RACHEL BAPTISTE Founder & CEO of Lumen Consulting Group, Inc. Rachel, congratulations on your recognition at the CEO Today Executive Coaching Awards. Can you describe your coaching philosophy and how it has evolved to address the complexities of today’s leadership challenges? My coaching philosophy is anchored in the belief that every individual is a leader. The conditions of both your inner and outer environment determines the degree to which you lead yourself and others in a meaningful way. You can’t lead from the shadows. My role is to light the path for them to fully step into their potential and light the path for others. These values below are embedded in the work I do, both in a coaching and consulting context. 1. Authenticity – align identity, values, and purpose with leadership expression 2. Empowerment – enable achievement of full potential 3. Diversity – embrace difference as a strategic advantage 4. Equitable Ecosystems – assess and build practices to disrupt bias and provide access 5. Adaptive Mindset – embed curiosity, learning, and resilience as essential components of leadership 6. Partnership – engage others at every stage of the journey My mission is to empower women of colour at every stage of their leadership journey and significantly increase their presence in the C-Suite. To only focus on their development would be one-dimensional and not setting them up for success. With that in mind, I also coach and consult with leaders who consider themselves Allies and are committed to building inclusive organizations through systemic change and culture transformation. Creating cultures that are inclusive and embrace diversity in leadership will be the key to navigating an increasingly complex world. Describe your typical coaching client, and what is the most rewarding part of working with them, particularly in relation to your work with people of colour? I’ve been fortunate to work with leaders who show up engaged and committed to doing the necessary work of selfdiscovery, perspective-taking, and action. They want to have a more meaningful leadership impact at the self, team, and enterprise levels, and I’m here to facilitate their journey while championing them at every step. My work focuses on two client groups. People of colour pursuing careers in leadership while navigating corporate systems that were not built for them LEADERSHIP CONSULTANT OF THE YEAR CEO Today Executive Coaching Awards 2024 - CANADA - - 43 -
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