Executive Coaching · Women of Color in Leadership
Executive Coaching for Women of Color Leading at the Highest Levels
Most executive coaching was not built with you in mind. Authentic Encounters LLC offers coaching that meets women of color at the intersection of identity, influence, and organizational power — not around it.
The Reality Most Coaching Ignores
The Leadership Landscape Was Not Designed for You — and Standard Coaching Often Pretends Otherwise
Women of color in senior leadership carry dynamics that most coaching frameworks were never built to address. Identity taxation. The "only in the room" experience. Code-switching. Managing perception while expanding influence. These are not distractions from your leadership development — they are central to it.
Your identity is treated as a liability to manage
Generic coaching asks you to "leave it at the door." Identity-aware coaching builds on it as your most powerful leadership asset.
You're navigating perception and performance simultaneously
The invisible labor of managing how you're read in the room while also leading at the highest level is real — and it deserves space in your coaching.
Your next level requires a different kind of support
The gap between where you are and the C-suite is rarely about competence. It's about the organizational dynamics, relationships, and visibility strategies that no performance review covers.
The Coaching Approach
Coaching That Sees the Whole Leader
Lena Morris is a woman of color who has spent over a decade working at the intersection of identity, leadership, and organizational culture. Her coaching doesn't ask you to minimize who you are to fit the room — it helps you lead from the full weight of your experience, perspective, and presence.
- Identity-aware executive coaching and leadership development
- Executive presence for women of color at the senior level
- Organizational influence and stakeholder navigation
- Communication strategy for high-stakes environments
- Leadership 360 feedback and EQ-i 2.0 assessment
- C-suite readiness and transition coaching
- Organizational sponsorship and pipeline development available
"Lena understood things about my leadership experience that I'd never been able to name in a coaching relationship before. She helped me stop minimizing my perspective and start leveraging it. That shift changed everything."— VP of People & Culture, Corporate Organization
Is This You?
This Coaching Is Designed for You If…
You're a woman of color in a senior role
VP, Director, C-suite leader, or senior manager ready to expand your influence, visibility, and organizational impact.
You're the "only" in the room
Navigating predominantly white leadership environments, managing representation dynamics, or building relationships across cultural lines.
You're building toward the C-suite
A high-potential leader identified for the next level who wants the coaching, strategy, and support to make the transition with clarity and confidence.
You're ready to lead on your own terms
Done code-switching, minimizing, or contorting your leadership style to fit a template that was never built for you. Ready to lead fully and authentically.
Your Leadership Is Not the Problem
Start With the Free Leadership Alignment Diagnostic
A 10-minute assessment that reveals where your leadership is strongest and where focused coaching would create the most impact.
Your Coach
Why Lena Morris
Lena Morris · Executive Coach, Speaker & Leadership Consultant
Lena Morris is a certified executive coach, the founder of Authentic Encounters LLC, and the host of Lena Speaks — a leadership podcast for executives navigating the real work of leading. As a woman of color who has built her practice at the intersection of identity, authentic leadership, and organizational culture, Lena brings the lived experience and practitioner expertise that identity-aware coaching requires. She is a trusted partner for women of color who are ready to lead fully — not partially.
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Leadership Insights
Hear Lena on Identity & Leadership
These episodes from the Lena Speaks podcast speak directly to the leadership dynamics this coaching addresses.
How Your Identity Is Secretly Driving Every Leadership Decision
The hidden identity drivers behind executive decision-making — and how owning them transforms how you lead.
Listen to episode →From Silence to Influence
How identity shapes leadership voice — and what it takes to move from being heard to being influential.
Listen to episode →General Executive Coaching
Looking for broader C-suite and senior leader coaching? Explore the full executive coaching program for all leaders.
View executive coaching →Take the First Step
Lead on Your Own Terms
Book a Leadership Strategy Session with Lena Morris — a 45-minute conversation designed to clarify your leadership goals and determine whether executive coaching is the right next move for you.