Coaching with Dr. Brian Arao
Coaching is the cornerstone of our services at Brave Space Leadership. I am a Professional Certified Diversity Coach through the CoachDiversity Institute at Howard University and a member of the International Coaching Federation (ICF). I’ve coached leaders from directors to CEOs and across a multitude of industries, helping them arrive at powerful insights about how to lead in more personally and professionally fulfilling ways.
What is coaching?
According to the ICF, coaching is “partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.”
As I coach, I do not counsel or provide advice. Instead, I help my clients to recognize and better understand the wisdom they possess; use it to identify what matters most to them; and create concrete plans for actualizing their goals.
Coaching is a transformative method for helping you to see and use your power to pursue virtually any goal - large or small, personal or professional. You may find coaching helpful when you:
have a difficult decision to make
are navigating a challenging interpersonal relationship
are leading a group or organization through a period of change
need to develop clear goals
feel like you’re “stuck” and need new insights to get moving again
want to create an inspiring vision for yourself and the teams you lead.
Why do I coach?
Over the course of more than 23 years as an educator and progressively responsible organizational leader, I’ve used many strategies to promote transformational learning, from authoring publications to giving educational talks to designing and leading training and professional development activities. I know now that I am of the greatest service in this work - and also the most satisfied - when I truly come alongside people as a trusted companion on their unique learning journeys and offer custom-fit support as they pursue their goals for personal and professional growth. Increasingly, I find coaching is my preferred approach to this kind of work, especially when the focus is on leading for diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and belonging (DEIJB). Exploring these topics requires courage and vulnerability, which are powerfully facilitated by the intimate and confidential nature of coaching.
Who do I coach?
I coach leaders who want to expand their capacity to elevate DEIJB in their workplaces, communities, families, and other spaces. My clients have included leaders from directors to CEOs and across a multitude of industries, including organizations such as the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Apple, Caminar Latino - Latinos United for Peace and Equity, Breakthrough Collaborative, Latino Community Fund Georgia, New Mexico State University, Slack, St. Mary’s College of California, the University of California, and a major multinational telecommunications and media conglomerate.
All leaders in this work face our own unique set of joys and challenges, which are shaped significantly by our identities and relationships to systems of power and privilege. As a coach, I strive to be attentive and responsive to these differences in order to better support you in making progress toward your goals. As a seasoned queer leader of color, I have a special interest in coaching leaders with minoritized identities. I have been fortunate to work with amazing coaches who have helped me not just survive, but thrive as I navigate and work to transform systems and spaces which were not designed for me. I am always honored when I have the opportunity to play a similar role as a coach.
“This was my first experience with coaching and I was a bit nervous with what to expect. I loved that at the beginning of the session we could discuss many things on my mind and determine what made most sense and was going to have more impact. Just this exercise sometimes helped me reflect on the interconnectedness of issues I was dealing with or maybe that they were not interconnected but I was making them so.
Over time, I was able to better structure my thoughts, identify copying techniques and be more present in dealing with issues at work, knowing and noting my reactions and how those contributed to the culture I was trying to improve. It was very helpful!”
What might coaching look like?
For those new to coaching with me, I recommend a minimum of six sessions, each lasting from 30-50 minutes, scheduled on a biweekly cadence. I find that six sessions provides sufficient time for you to get accustomed to coaching, reflect on your learning between sessions, and make strong progress toward your goals.
Each session will focus on a specific topic you want to explore. When coaching, my role is to listen deeply and ask powerful questions which help you to better understand your concerns and articulate action steps to move you toward achieving your objectives. I may also share feedback, information, resources, and activities for your consideration when I think they may align with your coaching goals.
What about team or group coaching?
In addition to 1:1 coaching, I also offer team and group coaching. Group coaching may be useful for cohorts who share a common goal for their own learning and development, even if they are not part of the same organization. For example, people who have recently assumed leadership roles in different organizations may benefit from group coaching on developing strong rapport with their new direct reports. Team coaching is a specific form of group coaching for people with shared leadership responsibility who want to work together to address their organization’s needs. For example, team coaching can support an executive and their cabinet in their efforts to develop vision, priorities, and strategic plans for their organization.
How do you get started?
If you are interested in further exploring the potential of working with me as a coach, please fill out our contact form. I will respond to schedule a complimentary 30 minute discovery meeting to be held via Zoom (or an alternate video conferencing platform) or phone. These meetings are great for exploring the reasons you’re seeking coaching and what kinds of goals you may want to pursue, as well as asking any questions that will help you to assess whether I am a good fit for you. This information will also help me to plan for your coaching sessions, as well as identify exercises and activities which may help you to sharpen focus on your intentions for coaching.
