Managing Director at Kaye/Bassman, Michael Pietrack, Authored “Leadership Lab: 9 Tips for Fully Benefiting From an Executive Coach,” Featured in BioSpace
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Managing Director at Kaye/Bassman, Michael Pietrack, Authored “Leadership Lab: 9 Tips for Fully Benefiting From an Executive Coach,” Featured in BioSpace
Plano, TX | 5/1/2025
Michael Pietrack is a Managing Director at Kaye/Bassman International, an executive search and recruitment firm. Michael is a practice lead for Kaye/Bassman’s pharma and biotech recruiting team and host of “The Pharmaverse Podcast.” The following is an articled published in BioSpace:
Learn how to extract the full value from executive coaching, starting with being open and honest with your coach.
The role of a biopharma executive is not for the faint of heart. You’re steering multimillion-dollar pipelines, navigating regulatory minefields and leading global teams and high-stakes launches—all while dealing with external fluctuations outside of your control. So how do you find time to improve your leadership skills amid all the chaos?
As we explored in the last installment of Leadership Lab, the top biopharma executives use executive coaches. As a follow-up, I spoke with three top-tier coaches who specialize in biotech and pharma leadership: Angela Justice from Justice Group Advisors, Kathleen Polscer from Coaching in the Pearl and Brian Thomson from Brian Thomson Coaching and HR Consulting. They helped me develop a list of the nine most powerful ways you can extract the full value from executive coaching.
1. Be Open and Honest
Just as is the case for any relationship, the best coaching relationships are rooted in open and honest communication. Your growth is directly related to the truth you bring to your interactions. Opening up about fears and challenges is not a sign of weakness but a strategic advantage. Unlike internal stakeholders, the coach has no agenda other than your personal growth and success, which makes them the safest place to admit uncertainty, confront blind spots and explore bold goals. Simply put, if you filter what you share, you’ll limit how far you can go. Transparency unlocks transformation.
