IT Director Transforms Leadership Style and Life with Coaching

“Coaching is more than just a skill set—it’s a mindset, a lifestyle.” 

Laurence Tseng, the director of digital services and commerce platform analytics at an IT company, has completely transformed leadership at his organization. Inspired by his relationship with his own coach, he sought out a coach training program to round out his leadership skills. 

“UC Davis’ program fit my needs the best,” said Laurence, who was looking for an online program that didn’t compete with his work schedule and had a strong reputation. “Among the list of institutes and colleges, UC Davis stood out,” he added. In 2021, Laurence completed UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education’s Professional Coaching for Life and Work Certificate Program. 

“The program changed my mindset. It helped me grow both professionally and personally,” said Laurence, who regularly applies his newfound frame of thinking to everyday interactions in hopes of creating a better work environment for his team and stronger relationships with his family. The impact of his efforts has not gone unnoticed—his manager recently suggested he scale his coaching training across their IT Leadership Program. 

We spoke with Laurence to learn more about what brought him to coaching and how he has benefited from the program. 

What were your goals going into the program? 

My original goal was to bring coaching into my organization and my team. I was coached back in 2019 and I benefited from this relationship, so because of this I wanted to apply coaching skills as a part of my leadership skills. 

How have you been able to apply what you learned in the Coaching Certificate Program? 

After I finished the program, I was able to incorporate coaching into my day-to-day and in team management. For example, in my one-on-ones with team members, I use the coaching approach instead of telling them what to do. I have also been providing coaching training to my team members and my colleagues. 

Outside of my current workplace, I was given the opportunity to be part of the coaching faculty for the non-profit organization Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics, which serves to cultivate a strong leadership pipeline within the Asian Pacific community. 

On the personal side, coaching skills have enabled me to better communicate with my family. Sometimes, talking to your parents and your family can be difficult, but having a coaching mindset has really helped me engage with my family. 

Has the program changed your perspective on how you might use the skills you gained? 

Initially when I went into this program, my intention was to bring coaching into my team and to become a better leader. I never thought about having a side project for coaching, let alone as a future career. My classmates from the program made me consider it as a potential future job. I do feel that in the long term, coaching will always be a passion for me. I will probably explore coaching as a job after I retire from the IT industry. 

What did you find most valuable about the program? 

The peer-to-peer coaching was most valuable. It gave me the opportunity to reflect on my own coaching styles and approaches and to work on the challenges I have faced personally. I also got the chance to meet a lot of talented coaches. We were paired with students in real coaching scenarios to apply what we learned. The opportunity to apply coaching to a real-world client was really valuable. 

What was the biggest challenge that you encountered in the program, and how did you overcome it? 

Embracing the coaching mindset. I used to be a people manager. I tended to be quite directive, and the coaching mindset is a totally different thing. We need to be direct, but not directive. I needed to put aside my manager hat and think like a coach. 

Another challenge for me in the beginning was really listening to others, rather than thinking about how to respond. I was so focused on how to respond, I was unable to continuously stay curious, to ask more questions. The coaching mindset helped me overcome these challenges. 

What advice would you give to other professionals who may be considering coaching as a skill set or as a career path? 

Be ready for a transformational experience. Be ready to change your mindset. It’s really not about how we can listen more actively and ask more powerful questions. It’s about being open to people and different opinions and perspectives. It’s about partnering with another party or person to create something that can enable them to grow. If you feel that you are not ready for this, then you should reconsider if coaching is right for you. But I do believe that this is something that everyone can benefit from. You will become more open, and it will improve your engagement and relationships with other people. 

In His Own Words