Helping quiet, compassionate leaders step out of the shadows and into positions of power
Quiet, compassionate people have invaluable leadership qualities that organizations need.
Other leaders may struggle with listening, reading the room, or building rapport and trust.
For the quiet, compassionate leader, these skills are locked into their innate way of being.
It’s not about changing who they are. It’s about harnessing who they are.
With specialized coaching, I help these leaders bring their value to the forefront, creating ripples of impact extending far beyond themselves.
Quiet power.
Compassionate influence.
the forgotten art
Quiet, compassionate leaders have typically received little guidance and few role models for how to lead with their innate qualities in the workplace.
They have often been taught to hide their sensitivity and override their intuition.
They’ve been surrounded by traditional training, mainstream media, and even best-selling books that portray a one-sided story of leadership that leaves them out.
It’s time to allow this natural and beautiful style of leadership to emerge in our lives and organizations.
“I feel more centred and stronger in myself, and I don’t silently ask for permission to express my needs anymore.”
SHELLEY WILSON-ROBERTS / Manager, New Westminster Public Library
“I’ve become much more comfortable in a position of authority with my team and have learned to trust my judgement.”
ELS KUSHNER / Branch Head, Vancouver Public Library
Andrea Freeman
MLIS, PCC
When I was a young professional working in organizations, I struggled to find relatable role models and masked my introversion to fit in. Despite my unique strengths, I held back, feeling unable to fully contribute.
Everything changed when I met a compassionate leadership mentor who showed me the value of being authentically me. I learned to embrace my strengths and use them to excel in my career, becoming an Executive Director of an influential organization at the age of 35.
My ability to pick up on unspoken concerns, gauge audience reactions, and detect project challenges became my superpowers. Inspired by my mentor’s example and backed by research from the Center for Organizational Learning at MIT, I experienced firsthand how quiet, compassionate leadership can unlock potential and drive success.
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PCC
Professional Certified Coach with the International Coaching FederationCPCC
Coactive Professional Certified CoachMLIS
Masters in Library and Information Studies from the University of British ColumbiaMentored closely by an embodied leadership expert for 5 years
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ON LEADERSHIP: Mitch Saunders, Brene Brown, Simon Sinek
ON COACHING: Nancy Kline, Mitch Saunders
ON ORGANIZATIONAL SYSTEMS: Peter Senge, Adam Grant
ON DIALOGUE: William Isaacs, Mitch Saunders
ON SELF-COMPASSION: Kristen Neff, Pema Chodron
ON SOMATIC HEALING: Ron Kurtz, Stanley Keleman, Georgia Marvin
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I grew up in Minnesota where I came to appreciate at an early age that I could pick up on things in the people around me that were often invisible to them. It would take 20 years until I learned this was called “empathy” after scoring 99/100 on an EQ test at one of my first organizational roles. I thought this was something everyone could do.
This started me on the path of learning, very slowly, that what I innately have inside of me is not something to take for granted. And in fact, it has been the “secret sauce” that has enabled my career to thrive.
I went from blushing whenever I had to speak off the cuff in an executive meeting, to being able to calmly and effectively communicate in a way that made executives nod and agree. I became recognized for my ability to successfully lead diverse teams and draw out hidden potential in challenging staff. I climbed the ladder until I was managing a department of 100+ people and a project with a $20+ million budget, winning positions over more experienced competition.
I brought the same commitment to deep, meaningful growth when I made the career switch to coaching—with a four-year journey getting certified as a coach, while additionally being mentored in embodied leadership by a reputable Silicon Valley organizational coach and consultant.
Now I celebrate my innate and unique ability to connect deeply in relationships, to remember what people tell me about their families, their hopes, their fears, and to champion those around me by sharing the greatness I see in them.
Today, with more than 700 hours of coaching under my belt, my mission is to help other quiet, compassionate leaders activate their untapped power.
In doing so, they will create ripples that transform the people, teams and projects around them.
My customized approach activates innate strengths across 3 key areas:
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Learn how to impact with your presence before speaking a word, and dial in to the exact presence needed for particular situations.
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Learn how to influence and engage others through meaningful connection
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Learn how to trust your insights and communicate them with calm conviction.
I work intimately with individuals in the context of their whole organizational system, connecting personal challenges to organizational priorities.
I work with organizations as well as individuals.
Many individual clients access funding for my services through their company.
I’m here to answer all your questions, start with my FAQ.
Read the Quiet Power Blog
