216 50 TOPEXECUTIVECOACHES

strategy isorganization, iscommunication, and isbrand, they will increas-

ingly reach out to advisors whose own organizational context provides them

the time, resources, and incentives to deliver the right mix of counsel, exper-

imentation, and facilitation of organizational change.

Julie Anixter

M

ost of the strategy coaching I do is in the domain of communications,

brand, and innovation, and how those three disciplines can help an or-

ganization create competitive advantage and energy. Strategy, by definition,

always requires thoughtful analysis and interpretation of the world. We all

know it is an iterative process. The days of the lone executive preparing a

five-year strategy are over. Strategy today is a f luid, complex, and collabora-

tive process, more so than it historically has ever been.

From the start, I am not just coaching: I am collaborating with my clients.

In my view, that is the essence of what makes me effective, and that’s where

the energy comes from. I always try to start exactly where the client is.

Sometimes, they can articulate that, and sometimes they can’t. I just try to

understand them, and to communicate my understanding in such a way that

it opens opportunities for trust and the freedom to explore what’s missing.

What is common to all the coaching I have done, and to the way I approach

every new situation, could be summed up simply as “connecting to people’s

Julie Anixter is Strategic Director of Lipson Alport &

Glass (LAGA), a brand marketing and design consul-

tancy, where she works with clients on brand strategy,

new product and service development, and design inno-

vation. She is also the Director of the alliance between

LAGA and tompeterscompany! Consultant, coach, de-

signer, speaker, and trend-spotter, Anixter specializes in

developing successful business solutions at the intersec-

tion of client brands, business issues, and organizational needs. Prior to joining

LAGA she was Managing Director of R&D for the tompeterscompany!, where

she developed consulting solutions around Tom Peters’ ideas. She has worked

with a wide variety of clients. She can be reached by e-mail at janixter

@laga.com, by phone at (513) 961-6225, or via the Internet at http://www.laga.com.