About Akbar Sultan

Dedicated to helping you succeed

I believe that coaching is not about solving problems, it is about transformative change for the client. As your coach, I help you enhance your self-awareness, see your life from a balcony view, and identify and achieve goals that are meaningful to you.

My Leadership Journey

In my career as an HR Leader as well as personally, I have had the privilege of receiving guidance from many benefactors. It has also been my pleasure to reciprocate this kindness by providing guidance to numerous people who sought advice on whatever challenge life had presented them. In most of these situations, there was an opportunity for each individual to see how their own thinking patterns and beliefs had become obstacles in realizing the outcomes they desired.

Formalizing My Passion

A few years ago, during a period of soul searching about how I could combine my passion for helping people with my vocation, I ended up talking to a close friend who suggested that I explore a coaching program through the Hudson Institute of Coaching in Santa Barbara, CA. The idea of acquiring formal skills to support people in reaching their highest aspirations really appealed to me since I had been an “unofficial coach” to people for most of my adult life.

The Hudson Coaching Program turned out to be both life affirming and revealing about my true passions. I loved the idea of being a life-long learner and the importance of being present and self-aware among many other attributes needed to be an effective coach. One of the most important learnings for me in this journey was the fact that “coaching is not about fixing problems, it is about transformational change for the client”.

Coaching Certifications

After completing the leadership coaching program from the prestigious Hudson Institute of Coaching, I also completed a certification program in EQP – Emotional Intelligence Profile from Learning IN Action. I am also a certified International Coaching Federation (ICF) associate coach.

My Approach to Coaching

I develop trusting relationships with my clients and help them create a clear vision for overcoming their challenges. This approach enables them to question self-limiting assumptions & mobilize their inner motivation to realize their true potential. Throughout my career, I have coached leaders in being authentic, developing new skills, a strong sense of self-awareness and impact, executive presence, conflict resolution, self-esteem and personal resilience.

My background as a Human Resources leader, with significant experience in helping people navigate change, has been a real asset in my role as a coach. The ability to develop trust and credibility by being transparent, providing both affirming and constructive feedback, especially in the moment, have been invaluable.

My primary goal is to help leaders become the best version of themselves. This aligns with my own purpose – to be of service by encouraging and empowering people.

Extensive Professional Experience

I have 30 years of experience in various Human Resource leadership roles, in large mission driven health care organizations as well as aerospace manufacturing.

I have deep expertise in developing executives, hi-performance teams, successfully implementing broad based change initiatives, and implementing customer-centric solutions.

But above all, I have a tremendous passion for creating cultures where individuals and teams reach their highest potential.