Space for Growth: How Leaders Think, Grow, and Actually find Time to Lead with Leadership Coach Jennifer Recla

In this episode I sat down with Jennifer Recla, Colorado-based leadership coach and consultant who helps senior leaders, especially in nonprofit and healthcare, manage time, build high-performing teams, and lead with confidence.We had a blast discussing all things coachability in this episode. Enjoy!Core mission: stop the nights and weekends grind, create breathing room so leaders can think, grow, and actually lead.Quick Icebreakers: Favorite books → The Taking, Sushi for Beginners, Multipliers, The Infinite Game.Favorite movies → The Strangers, Jurassic Park, The Wizard of Oz. Fun fact → giraffe superfan with a dream breakfast at Giraffe Manor.Why leaders hire her: communication struggles, overwhelming workload, or a lack of in-house leadership development support.Best clients: come prepared with questions, stay intensely curious, execute action items between sessions where the real gains compound.Handling resistance: surface the belief behind the block, reset goals if needed, start sessions with wins tied to objectives.Growing her coaching business: stay close to HR and L&D networks, speak at conferences and local associations, stay visible on LinkedIn, and prioritize genuine relationships over volume.Curiosity, humility, willingness to see your own flaws, and the courage to admit you don’t know everything.The leadership trap – why high performers promoted into leadership often flounder without support, and how to shift from “doing” to “leading.”CliftonStrengths coaching – why strengths-based language creates a shared foundation for leadership growth, and how it can even shape how leaders (or writers!) approach their work.Three phases of leadership support that she focuses on:Free up time and stop working nights and weekends.Build confidence, presence, and communication skills.Invest in team growth, trust, and feedback culture.Real coachability is the willingness to learn, adapt, and admit there’s always room to grow.Her soapbox – Leaders (and people in general) need more kindness and grace. Most are doing the best they can with what they have.Connect with Jennifer Recla on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferrecla/ and at https://jenrecla.com