Success Stories

On every phone call, Bill was timely, professional, and a joy to talk with. He took every call seriously and asked critical questions that helped guide my thinking. He also shared what I like to call "war stories," which made my day-to-day challenges seem less daunting. It was wonderful to know that someone else had walked the path before me and could fully empathize with my suffering, sadness, anger, or elation -- all depending on the day and what it presented. I remember one morning we talked at 6 a.m. He made time for me as he was sitting on a runway somewhere in another country, I think. He never made light of any of my challenges or concerns. All were important to him because they were important to me.

Bill really pushed me as a coach to interrogate my weaknesses and celebrate and lean into my strengths. I often likened my phone calls with him to having just eaten a hot pepper. He was not going to let me laze around -- we were going to do the hard, good work. I felt validated and believed in. This is no small thing in a job so demanding and all-consuming. He reminded me to trust my instincts and take time for myself, too.

It was a marvelous year full of growth, hard work, and reflection. I will be forever grateful to Harpeth Hall for making the investment in a coach, and to Bill for being everything I could have hoped for in a mentor.

I cannot wind down after this busy day without taking the opportunity to once again thank you and praise you for your "platinum" presentation at Palmer Trinity this morning. From the very start, I was transfixed! Both the content of your talk and its presentation were transformational. As a veteran teacher, I can feel a bit jaded at times. But your magic reignited my spirit and reminded me of the need to always, always strive for excellence and do our utmost to motivate our young wards, as well as each other. Sir, I offer my most sincere thanks! I hope to cross paths again.

I have been working with Bill Clarkson as my executive coach for two years, and the experience has been exceptional. I am an experienced head of school (15 years of experience at two schools), so my interests and needs, I would imagine, are different from a novice head. Bill is excellent at discerning my needs in the moment and tailoring his advice to my specific situation. I have felt incredibly well known and well attended to during the past two years.

Bill and I have tackled just about every topic imaginable during our biweekly conversations. Topics this year have included: parent communications, leadership strengths and weaknesses, fundraising, career pathways, core values, self-care, decision-making, building construction, marketing and enrollment, staffing, and governance. In each area, Bill’s experience and wisdom has pushed me to look at things from multiple perspectives and has helped clarify my own decision-making processes.

During a long head tenure, one is bound to run into a crisis or two. At the end of last year and the beginning of this year, I had a major crisis that cut through multiple constituencies at my school. Fortunately for me, Bill was always at the other end of the line, helping me think through appropriate next steps, challenging me to lead with courage and, perhaps most importantly, reassuring me that I was acting in the best interests of my school. I will be forever grateful for the wisdom and, especially, the friendship that Bill Clarkson has shared with me over the course of these past two years.

We have really enjoyed working with you, Art Charles, and David Chojnacki. The value-add of your advice throughout the process, as well as your contacts within the international school world, have been incredible. We hope that you count on us as a reference going forward.

Lawrence's thoughtfulness, intelligence, and charisma are really something special. He is able to walk a very delicate line of being both approachable, kind, and forgiving, as well as challenging and thought provoking. With an intense topic like implicit bias, he was able to guide us forward into a series of discussions that may otherwise have felt overwhelming. Lawrence has a special talent as moderator, teacher, and soundboard. In addition, his deep understanding of the college admission process meant that our work together could launch right into the heart of our challenges. I would highly recommend Lawrence to any office.

Thanks go to Amanda Riegel of Carney, Sandoe & Associates. She did a wonderful job first of learning a great deal about our school and then seeking out the candidates who were the best fit for us. I have never met a consultant who works harder on behalf of a school.

I just wanted to send you a brief final note of gratitude. Conducting conversations and facilitating dialogue is what you do for a living but, for me as a witness, it takes on special significance. Your expertise, professionalism, and experience help different people (with different perspectives) find a common table around which all can gather and communicate. Thank you for your time, patience, and especially your dedication to the process. Your attention and professional acuity serve as life-giving sources to those of us who view this transition as not just important but urgent. We are grateful for your viewing STA not simply as another project but, as you said so well, an opportunity to find s/he who will best carry the Catholic mission forward.

Lawrence Alexander works beautifully with independent schools on issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion. His background as an independent school administrator, faculty member, and parent positions him uniquely to understand the most effective and lasting way to help schools bring about needed change. He believes it's important to start this work with the community you have rather than to wait for the community you would like to have. He draws on a wealth of resources as well as years of experience, and he brings his whole heart and mind to each community he helps. We have found him to be the perfect match for our DEI work at East Woods School.

I really enjoyed the process and couldn't be happier with the outcome. Needless to say, I thought you two and (CS&A in general) were outstanding in every respect.

Working with Bill Clarkson as an executive coach has been an enlightening experience for me. Although I was not an inexperienced head, I felt that I needed help to navigate my relationship with our board of trustees in a difficult context. My coaching sessions with Bill have helped me frame the questions and challenges I was facing and establish strategies to deal effectively and professionally with complicated situations. Bill has been a very effective coach because he is an excellent listener who knows to ask and make one ask oneself the right questions.

In addition, he has superb analytical skills and has the ability to walk one through problems, helping one separate the mundane from the important. Moreover, Bill has a long experience both as a school leader and as a coach that he is able to draw from, encouraging one to devise both tactical and strategic solutions to complex questions. In addition to coaching me with governance issues, Bill has also helped me with all the matters with which a head deals on a daily basis, favoring, there again, the development of long-term strategies to address issues.

Bill encouraged me to develop a strategic proactive mindset with every aspect of my job and his advice and coaching has been instrumental in my growth as a school leader. I recommend him with the utmost enthusiasm to any school leader who wants to hone his/her skills.