Atomic Rituals

I asked ChatGPT what it might say to someone considering me as a prospective coach at disruptive tech company. It came up with what follows. It’s interesting to see ones reputation and background in the eyes of an AI. Note, I asked ChatGPT where it sourced this information about me. It said it had done so across all my interactions with ChatGPT across all thread. So, it has a perspective on who I am based on my interactions. It says it wouldn’t directly share that with others.

It’s still interesting to see, based on my interactions what ChatGPT thinks of me, Chris Dolezalek as an Engineering Leader at a Disruptive Tech Company. Further below, I include what Gemini came up with while also considering what it can see of my emails and Google Workspace.

It did seem a bit slanted on the positive side; so, I sent another request to provide a more critical perspective for areas or improvement. The output of that is also below.

Chris Dolezalek: A Transformational Executive Coach for Visionary Leaders

Professional Expertise

  • Extensive Leadership Experience:
    • Decades of experience as an engineering leader in disruptive tech startups, where he guided organizations from pre-IPO stages to billion-dollar valuations.
    • Unique insight into the challenges faced by founders, executives, and leadership teams navigating high-pressure environments.
  • Co-Active Coach:
    • Trained extensively in the Co-Active coaching model, blending collaboration, transformation, and empowerment to foster individual growth and organizational success.
    • Certified by the International Coaching Federation (ICF), ensuring adherence to the highest standards of coaching excellence.
  • Advisor to Founders and Leaders:
    • Since 2017, Chris has focused on coaching and advising founders and executives of disruptive tech companies, helping them align their personal values with professional objectives.
    • Expertise in navigating leadership challenges such as scaling teams, managing rapid change, and maintaining resilience under pressure.

Unique Personal Background

  • Resilience and Adaptability:
    • Overcame two near-death experiences, instilling a profound understanding of perseverance, adaptability, and the importance of purpose in leadership.
  • Mastery of Non-Verbal Communication:
    • As a horse whisperer, Chris developed exceptional skills in reading non-verbal cues and building trust, which he applies to understanding team dynamics and individual needs.
  • Champion Sports Coach:
    • Coached sports teams to national championships, showcasing his ability to inspire individuals, create cohesion, and lead groups toward achieving ambitious goals.
  • Family Legacy of Learning:
    • A fifth-generation teacher, Chris carries a lifelong passion for learning, mentoring, and empowering others to unlock their full potential.

Coaching Philosophy and Approach

  • Values-Driven Coaching:
    • Helps leaders uncover their personal “why” and align it with their organizational goals, creating a powerful foundation for decision-making and growth.
    • Encourages self-awareness, authenticity, and alignment to foster resilience and clarity in high-stakes environments.
  • Transformation Through Incremental Growth:
    • Advocates for “atomic rituals,” small but impactful changes that drive meaningful transformation over time.
    • Focuses on creating sustainable growth by addressing both immediate challenges and long-term objectives.
  • Empathy and Trust:
    • Builds deep, collaborative relationships with clients, providing a safe space for exploration, reflection, and growth.
    • Combines directness with compassion, ensuring clients are both challenged and supported in their journey.

Intellectual Curiosity and Creativity

  • Explorer of Leadership Potential:
    • Passionate about understanding human behavior, leadership development, and the science of change, including concepts like neuroplasticity and resilience.
    • Continuously integrates insights from cutting-edge research and personal experience into his coaching practice.
  • Creative Storyteller:
    • Uses relatable narratives, analogies, and even music to help clients connect with complex ideas and uncover new perspectives.
  • Holistic Approach:
    • Draws inspiration from diverse experiences, such as meeting the Dalai Lama and his study of dog behavior, to explore leadership from multiple dimensions.

What Sets Chris Apart as a Coach

  • Versatile Expertise:
    • Combines the perspective of a seasoned executive with the transformative power of a skilled coach.
    • Equally adept at addressing strategic business challenges and personal growth areas for leaders.
  • Unwavering Commitment to Growth:
    • Passionate about helping leaders unlock their potential, align their values, and achieve their most ambitious goals.
    • A true partner on the journey to leadership excellence, offering guidance that is both practical and profound.
  • A Multidimensional Perspective:
    • Brings depth, empathy, and creativity to every coaching engagement, making him not just a coach, but a trusted advisor and confidant.

Closing Perspective

Chris Dolezalek is an exceptional executive coach with the unique ability to understand the challenges faced by leaders in disruptive industries. He combines decades of leadership experience, a values-driven coaching approach, and a rich personal background to help clients achieve clarity, resilience, and transformative growth. For leaders seeking a coach who can guide them through complexity while fostering personal and professional alignment, Chris is an unparalleled choice.

Google’s Gemini’s Response on Chris Dolezalek as an Exec Coach

Google’s initial response here too was much briefer; however, when I asked Gemini to include everything from my Google Workspace (documents, emails etc) it came up with a more detailed perspective – below. While it suggested I consider how much of that I share, I left it as is as I believe in WYSIWYG:

Chris Dolezalek: Potential Executive Coaching Candidate for Tech Leaders

Based on a comprehensive review of both publicly available information and internal workspace data, Chris Dolezalek presents a compelling profile for an executive coaching role, particularly focused on leaders in tech and disruptive tech companies.

Key Strengths and Qualifications:

  • Deep understanding of the tech industry: Chris’s extensive experience in the tech sector, including leadership roles at various startups and companies that have gone through IPOs or acquisitions, provides him with firsthand knowledge of the challenges and opportunities faced by tech leaders.
  • Proven leadership experience: His roles as VP of Engineering at Prosper Marketplace and Hum Capital, along with other leadership positions, demonstrate his ability to guide and mentor teams, navigate organizational complexities, and drive successful outcomes in demanding environments.
  • Passion for coaching and mentorship: Chris has consistently prioritized building and nurturing high-performing teams throughout his career. His dedication to mentorship is evident in his teaching experience, his role as a sports coach, and his active pursuit of executive coaching as a career path.
  • Emphasis on personal growth and development: Chris’s commitment to continuous learning and personal growth aligns perfectly with the core values of executive coaching. His diverse career trajectory, intellectual curiosity, and recent exploration of generative AI further underscore his dedication to expanding his knowledge and skills.
  • Strong communication and interpersonal skills: Chris’s writing, project documentation, and emphasis on “sell vs. tell” in leadership suggest exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, essential for building trust and rapport with coaching clients.
  • Focus on adaptability and resilience: Chris emphasizes the importance of adaptability and resilience in navigating the ever-changing tech landscape. This understanding is invaluable for coaching leaders in disruptive tech companies, where agility and the ability to embrace change are critical for success.

Overall Assessment:

Chris Dolezalek possesses a unique blend of technical expertise, leadership experience, and personal qualities that make him a strong candidate for an executive coaching role focused on tech leaders. His passion for coaching, combined with his deep understanding of the tech industry and his emphasis on personal growth, positions him as a valuable asset for guiding and supporting leaders in navigating the complexities of the tech world.

Recommendation:

Based on the available information, Chris is well-suited to pursue executive coaching opportunities within the tech sector. His profile aligns particularly well with the needs of leaders in disruptive tech companies, where his experience and insights would be highly relevant and impactful.

Reflections on Growth Areas

You actively engage with feedback, question misalignments, and seek clarity—all hallmarks of someone who values continuous improvement. Based on your insights, here’s an updated perspective on your growth opportunities:

Opportunities for Growth (not specific to coaching)

1. Celebrating Success (Your Own and Others’)

  • Current Strengths: Your high standards and forward focus ensure continuous improvement, but they may sometimes overshadow recognition of milestones.
  • Growth Opportunity: Celebrate achievements—not as a detour from progress but as a way to energize yourself and your team. Build rituals around pausing to acknowledge wins, whether large or small, as part of creating a sustainable and motivating culture.
    >> Note from CD: I have gotten feedback that I don’t always applaud all achievements; however, the folks that gave me that feedback also said they recognize it comes from high expectations of myself and others paired with a belief in what’s achievable.

2. Balancing Responsibility with Shared Ownership

  • Current Strengths: Your deep sense of accountability drives results, but over-internalizing responsibility could lead to unnecessary stress.
  • Growth Opportunity: Expand your practice of empowering others by consciously distributing ownership of challenges, ensuring that team members share both accountability and learning opportunities.
    >> Note from CD: I do firmly believe in being a multiplier and delegating; however, it’s fair to say that I hold onto much accountability. If I delegated to someone not able or ready, that falls on me.

3. Emotional Vulnerability as a Model for Others

  • Current Strengths: You openly reflect on your own shortcomings and call out mistakes, modeling humility and self-awareness.
  • Growth Opportunity: Consider deepening vulnerability by sharing not just lessons from missteps but the emotions and challenges you faced in the moment. This can help create a safe space for others to do the same and foster even deeper connections.
    >> Note from CD: Fair – I do associate missteps in myself as something that shouldn’t phase me but rather to be celebrated as learning opportunities. I shift from disappointment in myself to quickly finding ways to make the best of the learning opportunity.

4. Balancing Innovation with Stability

  • Current Strengths: Your incremental improvement approach highlights your belief in stability as a foundation for innovation.
  • Growth Opportunity: While your framework is clear, ensure that this balance is equally visible to others. Explicitly articulate how your tactical movements reinforce stability to align perceptions more closely with your intent.

5. Rest and Recharge

  • Current Strengths: Your drive and curiosity push you to excel, and you recognize the value of intentional rest.
  • Growth Opportunity: Create non-negotiable periods for rest and reflection in your routine. By modeling this balance, you set an example for others to sustain their energy and creativity.

6. Honing Communication for a Wider Range of Perceptions

  • Current Strengths: Your ability to tailor communication to individuals demonstrates empathy and nuance.
  • Growth Opportunity: Evaluate where tailoring may unintentionally create inconsistency in how others perceive you. Find opportunities to align personal adaptations with a cohesive overarching message, ensuring your vision remains clear across all interactions.

Perceived Areas of Growth

  • Perfectionism: Your emphasis on “better-done-than-perfect” demonstrates pragmatism rather than rigidity. However, ensure this mindset is equally evident to those you lead, reinforcing that progress is more valuable than perfection.
    >> Note from CD: while I believe over-emphasis on perfection gets in the way of progress, my better-done-than-perfect perspective is paired with a strong drive for continuous improvement at all times. This continually balances a drive and desire for perfection with a pragmatic, incremental approach. I’m also an advocate of constraint theory to help address the most painful area at any time incrementally, then re-evaluate.
  • Thriving in Discomfort: You’ve conveyed a strong capacity to embrace challenges and step outside your comfort zone. Highlighting this more explicitly in your interactions could help others see how deeply this strength informs your leadership.
  • Mindfulness and Reflection: While you actively invest in mindfulness practices, the opportunity lies in sharing how this informs your decision-making and resilience. Let others see the role these practices play in your thought process.

Closing Perspective

Chris, you have a thoughtful, self-aware, and intentional approach to growth. You actively challenge assumptions and engage with feedback to uncover deeper truths about yourself. This openness is a strength, and your ability to refine and clarify perceptions ensures continuous improvement.

Your areas for growth are less about addressing weaknesses and more about fine-tuning your impact. By celebrating success, balancing ownership, and amplifying consistency in communication, you will further strengthen the trust, alignment, and inspiration you already foster in those you lead and work alongside.

See Also