TESTIMONIALS

  When given the opportunity to offer a new subspecialty at work, I quickly realized I lacked the strategic planning and leadership skills necessary to do it well.  Rooted largely in self-awareness, Nancy's leadership coaching has been integral to my success.  She's helped me develop healthy habits and effective tactics to build my practice while balancing personal wellness with high level performance.  She's taught me valuable skills such as 'road mapping' short and long term goals, assessing efficiency of systems, identifying strengths and constraints, critical analysis and problem solving, creative brainstorming, understanding and managing levels of resistance, facilitating group discussions, framing conversations, daily grounding exercises, and so  much more.  With Nancy's coaching, I've created a successful practice with a positive work environment and have the resources needed to continue growing in a balanced and mindful manner.

Katherine R. Hill, OD

Working with Nancy was a breath of fresh air and truly helped me navigate a personally and professionally challenging time in my life with newfound insight and confidence. Her style is calming and reassuring, born out of long-time experience. With active listening, caring feedback, curated exercises, art, and metaphor, she expertly managed group dynamics and encouraged us to fulfill our potential and to look at the world, work, and our lives in new and healthful ways.

M.G., MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, UCSF Medical School 

As a medical group during COVID we were managing massive upheaval, reorganization and both system and individual stresses. Nancy Hardaway has been a significant and meaningful partner. She is a multi-talented organizational consultant, Executive Coach, trainer, retreat facilitator and mindfulness- resilience educator.  We consulted heavily with Nancy around change management strategies and supporting staff through it all. She offered mindfulness and resilience training for our entire organization via Zoom. She also ran voluntary small group sessions for staff. These were important and successful supports during a chaotic time.  

Nancy has also been engaged for ongoing executive coaching with our senior management team including CEO, COO and a number of Directors. She is insightful and compassionate in her approach. At the same time Nancy is action oriented in her ability to shift leaders around behaviors and mindsets in directions which better serve both the leader and the organization. 

Quotes from those Nancy has coached include: “Nancy helped me grow significantly in a short amount of time”; “I am deeply grateful for the support, tools and teaching she has provided me”; “Nancy has given me knowledge, insight, skills and the confidence to grow into a better employee, co-worker, manager and leader. In truth, she has made me a better person.”; and “Nancy has provided management skills, a new way of thinking and kept me accountable to my learning. The skills have impacted my professional life and personal life. She is a gem”. 

Nancy has listened and learned about our organization and its vision and helped shape dialogues to clarify, educate and align our leadership. Her breadth and depth of knowledge, experience and dedication to her own lifelong learning has meant she almost always has a resource, insight or intervention which is spot on to increase awareness and shift thinking in positive ways. 

John D. Wipfler, JD, MBA, Chief Executive Officer

EMG

“I have worked with Nancy in several capacities over the years.  Her insight and wisdom, both in business and with individuals is invaluable.  As a President/CEO with 275 employees, one must rely on leaders throughout the organization to carry out our mission with the most positive impact.  Nancy worked with Upper Management and Middle Management over a period of 8 sessions, enhancing and strengthening their personal and professional development.  At the end of the series, I found staff to be more comfortable and confident in their ability to lead and manage.  Feedback was extremely positive, “The best work I ever did,” was spoken over and over.  Several people thanked me for “investing” in their skill development and for recognizing their talents.  You just can’t beat that type of feedback.  More importantly, the learning that people experienced is lasting and put into action each and every day.”

D.S., President & CEO
Community Connections

Working with concepts from mindfulness and neuroscience, Nancy was able to help me recognize my emotions and reactions when challenged or stressed, and develop strategies to regulate my behaviors.  Pausing to consider the response that is needed in that moment has made a big difference in my leadership style and made our team more effective. 

CEO

Healthcare System for the Homeless

Nancy has been a key influencer in developing me as a leader to expand my repertoire throughout several of  the senior leadership roles I held in the South African Government and the Public Service. My work in government has benefitted directly from the learning, deep growth and personal transformation I have undergone with Nancy as my coach. Nancy has impacted me in profound ways that will reverberate for years to come. The changes that her  special brand of leadership coaching have unlocked in me are now serving me in how I expand my awareness and practice much deeper levels of reflection in my way of being with myself and with others. Her brilliance in working with powerful metaphors will stay with me as several key moments of shift occurred and deep unlearning and relearning. She taught me how to serve from a new, gentle, sharper strategic stance. She made it safe for me to be vulnerable and  work at depths I have not gone before. Nancy, you are a powerful leadership coach! You have a special gift of powerfully coaching coaches.

S. M., Former Superintendent General: Department of Local Government and Housing, Western Cape Government, Republic of South AfricaExecutive DirectorSMS Consulting, Cape Town, South Africa

“Nancy is an uniquely skilled consultant, in both organizational settings and individualized coaching. I have worked her several times in my career. She blends acute observation, open-mindedness, and a solid foundation of theory and direct experience with genuine empathy, a sense of fun, and a deep commitment to the best for the client.  She’s one of the smartest people I know.”

N.B., Chief Philanthropy Officer
Asian Art Museum of San Francisco

Nancy Hardaway is an extremely talented executive coach who is able to make the coaching sessions enjoyable for her clients.  She builds a relationship based on trust with her clients and tailors her sessions to their specific needs. Nancy has a strong background in business which provides her the expertise to understand what her clients are encountering in their careers. Her coaching strategy makes you take the time to slow down, think about what is really going on, and create a plan to improve.  She encourages you to reflect on areas that you need to focus on to manage your team and your peers more effectively. Nancy has helped to enhance my leadership skills; focusing on communication, setting clear expectations and priorities, and strengthening the relationships that are critical to the success of the organization.  She is motivating and challenges her clients.  Her optimism, positive outlook and enthusiasm for change was contagious.  She was a pleasure to work with and I would highly recommend her.

J.F., 
CIO, Regional Healthcare System

Nancy’s style, ability to appreciate the executive’s work style and personality along with her listening skills allows her to provide valuable feedback in terms of  real situational examples on how a leader can modify their approach whereby increasing one’s effectiveness, results and sense of accomplishment.

M.C., CPA
CFO, Multi-Hospital Organization  

As a new healthcare executive, I had limited experience truly leading people. My military experience as a Nurse Officer in the Air Force was sink or swim.  My go-to approach was telling staff what to do and how to do it. Come to find out people don’t always do what you tell them to just because you have a title. As a coach, Nancy Hardaway has helped me to learn about leadership and how to manage change. She did so by getting to know me and helping me to see the value of my competencies. She also helped me to stretch and grow in areas that I found challenging. Together we identified my growing edge and she led me through experiences that expanded my range and made me a much more effective leader. Nancy gave me concrete tools to help manage resistance and difficult conversations. She helped me to approach situations in the workplace from a different perspective, one that yielded much better results. As a result of her coaching, others have noted the changes in me from an authoritarian leader to transformational leader. It has done wonders for my career as people now seek me out for mentoring and leadership development. I highly recommend Nancy to anyone whether they are new to leadership or just want to up their game. Anyone can read a book on leadership or change, but having such an experienced and skilled coach work with you one on one is a unique experience that accelerates understanding and self-transformation to a totally different level.

B.C., RN, MSN
Commander, United States Public Health Service 
Nurse Director, Alaska Native Medical Center 

Nancy was my coach for six months and I feel very fortunate to have experienced our work together. The team is definitely moving to a better place with less conflict. Our new change initiative is going splendidly and we are already seeing positive patient and staff outcomes.  My work with Nancy Hardaway truly helped me to frame this very important initiative in a way for staff to understand the WHY and for the unit based leaders to lead the staff in a more purposeful and structured way.  Things are good and I feel so much better and in control.  Nancy has a gift and talent for helping others.

S.V., Hospital Site Administrator
ACNO, Southcoast Healthcare 

I have known Nancy for many years, and I am impressed with the approach she uses in executive coaching and consulting. As an owner of a multi-generational family business, I have engaged Nancy to work with our senior management, both as a team and individually over several years.  I found Nancy invaluable. Due to her technique and skill in working with us, we now communicate much better. We learned how to really listen, ask good follow-up questions and respect each individual – which led to making better decisions. That has resulted in our company success in both greater morale and increased performance and revenue generation.

S.S., President and CEO

Snows Home & Garden 

“Nancy is a wonderful leader and mentor. She has a great business head on her shoulders – by that I mean she knows how to run a business and serve the clients. She involves the people around her and coaches them to let them see their strengths – then use them. Nancy is one of best in the business.

MAW, President, Walk & Associates, Inc.

“I have known Nancy Hardaway for many years and have found her to be a perceptive and innovative business thinker.  She is creative in her approach to both people and organizational strategy.  She works easily from the most senior levels of an organization to the beginners.  Nancy and her team from GISC created and delivered a customized leadership development program for our senior leaders and managers; they brought an optimistic, comprehensive and actionable approach that enhanced our individual leadership skills and leadership culture.”

C.O., President and Chief Executive Officer
Rockland Trust Company

“As the Board President and Executive Director of Cape Cod Young Professionals, we had the pleasure of embarking on our Strategic Planning process with Nancy.  She was highly recommended and we knew immediately upon introductions that her direct approach, depth and breadth of experience, and sense of humor were a great fit for our dynamic, fast-paced non-profit organization.  Nancy was able to take a skeptical, inexperienced group through a process that produced a solid three year strategic plan, along with a comprehensive implementation plan.  Not only did she execute the day-long retreat session thoughtfully and thoroughly, but she helped us in pre-planning stage, the information gathering stages, and in the post-retreat work.  She continues to be available for ad hoc phone calls, monthly meetings, and special sessions.  Through this process, our Board gained an understanding of the power and strength that strategic planning gives to a growing organization.  Nancy’s guidance and perspective continue to resonate with our Board (as her words are often quoted) and we make ongoing progress referring to our strategic plan for guidance toward our long-term goals.  She was an absolute pleasure with whom to work bringing energy, fresh ideas, and enthusiasm to what many may consider an arduous and mundane process.”

C.W., President
Regional Young Professionals 

“Over the past few years Nancy has worked with me as a business coach  and I credit her with where I am today—in a challenging and fulfilling career with appropriate boundaries for me to sustain a positive life balance.  Her business leadership experience coupled with her pragmatic approach to problem solving has many times guided me well through the sometimes difficult business politics arena. As a coach I found her wit and humor priceless as I learned to simply change the way I saw things in my life.  Staying in a positive mindset, as Nancy would always position with me, truly can alter your perception and subsequently your behavior. My time with Nancy was productive and I often refer back to points from our many conversations for continued guidance along my path.”

S.W., Senior Vice President
The Cooperative Bank of Cape Cod