A Personal and Professional Lifeline
Fieldstone has been so many things to me that I struggled to know where to start writing about what has been my professional “home”. The Learning Groups that gave me a deep sense of finding my people. The retreats that nourished a hunger I didn’t know I had. The colleagues who have become friends. The questions offered that are so rich I revisit them year in and year out.
But I kept coming back to the coaching, an experience that ended up being a professional and personal lifeline.
Sue and Janine preparing to lead a Fieldstone Retreat together in Santa Barbara, 2018
I applied to the 2005 coaching program and couldn’t believe my luck when I found out I would be matched with Jan Giacinti. Jan was a well-known and respected leader who I admired greatly. I was thrilled and excited. So excited, in fact, that I mixed up the time of our first meeting and showed up half an hour early. Jan graciously moved tasks around to meet with me when I arrived. It was just one way that she made space for me.
Throughout our year together, Jan was a steady support as I navigated being a new addition to the senior leadership team at Girl Scouts. She also provided encouragement to pursue one of my professional goals: becoming a nonprofit executive director. And it happened. As our time wrapped up in December, I accepted an offer to lead Volunteer San Diego. I was all set to start the new role on Monday, January 9.
But plans changed on January 7. On a weekend getaway to celebrate our 11th wedding anniversary, my husband had a heart attack and died unexpectedly. In the space of two hours, my world turned upside down. I called my new board chair on Sunday to let her know I would have to move my first day back.
I am not sure who called Jan and Janine but they were standing by with support when the dust settled. They offered me the chance to extend coaching for another year.
Sue, front row left, celebrating with her fellow Fieldstone Coaches, including Jan Giacinti, front row right. 2010
As valuable as coaching had been in the first year, it was essential in the second year. Jan and I covered a lot of ground. We walked miles along the bay while talking, problem solving, and making sense of my new reality. She made space for me as a whole person, not just a new ED but also a new widow. She was a guide, companion, mentor, and friend.
Jan was there through it all, knowing when to throw me a life preserver and when to light a fire. She modeled leadership in everything she did. Better yet, she lived Fieldstone’s values of continuous learning, hospitality, and care. Her coaching directly influenced my ability to persevere through challenges and stay in a role that was one of the best of my career. I am forever grateful to Jan and the coaching program that Janine, Michael, and Kathie steward.
Today, I am a Fieldstone coach. It is an honor to pass along what Jan gave to me to others on their leadership journeys.
Sue Carter Kahl
Sue Carter Kahl is a consultant, researcher, and writer focused on volunteerism and leadership. Her current projects include training on the value that volunteers bring to organizations, translating research on volunteer impact into practitioner-friendly resources, and blogging at Volunteer Commons. Sue has a doctorate in Leadership from USD and a long list of programs completed with Fieldstone Leadership Network San Diego. She serves as a Fieldstone Coach, as well as a facilitator for Fieldstone Retreats and Creative Encounters by Fieldstone. She loves reading, hiking, gardening, and the power of a good question.
Each week during our 40th anniversary year, a member of our Network will share what Fieldstone means to them and how being a part of this learning and leadership community has impacted them and the work they do to serve the community.
If you have a story you would like to contribute to our collection, please contact Janine Mason.