Lynell Green is a strategic management consultant, executive coach, and author of Visionary Discipline, which takes readers on a journey that explores the power of discipline in achieving personal and professional success. Green has been a public speaker, leadership program leader, coach, and consultant for over forty years. Her expertise also includes accounting, taxes, and finance. She has amassed an impressive list of clients, including leaders at Meta, Twitter, Netflix, and Hilton. Green has successfully completed the Warren Buffett 10,000 Small Business Initiative Program in Boston, joining CEO’s from around the country to complete the course. She is also the recipient of a Certificate of Specialization in Strategy from Harvard Business School.
Green aspires to expand her mastery in strategy as a framework for leadership and life.
Growing up, were you a natural leader? Do you recall a time when you thought you wanted to dedicate your life towards making better leaders out of others?
I was a natural leader growing up. It started with my three brothers. I watched my Mom manage six children and I thought I could help. At ten, I put a chart on my bedroom wall that listed their homework and their housework as they got older. I would inspect their work and give them a gold star at the end of the week if they finished everything. My brothers still tease me and ask to cash in their gold stars. I enjoyed being the one that could be relied on.
My high school in Hawaii was multicultural which I enjoyed. One of the black teachers wanted to start a club where the black students could create community on campus, and he asked me if I wanted to be a part of the club. That was the beginning of my commitment to lead in a group setting. I noticed I had influence, and I could talk to people in a way that connected with their concerns and helped them believe in themselves. That was new. I became President of the club my senior year and implemented various programs with the team to help the kids connect to their greatness. I had fun. As a result, the track coach asked me to be a captain of the track team and he said he loved how my leadership showed up for the African American Club. That felt like the moment I realized leading, encouraging and supporting people through their challenges and successes was something I enjoyed, and I was good at it.
How did leadership coaching become part of your professional journey?
My nickname in high school was Mama Nell because my peers came to me with issues they were dealing with, and they wanted my advice on how to solve them. I remember listening and wanting them to walk away empowered knowing they could handle whatever they were dealing with. That was the beginning of my coaching life and my commitment to empower people. Coaching formally was a natural transition for me. It started when I was working in the corporate world as an accountant and people would offer to pay me to coach them. It took years for me to get paid because it felt like conversations I would have for free.
What is a common mistake you see successful entrepreneurs or company leaders today making and what is the fix to turn that around for them?
One of the common mistakes I see leaders make is being attached. Attached to their strategy, attached to their product or service in its current iteration, attached to their people in their current roles, or attached to the current state of things in general. Regardless of the size of the leadership responsibilities, it is important to be open to change and be willing to disrupt your own comfort zone. Being nimble requires an ability to lead, committed but not attached. COVID gave us all a lesson in how quickly things can change.
Why is leadership coaching important for every company, even those seemingly at the top of their game from a success-level?
In every sport the top performers have a coach. Many successful leaders understand that having a neutral strategic partner to offer other points of view and help identify blind spots and opportunities for growth is critical. I have a coach that knows me well and her experience is valuable support to me in my journey.
How do you define success on both a professional and a personal level?
Being your authentic self and being unapologetic for what you care about and how you live your life while remaining empathetic, passionate, and loving. In addition, finding your voice and using it to make the world a better place for your family, friends, organizations and society. Not as a burden, but as a gift.
Find out more about Lynell Green on her website.
