Managing Up - Lisa D. Foster, Leadership Coaching & Training

When You Stop Solving Other People’s Problems | Customer Journey: Oliver, Part 1 of 5

Over the six months I worked with him, Oliver made a profound shift from being a solver of problems to becoming a strategic partner for collaborative solutions. Customer Journey Series: Oliver This article is part of a customer journey series following “Oliver,” a CTO in a pharma company scaling up to begin commercialization for a new drug. Oliver was facing a growing team, fast growing IT expansion, and collaboration across a rapidly expanding organization. Each post explores a real coaching…

Your Boss’s Stress Is Not Your Stress | Customer Journey: Susan, Part 3 of 6

June 10, 2026

Customer Journeys

At higher levels, experienced executives often help each other manage stress by listening, validating the stakes, and talking their way back to steadiness. Customer Journey Series: Susan This article is part of a customer journey series following “Susan,” a biotech sales executive navigating rapid organizational growth, leadership pressure, acquisitions, and team scaling. Each post explores a real coaching conversation or leadership challenge from that journey. This is the third post in the series. “I don’t know how to handle my…