Helping Leaders Thrive & Lead with Purpose
We are a coaching and consulting firm, specializing in executive coaching and leadership development. We help leaders and organizations thrive in complex environments and inspire others through a deeper sense of purpose.
As former business executives with 20+ years of experience in business, leadership and global markets, we have a deep appreciation of the unique pressures and challenges executives face today. We believe that success today requires particular skills to manage complexity, distractions & rapid change, and to build cultures where everyone can thrive.
Leveraging our leadership experience — along with our significant coaching experience and integrated expertise across coaching modalities — we apply proven methods to help leaders optimize their performance and accomplish important goals. In the process, leaders get to strengthen their muscle to manage their focus, develop agility and build resilience and capacity.
We work with a wide range of companies—Fortune 500, Mid-size businesses, Startups, and Non-profits—in the following areas:
Our Difference
Broad Experience
Global Executive Experience + Business Background + Considerable Coaching Experience across a wide range of leaders + Advanced Training in Organizational Psychology
Integrated Coaching Expertise
Expertise in Brain Science, Mindfulness & Behavioral Change, to facilitate real changes in mindsets and behaviors.
Tailored Approach
Methods & tools that work best for your unique goals, needs and learning style.
Actionable Tools
Practical and experiential methods grounded in science that result in real transformations.
Proven Results
Strong measurable results and high return on investment
The Science Behind What We Do
Our Thinking – Is influenced by what we know from Brain Science, Motivational Theory and Behavioral Change about how to create conditions for optimal performance, creativity and growth. That includes sharing tools to help you see more clearly who you are (e.g., strengths, triggers, hidden patterns and "blind" spots). Also, we share practices to manage distractions, regulate emotions, communicate skillfully and build emotional intelligence. Because when you are stressed or distracted, your executive functions suffer.
What We Know – A habit change is difficult because much of what we do is hard-wired. It requires Awareness, Motivation to Change, Understanding Barriers for Change, Practice, and Behavioral Reinforcement. Sometimes a habit change also requires a shift from Old Narratives to New ones.
Foundational Methodologies
Our work is grounded in proven methodologies that result in real changes in mindsets and behaviors. Together those methodologies create synergistic effects in helping leaders/teams thrive.
New breakthroughs in Neuroscience concerning how our brains work provide the foundation. Mindfulness practices and Conversational Intelligence tools help to build Awareness, Emotional Intelligence and Resilience. Stakeholder-Centered Coaching reinforces the shifts in behaviors and helps sustain the positive change.
Neuroscience (Brain-based Coaching)
Neuroscience evidence regarding how our brains work is highly relevant for behavioral change and is at the root of our coaching approach. Neuroscience research findings show that we are programmed to be reactive. When we are triggered or feel threatened, the limbic brain reacts with Fight, Flight or Freeze and the brain’s executive functions suffer. Read more...
Coaching with the brain in mind takes into account basic human needs, e.g., for autonomy, certainty, status, connectedness—and what happens when those needs are threatened. We work with clients to de-stressify minds and help them activate an appreciative mindset. This changes the brain chemistry. We “turn off” the Amygdala’s fear-based and stress-hormones and “turn on” happy hormones. We activate brain connections that feed up into the Prefrontal Cortex where the executive functions reside so clients can build new neuro pathways that allow for Behavioral Change.
The way we FEEL affects the way we THINK and ACT
Mindfulness
Mindfulness means being present at the moment and aware of ‘what is.’ Jon Kabat-Zinn defines mindfulness as “The awareness that arises from paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally.” We refer to mindfulness in a broad sense beyond mindfulness meditation per se to include various mindfulness practices: Mindful listening, mindful communicating, etc. Read more...
Neuroscience evidence shows that mindfulness helps to re-wire the brain for the better. Under stress, attention narrows to focus on the cause of stress and the brain’s executive functions are hijacked affecting Leaders’ performance. Mindfulness practices re-wire the brain, helping Leaders become more aware of their habitual thought patterns and habits--so they are more able to regulate stress, focus attention, manage their emotions and perform more effectively overall.
Mindfulness should no longer be considered a “nice-to-have” for executives. It’s a “must-have; a way to keep our brains healthy…” – HBR (2015)
Emotional Intelligence (EI)
EI is considered a key leadership competency and a predictor of performance. EI describes a skill set related to SELF AWARENESS (recognizing our own feelings and thoughts), SELF MANAGEMENT (the ability to regulate triggers and manage own behavior; it requires Self Awareness); SOCIAL AWARENESS (recognizing other people’s feeling; showing empathy), and RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT (building relationships; influencing others; managing conflicts). Read more...
EI should not be mistaken for a ‘soft’ skill. Working with leaders to understand how they act/react and how their emotions and actions affect others broadens their awareness and helps to facilitate a successful behavioral change.
Resilience
One of the most important qualities of a leader is resilience, especially in today’s stressful environment. Resilience is the capacity to prepare for, recover from and adapt in the face of stress and challenges (HeartMath Institute). When we are resilient, we can also neutralize or prevent some of the ongoing wear and tear. Read more...
Resilience requires recharging. Certain emotions (e.g., anger, frustration, irritation, anxiety) deplete our energy while other emotions (e.g., ease, passion, courage) renew our energy. Tapping on the wisdom of the body we help leaders become more aware of signs of physical constrictions, allowing them to recognize emerging emotions and changing energy patterns. Instead of falling into a reactive pattern (fight, flight or freeze) they can cultivate a more constructive choice-based responses to “triggers” and manage their energy to build resilience.
Our Emotions affect our Physiology, our Energy and our Resilience.
Conversational Intelligence (C-IQ)
By some estimates 75% of work is accomplished via conversations, so effective conversations are key for success. Yet many conversations miss the mark and only few leaders understand how vital quality conversations are to the productivity and innovation of their teams/organizations… Read more...
Conversational Intelligence (C-IQ) is based on neuroscience research regarding the neurochemistry of conversations. Some conversations open us up and prime our brains to TRUST, CONNECT, ENGAGE and CO-CREATE, while other conversations close us down and “FREEZE” our brain in a protective habit patterns. Using C-IQ we provide a framework and practices for the ways Leaders and Teams can effectively listen, interpret, engage, respond, interact and influence others. Most importantly, it is a powerful framework for building TRUST, the #1 factor determining Team Effectiveness.
“Everything happens through conversations!” – Judith Glaser
Narrative Coaching
We are hard-wired to narrate our experiences. Our need to tell stories – to understand and be understood by others - is part of our evolutionary process. “Stories” also define our identities. It is the “stories” that we tell ourselves about people/situations/events that trigger certain feelings that, in turn, activate certain behaviors and outcomes. So when we want to change something about ourselves, that sometimes requires a shift from old narratives to new constructive one. Read more...
We use Narrative Coaching--a Mindful, Experiential and Integrative approach pioneered by Dr. David Drake--to help Leaders make real change using their own narratives. Stories are often the source of what gets us stuck: If we keep narrating our experiences in the same way we will perpetuate the very same experiences. Fortunately stories also present a springboard for our transformation. Leveraging a narrative approach, we provide a process for Leaders to be more constructive with their narrative choices, so they can be more effective. We also help organizations design cultural change by bringing together narrative coaching and design thinking to create breakthrough to new ways of thinking and acting.
Stakeholder Centered Coaching
We are often excellent thinkers but poor doers. How can we support a sustainable behavioral change in Leaders/Teams? Marshall Goldsmith, one of the world’s leading executive coaches, pioneered the Stakeholder Centered Coaching (SCC) approach to facilitate positive lasting behavioral change. SCC is a practical methodology using a structured 7-step process. As part of this approach, key stakeholders provide “Feedforward” suggestions to the Leader regarding future-oriented improvement. Read more...
The SCC approach has several key benefits. Stakeholders’ involvement provides real time coaching, creating momentum for new behaviors. The regular follow ups help to sustain changed behaviors, turning them into HABITS. Also, engaging stakeholders accelerates both actual behavioral change & perceptual change by stakeholders.
About Dr. Orly Maravankin
I built a thriving global career as a senior corporate executive and business developer — managing global business units and serving as a trusted advisor to Fortune 100 companies on Brand & Innovation strategies. In that capacity I brought world class thinking and consultancy to help clients drive growth for iconic brands through Insights & Analytics (e.g., Coca-Cola, Oreo, Kraft, Colgate, Avon) and won various awards for my work, e.g., “Partner of the Year” from Coca-Cola.
In my role I traveled the globe and interacted with many leaders across markets and industries. Invariably some were more successful than others. I became interested in what makes leaders successful – why some can unleash their potential while others flounder – and how we can help leaders to consistently bring out the best in themselves and others. Through my own experiences I developed a deep appreciation for the pressures executives face and the leadership skills required for success in today's environment.
In 2013 founded Edge Consulting, a coaching & consulting firm specializing in leadership development. My observations and experiences — along with my expertise in Neuroscience (Brain-based coaching), Mindfulness & Behavioral Change — form the foundation of my work with leaders. Leveraging my business and leadership background, along with my coaching experience across different kinds of leaders, I offer practical, effective methods that ignite lasting positive change.
I approach my clients with respect, understanding, candor and a strong belief that they can lead a less stressful life and become more successful with deeper awareness and a few behavioral changes. I stretch their thinking and offer a non-judgmental environment to have confidential conversations about their goals, aspirations and challenges. In that space, strong partnerships emerge. Clients can consider different ways of thinking and try new behaviors. Read More I have often seen leaders and organizations transform as a result of our work. Executives step up to their full potential, take courageous steps, find meaning in what they do and lead with purpose. My deep commitment is to help my clients achieve important goals, become the leaders they want to be and build thriving cultures. Credentials & Training:
Our Partners. Aside from Dr. Maravankin, we partner with a team of executive coaches and facilitators to manage large-scope strategic initiatives related to culture change, team effectiveness and organizational transformation.
What Our Clients Say
