choice Magazine

Garry Schleifer

choice Magazine is the vehicle that forwards the global conversation about professional coaching by providing: diverse perspectives, thought-provoking commentary, insightful discussion and access to services, tools, resources and practical information.

  1. 4d ago

    Episode 197: Classic Coaching Tools To Help Leaders Thrive with guest, Madeleine Blanchard

    Send us Fan Mail Chaos at work doesn’t just scramble priorities, it shrinks a leader’s ability to think. We sit down with coach and author Madeleine Blanchard to get intensely practical about what helps when everything feels urgent and noisy: classic coaching tools, simple models, and the kind of questions that create instant clarity without turning coaching into advice-giving. We dig into why leaders sometimes complain that “all my coach does is ask questions,” and how coaches can use frameworks to ask better questions and help clients move faster. We talk through the Eisenhower Matrix for urgent versus important decisions, plus the sphere of control and the often-missed middle ground of influence. If you coach inside organizations or support executive coaching clients, these tools can turn a stuck conversation into a focused plan. Madeleine also brings back an oldie-but-goodie that still holds up: the Johari Window. We connect it to self-awareness, trust, authenticity, and how leaders can narrow blind spots. From there, we explore how to work with 360 feedback and assessments without getting lost in the instrument, using clean questions like “What if it were true?” and “What are you making it mean?” We wrap with playful accountability ideas (including WIN, “What’s Important Now”) and book recommendations for coaches who love models and want a deeper toolkit. Subscribe, share this with a coach or leader who’s feeling the strain, and leave a review with the tool you’ll try first. Watch the full interview by clicking here.  Find the full article here.  Learn more about Madeleine here. Grab your free issue of choice Magazine here - https://choice-online.com/

    Episode 197: Classic Coaching Tools To Help Leaders Thrive with guest, Madeleine Blanchard
  2. Jul 15

    Episode 196: Coaching in Chaos ~ Leadership In A Reactive World with guest, Doreen Steenland

    Send us Fan Mail Your brain loves predictability, but leadership rarely offers it anymore. When stress and urgency become the norm, even the most capable leaders can lose access to their best thinking and default to old autopilot patterns. That’s not a character flaw, it’s a nervous system response, and it’s exactly where executive coaching can create real change. I’m joined by executive coach and former RN Doreen Steenland, author of “The Conscious Leader: Coaching for Embodied Leadership in a Reactive World.” We dig into what embodied leadership actually looks like under real-world pressure, why “just be calm” advice falls short, and how somatic coaching and applied neuroscience help leaders move from reactivity to choice. Doreen unpacks integrated intelligence beyond the purely cognitive lens: interoception, exteroception, proprioception, and emotion as practical pathways to deeper self-awareness and stronger decision-making. We also explore emotional contagion and why a grounded, steady presence can shift an entire room. From internal authority versus performing confidence to boundary setting with “full-body yeses” and “full-body no’s,” you’ll hear concrete ways to build psychological flexibility and stay connected to yourself when it matters most. If you lead teams through sustained stress, rapid change, or organizational disruption, this conversation offers a clear, usable framework for nervous system regulation and conscious leadership. Subscribe for more conversations like this, share the episode with a coach or leader who needs it, and leave a review to help others find the show. Watch the full interview by clicking here.  Find the full article here.  Learn more about Doreen here. FREE GIFT FOR LISTENERS ~ The Internal Authority Assessment Most high-capacity leaders don't struggle because they lack capability. They struggle because pressure disconnects them from themselves. The Internal Authority Assessment™ helps leaders identify where they may be operating from hyper-responsibility, signal distortion, or identity drift—and reveals the patterns keeping them disconnected from their own wisdom, presence, and decision-making. In less than 10 minutes, participants receive personalized insights into: • How pressure impacts their leadership • Their primary leadership pattern under stress • What may be blocking access to clarity and self-trust • The first step toward becoming someone pressure can no longer disconnect from Ideal for executives, entrepreneurs, coaches, and high-capacity professionals who want to lead from internal authority rather than external pressure. Grab your free issue of choice Magazine here - https://choice-online.com/

    Episode 196: Coaching in Chaos ~ Leadership In A Reactive World with guest, Doreen Steenland
  3. Jul 8

    Episode 195: Managing chaos through adaptive presence with guest, Dorothy Siminovitch

    Send us Fan Mail Disruption doesn’t “settle down” anymore. It stacks, spreads, and speeds up until leaders start feeling like the only stable thing is the chaos itself. That’s why I sat down with leadership, team, and organizational coach Dorothy Seminovich to unpack a powerful concept gaining traction: meta-ruption, the relentless convergence of disruptions across technology, geopolitics, climate, economics, social systems, and even personal identity. From there, we get practical about what leaders and coaches can actually do. Dorothy makes a clear case for adaptive presence, not just showing up with confidence, but expanding your range so you can meet the moment as it changes. We talk about how trust forms in an instant, why presence is relational, and how a leader can name uncertainty, reduce shame, and keep connection without pretending to have answers they don’t have. If you care about executive presence, adaptive leadership, high performance teams, or coaching in chaos, this conversation offers language and tools you can use right away. We also dig into stabilizing the inner system through Gestalt coaching and embodied awareness. Instead of looking outside for certainty, Dorothy shares how “checking in with your interior” reveals real data: what you feel, what matters, what’s missing, and what you’re avoiding. Those small, unscripted moments often become the turning points that create psychological safety, spark courage, and move a team forward even when the future is unclear. Subscribe for more conversations like this, share the episode with a coach or leader navigating constant change, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What does “adaptive presence” look like in your hardest moments? Watch the full interview by clicking here.  Find the full article here.  Learn more about Dorothy here. Connect with Dorothy via email: admin@gestaltcoachingworks.com Grab your free issue of choice Magazine here - https://choice-online.com/

    Episode 195: Managing chaos through adaptive presence with guest, Dorothy Siminovitch
  4. Jul 1

    Episode 194: Coaching Through Chaos with guest, Laura Berman Fortgang

    Send us Fan Mail Chaos doesn’t just interrupt our plans. It rewires our attention, shrinks our options, and convinces us we’re out of control. That’s why I’m thrilled to sit down again with Master Certified Coach Laura Berman Fortgang, author of “Coaching in Chaos: Navigating a Rapidly Changing World,” to unpack what actually works when clients feel overwhelmed, reactive, and stuck. We get practical fast. Laura shares a deceptively simple coaching move that can stop a spiral mid-sentence: separate what’s controllable from what isn’t, then choose the next controllable step. We also dig into the distinction between facts versus interpretation, and how catastrophizing can hijack decision-making in uncertain times. Along the way, we talk about boundaries (what’s mine vs what’s theirs), how coaches avoid getting “hooked” by a client’s drama, and how we help someone unhook without minimizing what they’re facing. From there we move into resilience and recovery. Laura reframes resilience as the ability to bounce back without taking chaos personally, and she introduces the idea of an on purpose distraction, a conscious break that restores joy and protects your nervous system. We also explore how to prepare for chaos in business and life with reserves, systems, backups, and real-world “what if” planning, including a client story where the preparation mattered right on time. If you coach leaders, run a practice, or simply want steadier footing in a rapidly changing world, this conversation will give you language, tools, and next steps you can use immediately. Subscribe, share this with a coach or colleague, and leave a review so more people can find the show. Watch the full interview by clicking here.  Find the full article here. Learn more about Laura here. Five Step Guide to Clarity.  When things get ’too much’ or you’re wondering what’s next, this guide will see you through. Click here for your free gift. Grab your free issue of choice Magazine here - https://choice-online.com/

    Episode 194: Coaching Through Chaos with guest, Laura Berman Fortgang
  5. Jun 17

    Episode 193: The Science of Choice with guest, Irena O'Brien

    Send us Fan Mail Your client’s “I can’t decide” might not be a mindset problem. It might be a nervous system problem. We sit down with cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Irena O’Brien, founder of the Neuroscience School, to unpack a deceptively simple idea with big implications for coaching: choices are shaped by nervous system state, not just logic. When the brain is under threat or running low on energy, it prioritizes survival and efficiency, which can shrink perspective, limit creativity, and make even small decisions feel heavy. When we understand the brain as a prediction engine rather than a recorder of reality, indecision starts to look less like stubbornness and more like an adaptive signal worth listening to. We dig into Boyatzis’ Intentional Change Theory and why beginning with the client’s ideal self can shift state fast. That identity-first approach can activate a Positive Emotional Attractor, support parasympathetic regulation, and open up the default mode network for imagination and big-picture thinking. We also talk about what happens when coaching starts with the problem, how the sympathetic stress response can narrow attention into “task mode,” and why that can unintentionally box clients into short-term fixes. You’ll also hear practical tools for distinguishing fear, habit, values, and identity alignment, plus a research-backed look at decision fatigue: after a long day of hard cognitive work, people drift toward easier choices and immediate rewards. We end with actionable ways to protect cognitive capacity, break goals into small wins, and create a steady “dopamine drip” that supports follow-through. If you want brain-based coaching strategies, nervous system regulation insights, and better decision making for yourself and your clients, press play. Subscribe for more, share this with a coach or leader who’s navigating big choices, and leave a review so more people can find the show. Watch the full interview by clicking here.  Find the full article here. Learn more about Irena here. Free Gift: Applied Neuroscience Starter Kit Grab your free issue of choice Magazine here - https://choice-online.com/

    Episode 193: The Science of Choice with guest, Irena O'Brien
  6. Jun 10

    Episode 192: From Conditioning to Conscious Choice with guest, Subash CV

    Send us Fan Mail Choice usually sounds like a simple decision, but the more we coach leaders in real life, the more we see how messy it gets under pressure, noise, and competing priorities. Garry Schleifer sits down with ICF Master Certified Coach Subash, author of “From Conditioning to Conscious Choice,” to make a bold claim feel practical: choice is not an action. Choice is a state of awareness, and when awareness expands, better decisions start to emerge with less force. We talk about Indic wisdom as a living school of thought that reaches beyond religious labels, then translate it into coaching moves you can use right away. Subash shares his “golden triangle” model for coach development: coaching skills, the business of coaching, and the deep self-work that builds real presence. You will hear specific awareness practices he relies on, from fitness and meditation to reflective journaling, mentoring, and even learning music as a discipline of attention. If you care about ICF-aligned coaching presence, this conversation keeps coming back to a simple reality: who we are is what we bring. We also go deeper into karma and how it relates to coaching relationships and outcomes. Subash introduces “detached attachment,” a way to stay committed to the client and the process without becoming obsessed with results. From there we connect dharma to values-driven goals, explore servant leadership, and discuss mantra as the power of sound, silence, and pause in a coaching conversation. We close with a leadership arc that feels timely: moving from IQ to EQ to SQ, spiritual intelligence, as a grounded way to serve the larger system. Subscribe for more conversations like this, share the episode with a coach or leader who needs more spaciousness, and leave a review telling us what “conscious choice” means in your work. Watch the full interview by clicking here.  Find the full article here. Learn more about Subash here. For special offers, write to info@regalunlimited.com and use the code "CHOICE"  Grab your free issue of choice Magazine here - https://choice-online.com/

    Episode 192: From Conditioning to Conscious Choice with guest, Subash CV
  7. Jun 3

    Episode 191: Designing For Agency with guest, Eliza Barach

    Send us Fan Mail Choice is easy to praise and surprisingly hard to access when stress, habit, and old stories take the wheel. We sit down with cognitive psychologist and ADHD coach Eliza Barach, author of “Designing for Agency: Coaching the Moment of Choice,” to get concrete about what agency really looks like inside real decisions, especially for high-performing people with ADHD who often feel trapped between intention and follow-through.  We dig into why autonomy is not a luxury in coaching, it is a driver of motivation. Eliza explains how micro-choices can create immediate reward and reduce delay aversion, connecting the dots between intrinsic motivation, dopamine, and the everyday reality of getting started. If big goals keep stalling, we explore how breaking choices into smaller, high-impact steps can rebuild momentum without relying on willpower fantasies.  From there, we zoom out to the invisible forces that shape decision making. We talk top-down versus bottom-up perception, how internal narratives form from past experiences, and how we can help clients notice patterns without shame. We also go deep on values-based decisions and somatic awareness, including the subtle body signals that warn us when a value is being crossed. Eliza brings in Kahneman’s system one and system two thinking to show how coaching uses effortful reflection to reshape automatic habits over time, one aligned choice at a time.  If you want more from Eliza, you can find her work at neural-revolution.com. Subscribe, share this with a coach or client who needs more agency, and leave a review so more people can find these practical tools for choice, autonomy, and values-aligned coaching. Watch the full interview by clicking here.  Find the full article here. Learn more about Eliza here. Free Gift –  A guided coaching workbook to help clients expand perceived choice, reconnect with values, and make more intentional decisions in session or between sessions. Click here for more information. Grab your free issue of choice Magazine here - https://choice-online.com/

    Episode 191: Designing For Agency with guest, Eliza Barach
  8. May 27

    Episode 190: Coaching With Intent with guest, Jeremy J Lewis

    Send us Fan Mail You can feel it when a coaching conversation reaches a crossroads: do we stay with what’s emerging, or do we introduce a tool, challenge an assumption, or name a pattern out loud? Garry Schleifer sits down with executive coach and coaching supervisor Jeremy Lewis to explore how we make those calls with intention, not habit, and why “choice” is a real professional competency in both coaching and coaching supervision. Jeremy breaks down his research-based NEeDS framework, a practical model for choosing supervision interventions. With “Noticing” at the center, the framework helps supervisors decide whether to move into Exploring, Evaluating, Developing, or Supporting, based on what is happening for the coach, the client, and the broader system. We also dig into a question many coaches wrestle with: how supervision differs from coaching, and why supervisors sometimes have a responsibility to introduce what might be missing, not just follow the supervisee’s agenda. A key takeaway is developmental fit. Early-career coaches may need more support and quality-checking to ease performance anxiety, while mid-career coaches often want deeper identity and growth work. Advanced practitioners may spend more time in subtle noticing and exploration. We then bring the lesson back to everyday coaching, including how the updated ICF stance on knowledge sharing opens the door to “informing” with care, like offering the Eisenhower Matrix or Parkinson’s Law without telling a client what to do. If you want a clearer, evidence-based way to build reflective practice and strengthen your coaching supervision, press play, then subscribe, share the episode, and leave a review so more coaches can find it. Watch the full interview by clicking here.  Find the full article here. Learn more about Jeremy here. Gift – if you would like to sign up to be notified when Jeremy's book is available for pre-order, you can do so here. Anyone signing up will receive a discount code to use when they pre-order.  Grab your free issue of choice Magazine here - https://choice-online.com/

    Episode 190: Coaching With Intent with guest, Jeremy J Lewis

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5
out of 5
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About

choice Magazine is the vehicle that forwards the global conversation about professional coaching by providing: diverse perspectives, thought-provoking commentary, insightful discussion and access to services, tools, resources and practical information.

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