Gary Payne is an accomplished Executive Leadership Coach, fully credentialed with the International Coach Federation. With his extensive experience as a first-time CEO, long-standing P&L leader, and executive search consultant, Gary brings valuable insights to his clients. His expertise lies in coaching senior executives, particularly those in the C-Suite and high-potential leaders, across various industries such as Healthcare, Technology, Financial Services, Not-for-Profit, Industrial, Energy, and Professional Services.
While every individual and team coaching engagement is custom and unique, Gary brings three primary focus areas to his work:
Emotional Intelligence Coaching and Neuroscience: By leveraging scientifically backed concepts, Gary helps his clients develop a deeper understanding of their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. This self-awareness empowers leaders to enact meaningful changes, enhance their decision-making skills, and cultivate healthier habits. Gary employs simple and easy to apply techniques to help leaders rewire their thinking, take ownership of their thoughts, and overcome limitations, thereby fostering the growth of their Emotional Intelligence.
Systemic Leadership Team Coaching: Gary assists leaders in developing and leading Senior Leadership Teams using the Systemic Team Coaching 5 Disciplines model. This approach aims to drive genuine value creation for all stakeholders within the organization. The ultimate goal is to support leaders in evolving their individual and collective leadership, transforming it into a competitive advantage and a catalyst for generating value across the entire ecosystem. By effectively leading their teams, leaders can achieve their strategic objectives and navigate the complexities of today's business environment.
Solving Critical Challenges in a VUCA World: Gary understands the unique challenges faced by leaders in a Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous (VUCA) world. He meets his clients where they are, during coaching sessions, to help them address critical strategic problems, conflicts, and challenges. Through his guidance, leaders gain the necessary tools to navigate the ever-changing business environment successfully.
A defining point in Gary's career was his six-year tenure as the CEO of a Private Equity-backed Industrial Services company, where he tripled the EBITDA of the business organically before its sale in 2008. This firsthand experience as a CEO enables him to empathize with the pressures of the C-Suite, the dynamics of company strategy, what it’s like to report to a Board, and the art of effectively managing the stressors inherent in executive roles.
Gary also has a passion for helping college students develop their leadership skills and approach to support their journey to become the best version of themselves and maximize their impact on the world. He works with the Doerr Institute for New Leaders (https://doerr.rice.edu/) to coach students at Rice University through their Activation and Synthesis leadership development solutions. He works with students at the Doctorate, Master, and Bachelor levels to help them develop their Emotional Intelligence, define their Leadership Best Self, and develop intentionality in their journey to become the leader they want to be. In addition to individual work with students at Rice, he has led multiple group coaching programs on topics such as Developing and Sustaining Resilience, Developing Trust as a Superpower, and Living and Leading with Purpose.
Gary graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Finance. He and his wife live in Austin, where he is active on several philanthropic non-profit boards.