We often look at leaders and wonder how they got there. What we can’t see is the many hands who helped build that leader up – help them develop not just the skills, but the confidence and the clarity that enabled them to lead.
To empower the next generation of leaders, CivicAction’s DiverseCity Fellows program matches Fellows with diverse, experienced coaches to support their leadership growth and help them make meaningful choices in their Fellowship.
We asked a few Fellows to share their coaching experience.
She encouraged me to think big. She was the one who was like shoot for the stars.” – Erica
Erica McCloskey joined the Fellowship to learn, meet people, and to grow her confidence. Coaching helped her expand her mindset. “My coach was really helpful in supporting me to think through what I wanted the next five years to look like,” she said. “I came up with the plan, but she helped me refine it.”
The biggest shift was in confidence. “She encouraged me to think big. Don’t be afraid to ask for something you think you could never have.” That encouragement changed the course of her year. It also changed how she now sees herself.
Erica realized she had a talent for building strong relationships. Her mentor helped her understand the value of that skill. “If you can build relationships with people, it makes moving work forward easier. It also makes the work stronger.” She always had this ability, but coaching helped her name it, own it, and use it with intention.
This is the quiet power of coaching. It helps people see, and nurture, what is already there.
He dedicated his time so selflessly.” – Moe
Moe did not expect someone at the level of a CEO to invest so deeply in him. “He dedicated his time very selflessly, to meet with me, to guide me, to support me,” Moe shared. His coach talked openly about his own lessons on his leadership journey. “He was very vulnerable with me.” That honesty changed how Moe sees leadership. “He taught me what true leadership means.”
Moe’s experience shows a key truth. Coaching is not about telling someone what to do. It is about showing what is possible when leaders share knowledge, make space, and treat each other with care.
I am especially grateful for the powerful questions asked by my coach.” – Sarpong
Sarpong’s coach invited her in by being warm and friendly. Her coach asked “powerful questions” that pushed her to think differently about her next steps and career direction and helped reframe her mindset. Her coach’s sharing of their lived experience and personal journey were grounding and inspiring. And Sarpong valued the homework given between sessions as it helped cement the learning. Sarpong’s growth also did not come from being told what to do. It came from being guided to think more deeply about what she wanted — and why.
My coach helped me put into words the feelings I had about where I could improve, and I’ve already started to try her suggestions.” – 2025 DiverseCity Fellow
Coaching lights the path along the journey. And it works. Across the Fellowship, Fellows describe gaining confidence, clearer thinking, and taking risks they would not have considered on their own. Ninety-two percent of survey respondents agreed with the statement, “The individual coaching sessions have been a valuable component in my leadership development and overall program experience so far.”
Reflecting a simple but often overlooked truth: leadership grows stronger when people lift each other. And when emerging leaders are lifted, they begin lifting others too.
We are grateful to our partner, Griffith Group Executive Search, for their generous contribution of time and expertise in recruiting a dedicated and talented cohort of coaches who not only reflect the lived experiences of our Fellows, but who are also deeply committed to supporting their growth and development.
Griffith Group Executive Search is a nationally recognized, women-owned leadership advisory firm, renowned for delivering bespoke solutions that drive organizational transformation across Canada’s public, academic, and not-for-profit sectors.
The team at Griffith Group Executive Search supports CivicAction in playing a vital role in strengthening the next generation of civic leaders. The two organizations share a belief in the importance of intentional, values‑driven leadership.