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. |
