The Grounded Leader
Stay human while you lead
A 3-month, nature-based coaching pathway for values-driven leaders and creatives who are exhausted not because they can't handle the work, but because work has stopped feeling human.
This is for people who want to:
Lead their teams with care and intention, not just urgency and output (so that your 1:1s become real conversations again, the kind that actually help someone's career, instead of just another status update)
Stay grounded and clear-headed when pressure comes down from above and needs come up from below (so that when your SVP moves the deadline and you have 20 minutes before standup, you can deliver hard news without your team absorbing your demoralization)
Feel like themselves again without abandoning the people who count on them (so that you're not just moving tickets and managing up, you remember why you wanted to lead people in the first place)
Make thoughtful, values-aligned decisions about what's next without panic or pretense (so that you're not choosing between blowing everything up and staying in something that's slowly flattening you because you can finally think clearly enough to see a third option)
You don't need to "optimize your productivity."
You need space, regulation, and truth so you can choose how you show up now.
Does This Sound Like You?
You're not at the top, and you're not on the front lines. You're in the middle and that middle is exhausting in ways that are hard to explain.
You spend your days absorbing pressure from leadership above you and protecting your team from the worst of it.
You translate strategy that doesn't always make sense. You hold 1:1s, run reviews, advocate in rooms where your voice has limited reach.
You're capable and respected, but internally depleted.
You care deeply about your team, yet feel increasingly disconnected from the leadership above you.
You have to put on a face. You can't say to your team, ‘I don't believe in this either.’ So you filter, absorb, and perform confidence you don't always feel.
By the end of the day, you're too tired to engage with the things that used to refill you.
and most importantly…
You want to care a little less, but without becoming numb, cynical, or the kind of leader you never wanted to be.
You're starting to ask bigger questions about how long you can keep doing this, and what "enough" actually looks like for you.
It's Not Your Fault
You're not failing. You're responding exactly the way a thoughtful, values-driven human responds inside systems that reward urgency, performance, and appearance over care, clarity, and integrity.
Most modern work environments are not designed for sustained attention, humane leadership, nervous system regulation, or whole humans.
So when your body resists, your energy drops, or your motivation fades, that's not weakness. That's information.
This work isn't about pushing through or "fixing" yourself. It's about rebuilding the internal conditions that allow you to think clearly, lead well, and live fully again.
Here's What We'll Do Together
Many of my clients come to me with years of therapy, coaching, and self-work under their belts. They're not beginners; they're experienced leaders who've hit a ceiling they can't think their way past.
This is a coaching journey that works with your whole self, not just your thinking mind.
Art practices
When you're stuck in overthinking, we'll use simple creative exercises to help you get out of your head and access what you already know. You'll explore concepts like confidence, fear, or clarity through color and shape. Not to make something pretty, but to see what your hands know that your mind hasn't caught up to yet. No art experience needed.
Forest therapy
As a certified forest therapy guide, I use nature as part of the healing process. We'll incorporate slow walks, grounding practices, and outdoor experiences that help you reconnect with yourself. The natural world has a way of bringing clarity that a conference room never will.
Nervous system regulation
Your body is giving you information all day. The tightness before a decision, the drain after certain meetings. We'll learn to track what fuels you and what depletes you. You'll build capacity to stay steady even when things are uncertain, bringing your stress response from a 10 to something more manageable like a 2.
Conscious leadership
You want to be kind, fair, and supportive without being weak. We'll work with your inner critic and build up the part of you that knows. You'll learn to form your own point of view and stand in it, advocate for your team, and lead from a place that feels both strong and human.
The 3-month Journey
Month 1: Assess & Anchor
We begin with a discovery session where we look at the full landscape: your goals, values, what's working and what's not, where your energy goes. This helps us understand you as a whole person, not just a professional role.
Then we meet bi-weekly for coaching sessions. Together we build baseline awareness of what's actually happening: what's draining you, what fuels you, what voices are running the show. You'll get simple nature practices and low-stakes creative assignments to help you see patterns you might be too close to notice.
Month 2: Build & Practice
We continue meeting bi-weekly as you practice new regulation tools and strengthen your inner compass. I'll share resources and practices tailored to what you're working on. These might include guided recordings, creative prompts, or other tools that support your specific challenges. We add in deeper creative reflection to help you process what you're learning.
Month 3: Integrate & Sustain
We continue meeting bi-weekly as you solidify what works and build self-trust. By now, you've established practices that support you. We focus on making sure they're sustainable and preparing you to continue without constant external support.
After 3 months, you can extend for another container, move to monthly check-ins, or reach out as needed.
In-person sessions available to local Indianapolis clients. Both virtual and in-person sessions may take place outdoors.
Ready to explore this?
What changes over time:
You'll develop:
Grounded clarity about what's yours to carry and what's not
Renewed self-trust and a stronger inner compass
Steadier boundaries that protect your energy without guilt
Leadership that feels intentional instead of reactive
Work habits that don't drain you dry
You'll feel:
Calmer and with more capacity
Clearer in decision-making
More creative and alive
Better able to lead without self-abandonment
Confident about what is enough for you now
Questions we often work with:
Do I really have to blow my life up to feel better?
How do I stay human inside a broken system?
What's mine to carry and what's not?
How do I lead well without burning myself out?
What would it look like to trust myself again?
How do I make space for what refuels me without guilt?
What Clients Have Said
“Lydia created an environment where I felt comfortable being real and vulnerable and was able to express and explore my ideas and fears openly. She asked the right questions and pushed me to think deeply about what I truly want. She helped me to identify my strengths and passions which has been crucial to develop my vision of the future.”
— Maureen
“Lydia provided a safe space for me to address the challenges I face, equipping me with tools, techniques, and the confidence to navigate them successfully. She is an empathetic listener with a clear and thoughtful approach. I left each session with numerous 'aha' moments, feeling excited and confident to tackle my challenges.”
— Jenny
"She challenged me in ways that got me to really dig deep. She offered validation but also offered gentle probes when my inner critic came out. She is an amazing listener and I believe she truly has a gift for really seeing people, and helping people see themselves."
— Emily
Your Guide
With 20+ years leading teams in high-pressure corporate and agency environments, I know what it feels like to be capable, respected, and quietly exhausted all at once.
I work with leaders and creatives who don't want a pep talk, a productivity system, or a total life implosion. They want to feel steady, clear, and like themselves again so they can make grounded choices that actually stick.
My work sits at the intersection of nervous system regulation, art and nature-based practices, and deep self-trust. We slow things down enough for truth to surface and then we build a structure that supports your real life, not an idealized one.
If you're looking for support that understands both the reality of modern leadership and how humans are meant to function, you're in the right place.
Ready to explore this?
I offer 30-minute clarity calls where we can talk about what you're experiencing, what you're hoping for, and whether this work feels like the right fit.
No pressure, no pitch. Just a real conversation about what support might look like for you.
FAQs
What happens in our sessions?
Sessions are 50-minute calls where we weave conversation, somatic work, art practices, and nature-based reflection. Every session is tailored to where you are that day.
I've never done anything like this.
Perfect. I'll guide you through everything. You don't need art experience or to know anything about forest therapy.
I've done a lot of personal development already.
Many of my clients have. This isn't about learning something new. It's about integrating what you know into your body and your leadership so it actually changes how you show up.
How do I know if I'm ready?
If you feel the pull, you're ready. Readiness isn't about having it figured out. It's about being willing to try something different.
Got a question about coaching?
Submit it below!