“Aim for the moon. If you miss,
you may hit a star.”
~W. Clement Stone
IN HER OWN WORDS
My purpose is to transform leaders to live up to their fullest potential.
Reflection
I create a safe space for my clients to pause, look inward, gain clarity and take more risks in service of creating the change they want. Key elements of my process are deep discovery, caring confrontation, offering strong support.
Growth through Challenge
I focus on my clients’ strengths and capabilities, not the deficiencies. Yet I challenge habitual ways of thinking and easy answers. Instead I engage my clients in a more demanding, deliberate, and collaborative process that prepares them to lead in a complex world.
Evidence + Intuition
I adopt evidence-based leadership practices. And yet human souls are complex, human systems are imperfect. Not everything can be tackled with science. Intuition and experimentation will always be part of the journey of making ourselves and our organizations better.
ABOUT SILKE
With 20 years of experience in leadership development, Silke has worked at a variety of organizations, including Harvard’s Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Bose Corporation, the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, and leadership consulting firms.
Silke has worked with Fortune 500 companies, private companies, and US government agencies, serving senior and middle management leaders in finance, healthcare, manufacturing, professional services, and technology. She has designed and facilitated leadership development programs for thousands of leaders and graduate students.
Silke is a certified and ICF credentialed coach who has coached clients ranging from students and first time managers to senior leaders.
Silke holds a Master’s Degree in Adult Education from the University of Freiburg, Germany. She provides services in English, German, and Italian.
A German native and married to an Italian, Silke has two daughters and passionately embraces and deepens her family’s immersion in three cultures and languages. Committed to vitality and continuous learning, Silke is an avid swimmer and an eternal piano apprentice. She and her family live in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
WHY THREE BIRCHES?
Silke grew up with three birches in their front yard in Groß Schneen, Germany. She and her family celebrated all her significant milestones, such as her high school graduation, under them. Birch trees symbolize new beginnings, regeneration, ancient wisdom, and the promise of what is to come.