More room to think. More capacity to lead.
You have more capacity than you think. Let’s build on it.
I coach heads of school, senior administrators, and nonprofit leaders who want a confidential place to think clearly, decide well, and lead with more confidence.
A conversation with a purpose
What is coaching?
Coaching is forward-looking. You bring the topic. It might be a specific challenge, a decision you are wrestling with, a relationship that is not working the way you want, or just a nagging sense that something needs to shift. My job is to ask the questions that help you find your own answers, to notice when something does not quite add up, and to make sure you leave every session with a commitment you will actually follow through on. You already have more answers than you probably realize. Coaching helps you find them in yourself.
A few things coaching is different from, so we are clear from the start. Therapy looks backward at where things came from. Mentoring is someone telling you what they would do. Consulting hands you a plan. Coaching keeps the judgment and the values where they belong, with you, and builds your capacity to use them.
How do we work together?
We start with a values exercise. That might sound abstract, but stay with me. When you are clear on what you value as a leader, decisions get easier, conflicts make more sense, and you can lead with a lot more authenticity. In my experience, we usually make the right call when it is centered on our values, and much of the stress leaders carry comes from decisions that have drifted out of alignment with them.
Later on we do a purpose exercise that connects the work you do every day to something larger. Leaders tell me it is a conversation they wish they had sooner. Recalling your purpose, or rethinking it, can be surprisingly clarifying.
In between, every session is yours. You bring something to think through, we work it, and you leave with a next step. Between sessions is where the real growth happens, because that is when you act on what you decided. I keep a small practice on purpose, so each client gets my full attention.
Is it confidential?
What we talk about stays between us. Full stop. You need to be able to be honest in these sessions, and that only happens if you trust that what you say is safe with me. It is.
If your school or organization is sponsoring the coaching, we agree in advance on what, if anything, gets shared with them. Even then, it is only high-level themes, never the details of our conversations.
What clients say
“Working with Rick during my first year as an Executive Director was one of the most valuable investments I made in my leadership development. Rick has a remarkable ability to listen deeply, ask thoughtful questions, and create the space necessary for genuine reflection and growth. I consistently left our sessions with greater clarity, stronger self-awareness, and a deeper commitment to leading in alignment with my values.”
— Barry Fulton, Executive Director, Louis August Jonas Foundation
“During a time of change, growth and transformation in my career, Rick’s coaching was invaluable. He used his strong leadership skills to create a container for me to feel deeply, think clearly, and generate forward momentum. His years of experience as an educator, a school leader, and a nonprofit executive make him an ideal coach for anyone embracing new challenges, wrestling with thorny problems, or opening doors to new directions. His humor, wisdom, humility and thoughtful, open-ended questions helped to empower me to take important steps towards the future I am now confident to create.”
— Launa Schweizer, educational leader, consultant, and coach
Let’s have a conversation
The best way to find out whether coaching is a fit is a short, no-obligation conversation. Tell me a little about where you are and what you are hoping for, and I will be in touch. Or email me directly at rsbranson@gmail.com.
A little about me
I have spent my career in and around schools: as a public school teacher, a charter school teacher and later executive director, an IB teacher in Brazil, and a head of school in Japan and in Annapolis. Along the way I’ve taught IB and AP English, coached, directed plays, and advised student publications. For the last several years, I’ve served as executive director of a statewide association of independent schools, working closely with heads of school, boards of trustees, and senior leaders on governance, strategy, and the everyday realities of leading a mission-driven organization.
I trained as an executive coach through Brown University’s ACT program and hold a certificate in nonprofit board consulting. My doctorate is in organizational leadership, with a focus on how organizations learn. All of that shows up in the coaching, but mostly I bring a lot of years of working with people who really want to do their best.
I currently serve on the board of ICAISA (the international body of accrediting associations), and previously served on the boards of AIMS and NBOA. Beyond my formal training in governance and coaching, I hold multiple certificates in design thinking from IDEOU.
I live in Connecticut with my wife, Sarah. We have three grown kids and a growing hootenanny of grandchildren.