individually, we will achieve a leadership legacy consistent with our highest aspirations. 
MOVIE
Brené Brown: The Call to Courage
This documentary film depicts Brené Brown as she discusses what it takes to choose courage over comfort in today's culture and how bravery can arise from engaging with our deepest vulnerabilities. This documentary continues exploring this topic on which Brown has published multiple TED Talks and books around. |
