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About Me

Donna Karlin is an author, international speaker, and lecturer. She`s been called a pot-stirrer, thought shifter and reality checker and is best known as The Shadow Coach. Donna is a SupporTED Coach, a member of the team that coaches the TED Fellows, and a communications and team dynamics advisor for Brussels-based firm, INSPIRIT Sustainable Design and Promotion Group.

Principal and founder of A Better Perspective® and The School of Shadow Coaching®, Donna has worked for almost three decades as a coach and trainer with clients in Canada, the US and abroad in the business/corporate sector, political Federal Ministries, government departments and agencies, with creative designers and the medical community.

Donna is Past President and current Dean of the International Consortium for Coaching in Organizations, a fulcrum of resources and an exchange of current practices and their critical analyzes to enhance the success-rate of coaching interventions in organizations world-wide. She is a Founding Member of the Harvard Institute of Coaching Professional Association (ICPA), a member of the Advisory Board of the International Academy of Behavioral Medicine, Counseling and Psychotherapy and a member of the Board of Advisors for The Foundation For International Leadership Coaching.

Her work has been written up in Fast Company Magazine, The National Post (Financial Post), The Globe and Mail, The New York Times Business Section, The Boston Globe, Personal Success Magazine, as well as in numerous online articles. She has written two eBooks, co-authored the best selling book ‘101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life’, and recently authored a book on Human-Based Leadership: Leaders: Their Stories, Their Words - Conversations with Human-Based Leaders™.

She is certified in Organizational Psychology with a focus in Executive Coaching by The Professional School of Psychology and has been certified by the International Academy of Behavioral Medicine, Counseling and Psychotherapy as a Diplomate in Professional Coaching.

She has a proven track record in developing sustainable leadership.

Location:
Canada, Ottawa
Current organization:
A Better Perspective Executive and Political Leadership Coaching
Past organizations:
School of Shadow Coaching, International Consortium for Coaching in Organizations, The Shadow Coach, Strategic Red Team Consulting
Current role:
President
Gender:
Female
Areas of expertise:
Executive and Political Leadership Coaching, Shadow Coaching, Team dynamics, Coaching in Governments and Political Systems, Leadership Coaching, Communications Coach, Leadership Development & Team Building, Human Systems, Organizational Systems, Organizational Transformation
I am:
Brainstormer, Business mentor, Change Agent, Connector, Consultant, Educator/Teacher, Entrepreneur, Idea generator, Writer/Editor
Associations:
International Consortium for Coaching in Organizations, International Association of Coaching, International Coach Federation, Harvard Institute of Coaching Professional Association (ICPA), supporTED, International Academy for Behavioral Medicine, Counseling and Psychotheraphy
Languages:
English
My website links:
Leaders: Their Stories, Their Words, The Shadow Coach, A Better Perspective
Universities:
McGill University, Montreal Quebec, Professional School of Psychology, University of Alberta
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More About Me

I'm passionate about

People, learning, growing, music, the dance of politics, global connection and the power of collaboration.

An idea worth spreading

People become who they may be when they let go of who they are. We live in a complex world. Change is a constant, technologically, environmentally and organizationally. Coaching not only helps people live in a world of continuous change and transition but helps them learn how to embrace it, effectively 'dancing in real time' so they contextualize change immediately.

“If you don’t have an idea that materializes and changes a person’s life, then what have you got? You have talk, you have research, you have telephone calls, you have meetings, but you don’t have a change in the community.” – Eunice Kennedy Shriver, founder of Special Olympics

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Your passions and ideas

People don't know that I'm good at

Seeing beyond what's evident

My TED Story

I love how, as SupporTED coach, we can help these amazing people see themselves through new eyes; see the power of who they are and what they do and what they bring to the world. They are world changers and I am honoured and proud to be able to work with them.

Comments

  • TEDCred score: +0.30 TEDCred reflects your contribution to the TED community.

  • +1

    A comment on Talk: Usman Riaz and Preston Reed: A young guitarist meets his hero

    Jul 9 2012: Extraordinary and mesmerizing.
  • +1

    A comment on Conversation: Is our destiny to be one world with one language?

    Aug 18 2011: For me it's more about connecting and communicating than the language we use. If we can connect at a fundamental level so we 'get' where that other person is coming from, I don't care if it's sign language or silence. Martha Beck had shared how she really learned to understand her child through silence. It was about the spaces and what to do within them that brought them closer together.

    I live in a bilingual country and there is way too much discussion about which language to use or that we have to use both. There are language police in Quebec. That creates barriers rather than connection.

  • A comment on Conversation: How young is too young for social networking?

    Aug 18 2011: It's not about age as much as it's about teaching our kids what to look out for, what to red flag and discuss with us. It's about learning how to discern, what and who to trust and what to share publicly. We need to teach them that FB is searchable and their future could be influenced by what they share and how. If we teach them young enough, they'll have the best skills to deal with people within and outside social media.

    It's not important for them to have an account but if they're going to, I'd much rather know about it and teach them the skills to deal with it than keep it a secret. If they hide it, then they won't come to us unless it's almost too late.

    Important question!

  • A comment on Conversation: Dream Neighborhood . . . do you live in one?

    Aug 18 2011: I live in an amazing neighbourhood, so yes, it could be described as a dream one. We live on the Green belt, National Capital land which will never be built on. Across the street is a path that one can walk or bike on that, on one side twists and turns through a forest and on the other, is built around a small lake. Behind us is a ravine and creek and we're surrounded by white pines. We're about 12 minutes from the Hill and downtown Ottawa. Everyone know everyone. We chip in to help, talk while we rake and garden, know each other's kids and support them in their school projects and charity events. We walk into the neighbourhood stores and they know us by name or at least by face and take the time to ask how we and our kids are.

    Doesn't get much better than that. Safe, clean, green, nourishing, friendly and supportive. A great question as it reminded me just how lucky we are.

  • A reply on Conversation: What aren't you thinking of?

    Aug 18 2011: That is evident. The qiuestion is, how often do we take the time to ask the question "what don't we know" to look beyond what we already know.
  • +1

    A comment on Talk: Carter Emmart demos a 3D atlas of the universe

    Apr 29 2011: A fabulous illustration of how we are a small part of a much greater whole in our lifes, our work, and our organizations and how we have a much greater impact on the greater whole with every decision and choice we make. And visa versa

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