Hi, there. MCC-Master Certified Coach, Barry Zweibel, here. (I pronounce it “zwy-BELL.”) I specialize in helping leaders (of all levels and tenures) who feel they aren’t leading the way WANT to lead – or know they NEED to lead – and want to do something meaningful about it.
Companies, and the leaders that work for them, hire me to address the leadership problems that have been undermining their success.
Often, these challenges stem from a variety of priority- and people-management issues. But they almost always require leaders to stretch their SELF-management skills more than they typically do to properly solve them.
My skill is in getting leaders to do precisely that, quickly and willingly – and without them getting all weird and defensive about it!
You ever try to do that? Then you know it’s not all that easy.
But it’s what I do. And, from what they say, I guess I’m pretty good at it.
Subject Matter Expertise
My often contrary and counter-intuitive views on leadership, coaching, mentoring, conflict management, and career acceleration have been widely published.
As noted, I’ve been quoted as a subject matter expert in a variety of media, including, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, CNN.com, Crain’s Chicago Business, and HR Magazine. My own articles have been published by TheLadders, Training & Development magazine, OD/Leadership Network News, BNet, the International Coach Federation, and the International Association of Coaching.
Thought-Leadership and Professional Influence
More than a dozen authors have cited or referenced my teachings, thought-leadership, and influence in their own writings on leadership, professional development, sales, and coaching:
- Professional Development: What Works, Sally J. Zepeda
- Building Employee Trust: A New Equation, K.Sangeetha (editor)
- Coaching Basics: ASTD Training Basics Series, Lisa Haneberg
- Light ‘Em Up: How to Ignite the Fire in Your Sales Team in Just 21 Days, Joe Contrera
- Multiple Streams of Coaching Income, Andrea J. Lee
- Coaching Towards Excellence, Andrew E. Schwartz
- Evidence Based Coaching Handbook: Putting Best Practices to Work for Your Clients, Dianne R. Stober and Anthony M. Grant
- Combining Coaching and Temperament: Implications for Middle Management Leadership Development, Terry K. Czigan
- Executive Skills for Busy School Leaders, Christopher Hitch and Dave Coley
- Job-Embedded Professional Development, Sally J. Zepeda
- Principal Leadership, Volume 8, National Association of Secondary School Principals
- Coaching Basics: 2nd Edition, Lisa Hanneberg
- IIMA – Managers Who Make A Difference Sharpening Your Management Skills, T V Rao
- Reform and Leadership in the Public Sector: A Political Economy Approach, Joe L. Wallis
Master Certified Coach (MCC) Credential
Since 2007, the International Coaching Federation (ICF) has recognized me as a Master Certified Coach (MCC) – the Gold Standard of coach credentialing, and a distinction that ~98% of all coaches, worldwide, have NOT achieved. As of this writing (late 2022), the ICF estimated that there were ~71,000 coaches, worldwide – although other sources peg the number as closer to 100,000. Regardless, only ~1,500 other coaches, globally, have successfully passed the ICF’s rigorous testing and evaluation processes, as have I.
Per the ICF, “Master Certified Coach (MCC) Credential-holders are highly trained (200+ hours) and experienced (2,500+ hours) coaches. They have demonstrated knowledge and highly proficient application of the ICF Core Competencies, Code of Ethics, and definition of coaching. Earners show a commitment to high ethical standards and have demonstrated, through rigorous assessment, a high degree of competence and fluency in a variety of skills in their work with clients. The MCC must be renewed every three years.”
To earn (and sustain) the MCC designation, all Master Certified Coaches must be able to have demonstrated full competency in the following key areas:
| • Active Listening | • Communicating Effectively | • Establishing Agreements | • Meeting Ethical Guideline | • Powerful Questioning |
| • Building Trust | • Creating Awareness | • Maintaining Presence | • Partnering with Clients | • Setting Goals |
Additional Coach Certifications and Affiliations
- Registered Mentor Coach – The International Coaching Federation
- Master Certified Coach (MCC) – The International Coaching Federation
- CDP-Certified Practitioner and Certified Master Trainer – Center for Conflict Dynamics
- Founding Member – Mentors Guild
- Certified Executive Coach (CEC) – National Association of Business Coaches
- Registered Corporate Coach (RCC) – Worldwide Association of Business Coaches
- Founding Member and R&D Team Member – CoachVille
- Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC) – Coaches Training Institute
- Member – Haiku Society of America, Inc.
- Mentor/Peer – Case Western Reserve University Alumni Career Network
- Cheerful Member – Secret Society of Happy People (hey, why not?!)
I’ve also taught and created curriculum at both the corporate, and as you’ll see below, collegiate levels.
Leadership Haiku, the Book
A few years back, it struck me that most books on leadership use far too many words to say far too little. So I created “Leadership Haiku: Increasing Your Impact and Influence, 17 Syllables at a Time” – a fun little compilation of 3-line missives about leadership best practices…without all the extra words and syllables!
Career, Pre-Coaching
Before becoming a full-time coach, I served for many years as vice president and corporate officer of telecommunications at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. In addition to being accountable to the Board of Directors for insuring the operational integrity and fiduciary control of all CME telecommunications systems and programs, I was responsible for bringing a number of innovative, game-changing, wireless technology applications to the CME trading floors. Earlier still, I played a significant role in insuring both the successful relocation of the CME to its new headquarters and the subsequent build-out of its Upper Trading Floor (UTF).
In recognition of this impact and influence, I was asked by the President of the Exchange to be part of the UTF’s Day One Opening Bell-Ringing Ceremony. (That’s me, stage right – the guy just under the white ‘X’, clapping – in a picture that served as the cover of the Exchange’s Annual Report, that year.)
Also noteworthy was my appointment, by then Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, to a four-member Private Sector Oversight Committee for the city’s Emergency 911 Replacement Project – a VERY interesting endeavor.
That led to my being hired by Northwestern University to create and teach, “Managing (the Human Side of) Mission Critical Systems”– a very popular elective in NU’s computer science program, and an excellent personal challenge and a great deal of fun!
Formal Education/Academic Affiliations
- MBA, Marketing – DePaul University, Chicago, Illinois
- BA, Psychology – Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
- Hsd – White Plains High School, White Plains, New York (Go Tigers!)
- Adjunct Instructor – Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
- Guest Lecturer – Zicklin School of Business, New York City University, New York, New York
Barry’s Top 5 StrengthsFinder® Strengths
- Strategic – Naturally able to see through the clutter where others simply see complexity.
- Maximizer – Loves transforming strong ideas into superb ones.
- Ideation – Able to understand, and crisply explain, how seemingly disparate ideas connect together.
- Input – A collector of thoughts, ideas, and factoids with an ability to recall particularly relevant insights at just the right time.
- Intellection – Enjoys exercising the intellect and practicing higher levels of reasoning…for purposes of good, not evil.
If you think a brief conversation about your leadership development needs – or those of others in your organization – could be useful, call or connect to coordinate calendars.