How have you benefited from the coaching that I have provided over the last few months?

I would say that there have been a number of benefits from working with Heath over the last few months. First and foremost, having someone to be accountable to for my thought processes has been hugely helpful. It has caused me to be more conscious of how my own thought patterns can be detrimental to my ability to lead effectively both inside and outside of my role as a pastor. Heath was able to coax out some of these patterns by creating a relaxed atmosphere for conversation where the coaching felt more like catching up with an old friend. This atmosphere gave me the comfort to be honest and dig deep into some of my own barriers to better leadership.

Another benefit that has become readily evident has been the feeling of greater productivity that I have been able to achieve. As someone who often over-extends and over-commits, I will often simply “shut down” for a time in order to try and pull everything together and find my path forward. Heath, through inciteful questions and active listening, was able to help me call into question this pattern so that over the last few weeks, I have been able to give myself daily rest on purpose in order to have more clarity and energy to take on the next task.

However, the greatest benefit that I have seen from working with Heath was in his ability to allow me to discover how to use my personality strengths as a way to create a clarity of purpose in every task, whether it’s working with my congregation, leading a community conversation, or even simply interacting with my family and those who are closest to me.

Over the years, I‘ve worked with a number of coaches. I can confidently say that working with Heath Luehmann has given me the greatest sense of personal growth and development.

Has anyone noticed a difference around you?

While it might be a little too early to say that people outside would have noticed a change, I can confidently say that my wife, Kristin has seen a positive change. Through a directed conversation with Heath, we worked on a personality barrier that would cause me to feel overwhelmed. This would lead to a lack of focus and clarity in answering the question, “What should I do in this situation?” While I would usually figure it out in time, my wife Kristin would usually see the frustration and the desire to disengage from my professional work in order to regain that sense of clarity. Heath was able to help me step back from this cyclical thought process and consider it from a different perspective, one that has led to a greater sense of peace as I am able to approach situations with a clear sense of my goals and desired outcomes in those situations. This has led to a greater sense of freedom to use my time differently and the ability to “let go” or “pick up” what is needed each day…and all of that has led to an even stronger connection and better conversation with my wife, something I appreciate immensely.

Is there anything that has been missing?

In some of my previous coaching relationships, I have left the conversations either feeling like it had been a waste of my time or that I hadn’t really gotten anything out of the conversation. Heath’s insistence on asking a question at the end of the session that moves toward the next and then revisiting that same question the next time you talk to him ensures that you see progress. However, Heath isn’t a slave to a preconceived idea of how the conversation should go. His ability to pivot, listen and connect important points during the conversation shows that he is just as engaged in the process and the progress. That’s why I would say that there is nothing that has been missing and my expectations of what could be accomplished through a coaching relationship have been dramatically changed for the better. Heath exceeded expectations and raised the bar on what it means to be a professional coach.

— Pastor Schultz