Lee-Michael is a senior leader in the Department of Defense with 14 years of experience in business, acquisition, finance, talent management, and project management.  During his career, he’s worked with the senior executives of large Fortune 500 defense companies while at the same time, he has engaged with leaders of small businesses receiving their first federal contracts.  He’s been responsible for small sprint-style projects as well as an entire large complex portfolio of programs.  Lee had the honor of awarding contracts that directly supported distinguished members of Congress and the office of President of the United States.

 

As a growing Air Force civilian leader, Lee studied management and leadership techniques, trained in supply chain concepts, performed enterprise sourcing, oversaw strategic business transformation activities, awarded strategic contracts, and liaised with industry partners at the local, state, regional, and national levels.  Lee was responsible for the organization's talent management, succession planning, and employee management relations.  He has extensive experience as a hiring manager and has been directly responsible for leveraging diversity and inclusion as a strategic organizational advantage while developing culturally competent leaders.  He administered his organization's performance management and appraisal program and was the go-to expert consulted to train new managers.

 

Lee completed his Bachelor’s degree in accounting from Southern Illinois University of Edwardsville in 2009 graduating Summa Cum Laude.  He went on to complete his Master's Thesis and earn his Master’s degree in acquisition management from American Graduate University in 2018 graduating Magna Cum Laude.  Lee has furthered his Professional Military Education through Air Command Staff College and Air War College in the Air Force and gained crucial first-hand expertise in the current Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous (VUCA) environment in which the world now operates.

 

Lee discovered his propensity for working with others to build relationships and help them improve their lives.  He’s passionate about leading, facilitating, training, and coaching others.  Lee has led small teams of as few as four people to large organizations of as many as sixty.  He honed his talent for spotting potential, evoking awareness, co-creating transformative experiences, and empowering people to cultivate their potential into valuable and marketable skills.  A consistent truth discovered throughout his experience has been that people struggle with handling change, getting off track, losing their focus, and just plain feeling stuck.  Lee uses his experience and training to support his clients by listening to them and meeting them where they are with empathy, curiosity, and leadership.  The most important lesson learned has been the incredible significance and power of connections and relationships with other people.  Lee brings the dedication and focus gained in this dimension of his life to his coaching practice to create transformational experiences for his clients.

 

Lee has personally received one-on-one coaching and has also actively participated in group coaching circles from International Coaching Federation-certified coaches.  Lee has personally provided hundreds of hours of formal and informal coaching up, down, across, and throughout his sphere of influence for his bosses, colleagues, and direct reports.  Lee is currently on his ICF journey while studying under PCC and MCC International Coaching Federation certified coaches at Professional Christian Coaching Institute; a prestigious coaching school whose entire curriculum is aligned with ICF standards and code of ethics, the ‘gold standard’ of this profession.