Most coaches work on the leader and leave business strategy and operational execution alone. Most consultants fix the business and leave the leader alone. Both assume those are different worlds. Jim doesn't — because in his experience, they rarely are. The unexamined patterns a leader carries tend to show up quietly in what their organization is capable of. His clients get both: a leader who is more aware, more skilled, and more engaged — and a business that keeps performing long after Jim leaves the room.
While the context and situation that brings things to the surface are often initially scoped in the world of business, the greater longing and aspirations are often both professional and personal. Through Jim’s work the business is the “practice field” within which we are coming alive, and the benefits of these efforts are realized by the business, the individual, and the relationships that are vital to the effort.
In addition to his coaching practice and work as a guide of vision quests, Jim is a sought-after speaker and facilitator, known for his dynamic workshops and thought-provoking presentations on leadership, innovation, and personal development. He is passionate about sharing his insights and experiences to inspire positive change and transformation. Whether he's guiding individuals through personal breakthroughs, leading quests in the wilderness, or helping teams achieve peak performance, Jim Marsden is dedicated to making a lasting impact and empowering others to thrive in today's complex and dynamic world.
Before Jim begins any engagement, he starts with the same conversation. Not about goals or metrics or org charts. About what actually matters.
This poem — an homage to David Whyte's "Self Portrait" — captures the spirit of that first question.
THE QUESTION
by Jim MarsdenAn homage to Davie Whyte’s “Self Portrait”
It doesn’t matter to me how much you’re worth on paper,
or who you know or hang out with.
I want to know what your heart values
and what courage – perhaps dormant –
awaits
inside of you
to dare to pursue that for which your heart truly longs.
It doesn’t matter to me how close you are to an IPO,
or if there are whispers of “unicorn” stirring among investors.
I want to know why this business matters to you
and if there’s any chance of cultivating
culture, relationships and business that
brings people – including you –
into their own wholeness and vitality.
And what stops you.
It doesn’t matter if your bank account has one zero or many.
I’m not interested in the litany
of sacrifices and trade-offs
you’ve made to get here.
What is it that you carry
that cannot and
will not be sacrificed,
no matter what the opportunity
or the promise of salvation?
I’m curious if you know or sense the amazing
power and vitality that comes from
vulnerability
and
awareness
for this being the day to be alive.
And to know that prosperity is to be found in how we live our lives,
not in the spreadsheets and stories
we tell our investors, our colleagues, or ourselves.
I have come to see that those who speak
and step into
the paradox and tension of not knowing
guided by haunting questions of
“where do I go from here?”
“but how can I? and, how can I not?”
“who or where am I now?”
cross a threshold of not knowing
toward a place where you become aware of things
your body can not remain unaware of any longer,
where vitality, success and
the joy of simply being human
thrive.
our approach
Jim Marsden is a leadership transformation coach with decades of experience spanning executive leadership at Hewlett Packard, twenty years guiding wilderness and nature-based development programs, and a deep practice in organizational coaching. He brings technical precision and genuine human insight to the same engagement — because in his view, the leader and the organization are never really separate challenges. Jim works with CEOs navigating crisis, executives scaling faster than expected, founders who feel something is off but can't quite name it, and investors who want leadership development to compound long after the retreat ends.
