Hi There!
I’m Whitney Sargent, and I’m a leadership and communications coach for you, the motivated visionary. My passion is helping you focus forward so that you inspire an atmosphere of trust and respect that will naturally result in the highest levels of team performance.
Whether you’re serving individual clients as a private coach or leading and building teams in a corporate setting, the principles of leadership and communication remain constant.
Over more than a decade of working with both teams and individual players in the corporate world, I’ve seen first-hand that life-changing results are obtained through effective leadership and communication skills. From million-dollar deals to work environments that attract top talent, the end game you want to achieve is only accessible through intentional focus FORWARD.
And if you neglect to have that intentional focus forward, disastrous results can follow. Loss of lucrative deals. Departure of valuable employees. And even tragedy.
This lesson was crystallized for me on March 10, 2016.
I was serving as the facilities leader for a new $40 million technical center. One day, I left our open-concept workspace to enter what we called a “focus booth.” I needed a bit of privacy for a critical work conversation.
Only a few moments after stepping into the room, I heard people entering the small booth next to me. Then, in rapid succession, two metallic bursts!
A shooter.
Everything changed on that day. I later found out that the wall I jammed my body against to avoid any additional gunfire was the exact wall that comprised the (paper-thin) physical separation of me and the disgruntled employee.
The bullet landed a mere 6 inches from where I stood. Two people lost their lives that day, and had the shooter been standing at just a slightly different angle, I would have been the third.
And I saw, too, that this senseless tragedy might have been avoided with better communication and understanding. This disgruntled employee who took his own life and the life of my colleague that day clearly had major issues.
There is no guarantee that better communication could have prevented the shooting, but I feel certain better understanding would have diffused the tensions that caused this man to act out in such a devastating way.
On that day, I recognized what I want every one of my clients to understand:
you have only THIS MOMENT. This breath. This day.
To lead. To communicate. To grow. To thrive.
You’re not guaranteed tomorrow. Today is a GIFT, and it’s up to you how you use it.
EVERY MOMENT MATTERS.
In the months following the incident, I used my leadership and communication skills to shepherd my team into their “new normal.” My colleagues needed authenticity, transparency, and acceptance to move forward in a spirit of hope and possibility despite living through tragedy. And because I have years of professional training in those areas, I was able to quiet their fears and unite them with a reinvigorated sense of purpose in our work.
I know that no matter what obstacle your own clients and team are facing, it CAN be overcome.
But it requires a level of skill that you may not yet have mastered. That’s okay. That’s what I’m here for.
Great leaders and communicators aren’t just born. They are cultivated.
Leadership and communication are skills that can be mastered - just like playing the piano or learning to ice skate. You may not become a virtuoso or an Olympic athlete, but you can develop a proficiency that allows you to entertain others and enjoy the sport.
Likewise, learning the skill of communication can increase your efficacy at work and add to the value you provide both to and through your team.
You’re reading these words for a reason. Let today be the catalyst to take action toward leading and communicating with your clients and team in a way that lets them know how valued and valuable they are.
Your leadership and communication skills are your avenue to create monumental results and leave a lasting legacy. Learn how to leverage them effectively!
“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” - John Maxwell
Why Choose Me
to Coach You and Your Team:
I’m certified. I’ve devoted hundreds of hours to becoming an elite-level leadership and communications strategist. I’m professionally certified through the John Maxwell organization in both Coaching and Speaking, and I hold the Forte and Predictive Index Certifications. The Forte Assessment equips me to examine your primary communication style and help you understand how that may be adapted to maximize your potential, while the Predictive Index sheds light on the motivations behind your actions. When you understand these elements, you can tap into new levels of achievement that have previously eluded you and your team.
I’m experienced. I’ve helped hundreds of people uplevel their leadership and communication skills. This has resulted in millions of dollars of revenue brought into organizations as well as immensely increased personal satisfaction among my own clients and team members.
I’m collaborative. I come alongside you and your team to equip you with tools you can use to maintain the momentum of our work together long after our official engagement ends.
I’m accessible. My programs are designed to give you wrap-around support in the exact areas where you need it most. I custom-craft my packages to suit your specific needs.
“The art of communication is the language of leadership.” - James Humes
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