See What They’re Saying

The year I worked with Amiel was one of the most transformational in my adult life. With Amiel’s support, I learned to do three things that I (and my staff) didn’t at first think possible: slow down enough to truly listen to others’ ideas, empower my staff to succeed, and smile—a lot! The regular live shadowing and Amiel’s forthright feedback made a particularly big difference for me and for my team. I couldn’t recommend Amiel more highly.

Amiel was my executive coach while I was at Intel almost ten years ago. The long last lesson he taught me were effective at the time but I continue to draw upon them even now many years later. He began by learning who I was from my perspective as well as others. Using his insights he set a path for me that led me from being a senior principal engineer to becoming a VP-Fellow at HP and the CTO of several companies. Thank you Amiel for your lessons and all the timeless wisdom I have gained from our time together.

Amiel, our work together has changed me in the way that pervades everything that I do in my life. You have had a way of letting me learn for myself, which is very important when dealing with someone as strong-headed as me. I thank you for understanding the complexity of life and for listening deeply, something that very few people do.

One of my top guys got an outside offer and was ready to leave the team. I’ve lost several people like this over the years. But he chose to stay. He now sees me as a manager of choice, an outcome enabled by Amiel’s coaching.

When you work with Amiel, you get someone who knows when to challenge you and when to provide support, and who creates a program that is unmistakably for you rather than generic executive X. We worked together during a pivotal time in my organization’s history, when a crisis hit and our people needed a clear sense of direction and a compelling story to grab onto. Amiel helped me create both. Perhaps best of all, his support helped me renew my commitment to bringing my full energy to work each day and ensuring the rest of our people could do the same

Amiel’s blogs, interviews and newsletters have kept me reading for years. His pithy style, humor and down-to-earth practical advice and musings on how to navigate all sorts of challenging situations are creative and informative. Most importantly, they are wonderful reminders of what matters in life.

Amiel, thank you for your invaluable support over the past eighteen months. You helped me take this organization I inherited from my predecessor and make it my own. You challenged and supported me in ways nobody has before, and it made a big difference in how I lead, my capacity to influence, and the energy I bring to work.

Amiel and Julie have transformed our culture. With their patient and persistent support, we have changed the way we talk, lead, and manage. We are having clear conversations about our commitments. We are truly dedicated to people development. And we work together in a whole new way. Their work has become a part of us!

When you and I started working together, people saw me as a bull in a china shop. You helped me realize I could get a heckuva lot more done if people knew I was open to renegotiating deliverables and deadlines. This also led to them seeking me out for coaching and support.

Amiel clearly knows how to work with strong-willed leaders who have rough edges, because I’m one of them. He can be very direct, even tough, yet you always know he’s on your side. And he gives you very specific things to practice. I’ve been telling colleagues to sign up and work with him.

Of the many coaches I’ve known, Amiel is the only one who anchored our work in self-reflection that was salient to my uniqueness as a person, leader, and woman of color. I’ve learned to adapt my style to very different personalities, regained confidence after a professional trauma, and become known as a champion of diversity and inclusion. I’ve also improved my health, rediscovered my childhood passion for writing, reconnected with long lost friends, and brought a daily gratitude practice into my family.

Before working with Amiel, I was solely focused on improving my technical knowledge and didn’t understand how much room I had to grow both socially and emotionally. Our work together helped me improve both my self awareness and self control. This has made me more influential and reduced conflict. More importantly, it sent me on a journey of self improvement that has made me a better human being. For this I will always be grateful.