What Clients Say

Executive Vice President A major bank

I worked closely with a Saxon-Hamilton coach and can truly say that he helped reinvigorate my passion for what I was doing – leading others to achieve great things. Simply put, my coaching experience brought me face to face with the reality of my professional predicament and choice – I was a doer not a leader. That would have been fine at one or two levels lower in the organization, but not for running a $350 million business. The accelerated pace of change and the dramatic growth in my business demanded solutions that my past methods couldn't begin to support.

My coach helped me translate great guidance and insight from my boss and leader into an action plan that encompassed all aspects of my life. As a result my priorities and focus changed. I was able to expand my capacity to lead ever more complex and larger challenges. I learned to drive my agenda as opposed to being driven by the agendas of others. Put another way, I was at cause versus at effect. I applied the lessions I learned to and for my team and I watched the positive results multiply.

I am so grateful for the opportunity to have had a fellow executive at my side as coach, mentor and friend. I changed my life thanks to my coach’s strong push.

President and CEO A 100 year-old Community Bank

The unique thing about working with Saxon-Hamilton was how the consultant got me to look at the world in a different way while having most of the ideas come from me. He drew out my thoughts and helped me organize them in a way that I could act on. Together we considered the likely consequences of my proposed actions and the reactions they would create, and the result was often that I reached different conclusions than I would have otherwise.

As a CEO I am accountable to the Board, but I have learned over the years how to temper that accountability. An element of my work with Saxon-Hamilton was that my coach held me accountable, which nudged me to take my accountability to a higher level.

Holding others accountable was also a challenge. I had to first assess the clarity of my own expectations and actions before I could determine where to be flexible and where to stand firm in terms of what I expected of others. With my coach’s support and encouragement, I raised the bar for my executive team and they reached a new level of effectiveness.

My coach challenged me to develop a comprehensive strategic plan, one that would address the real issues. His probing questions helped us define and refine the most significant strategic questions facing the Bank. As a result, I was able to be the architect of three strategic transitions: the senior management team, the board of directors, and the 3rd to 4th generation of shareholders.

I so appreciate the quality and substance of the relationship my coach and I have developed. He is a friend and confidant whose wise counsel I trust and value.