About Jeff Hayes


Leadership doesn’t get simpler over time.

Good leadership isn’t about having the right answers. It’s about navigating uncertainty and making sound decisions in the midst of constant change.

My work is about creating space to think — in a non-judgmental environment — offering a clear mirror for unraveling complexity, and helping leaders orient themselves in the evolving future of work.

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  • What I help with: clarity, decisions, and navigating complexity without overwhelming.
  • How I work: calm, direct partnership; questions that surface what matters; practical next steps.
  • Best fit for: leaders carrying a lot, teams in transition, and organizations dealing with fast change.
What Working Together Looks Like

A thoughtful partner for meaningful work

For more than 30 years, I’ve worked with leaders and teams navigating change, complexity, and growth — across technology, finance, healthcare, and global organizations.

Grounded, human, pragmatic

Clients describe me as calm, curious, and direct. I listen carefully, ask thoughtful questions, and help people slow down enough to see what’s really happening.

I don’t bring pre-packaged solutions or formulas. Instead, I bring perspective, partnership, and deep respect for the reality you’re working within — helping you recognize the patterns shaping your work and build confidence grounded in awareness.

How I work

How I work with leaders

Coaching vs advisory

My work with leaders typically takes one of two forms: coaching or advisory support. While they are related, they serve different purposes.

Coaching is a collaborative, creative process focused on helping clients think more clearly and make intentional choices. As a coach, I partner with individuals or teams to strengthen critical thinking, expand awareness, and build confidence in their own judgment. I work from a place of trust in the client’s capacity to grow, while remaining grounded in strong ethical practice and a belief in continuous learning.

Advisory support, by contrast, draws more directly on experience and perspective. As an advisor, I bring context, insight, and honest feedback to help leaders navigate complex situations. This can include surfacing options, challenging assumptions, applying systems thinking, and offering guidance when it’s useful. Advisory work is still reflective and thoughtful — but it also includes sharing what I see and what I know, when doing so will help move things forward.

Structure and flexibility

Effective leadership requires both structure and flexibility.

Structure provides patterns, frameworks, and shared ways of working. Over time, many organizations have benefited from well-designed structures — and just as often, they have been constrained by them. Too much structure can lead to rigidity and bureaucracy.

Flexibility, on the other hand, allows leaders and teams to respond to what’s needed in the moment. When taken too far, it can create inconsistency, missed commitments, and unnecessary chaos.

The most effective leaders learn to hold both. They establish thoughtful patterns and clear agreements, while remaining open to adjustment as conditions change. My work supports leaders in finding that balance — using structure as a support, not a constraint.

Thinking partner, not just problem solver

At the heart of my work is partnership.

As a coach, I serve primarily as a thinking partner — someone who helps leaders slow down, reflect, and see their situation more clearly. As an advisor, I remain a thinking partner while also stepping in to help solve problems when appropriate.

In both cases, the goal is the same: to support clear thinking, sound judgment, and forward movement in the midst of complexity.

Experience

Experience & Credentials

Over the course of my career, I’ve worked as a software engineer, consultant, coach, and advisor — supporting leaders and teams across a wide range of industries and organizational contexts.

My professional training includes organizational relationship systems coaching, executive coaching, and agile coaching, alongside decades of hands-on experience working inside complex, evolving environments.

  • ICAgile Certified Expert in Agile Coaching (ICE-AC)
  • ICF Associate Certified Coach (ACC)
  • Certified Team Coach (CTC)
  • ORSC-trained (completed ORSC modules; not ORSC-certified)