Cliff Scott

My clients are generally very senior leaders, CEO and next two levels, as well as the rising generation of leaders in family run conglomerates. Over the last three decades, I have supported leaders in bio-tech, hi-tech, financial services, power generation/distribution, banking, manufacturing and government.

My work has been coaching individuals and intact teams; sometimes participating as faculty member for large leadership culture transformation initiatives.

Currently, I am working with the rising generations of two family conglomerates, using Leadership Circle and other assessments, teaching concepts and methods to address complex dynamics and problems, including individual coaching and group exercises during 6-12 month programs.

At times I have also been part of a Cultivating Leadership team facilitating and guiding cohorts of leaders going through a large scale leadership culture change initiatives.

Always, the work is supporting leaders to learn and practice ways of dealing with complex challenges, shifting their inner sense of self, taking safe risks as they evolve a more conscious practice of leading. The work starts with accelerating their self-awareness, enabling the ability to see themselves in action more objectively. New awareness fosters the desire to inquire why they think, decide, and act as they do.

As clients gain clarity, they begin changing behaviors and thought patterns, internalizing habits of development that have no end. Then my role becomes sounding board, sometime advisor and mostly listener and reflector who helps my client find their own path.

My earliest experiences with leadership development was challenging inner city youth at a rustic summer camp to see beyond how they learned to be from their lived experience, often with life changing results. Following that was a couple of decades progressively more focused on organization development affecting individuals, teams and sometimes whole systems.

In 2008, as a part of The Leadership Circle, I developed an understanding of how a leader’s consciousness or mindset can evolve through stages, each one enabling a greater perspective of self, able to influence and create outcomes more collaboratively and adaptively.

In 2009 I was introduced to the thinking of Robert Kegan by Jennifer Garvey Berger, deepening my understanding and changing coaching practices. I have been on a continuous journey of learning and experiencing how to support leaders transitions from one stage to another ever since.

I am a colleague, spending most of my time in SE Asia and looking for connections outside of CL that can help us further the impact we have. For example one of my projects is testing the hypothesis that VCs can benefit if they facilitate coaching for founders who find themselves in over their heads as their start-up grows and becomes more complex

I am certified in Growth Edge Coaching, Presence-based Coaching, use of Leadership Circle Assessments, use of the MBTI personality profile. I am well versed in methods such as Polarity Mapping and Immunity to Change mapping, as well as exercises to build connection, compassion and trust through deep listening and peer support. Years ago, I was deeply trained in the core methods of Six Sigma, which gave me a keen sense of the interconnectedness of systems performance.

I live in the charming village of Gig Harbor with my wife on the shores of Washington State’s Puget Sound, where I go kayaking in warmer weather. I have a love of the out of doors and spend time hiking in the Cascade or Olympic mountains whenever I can carve out time for a camping trip. Otherwise, I look for time when dear and long time friends are available for a great conversation.