Interview with LEAP Coach, Mark Nozaki
“ If any organization wants to be successful, a key part of that success depends on how they grow and nurture their leaders. “ - Mark Nozaki
One of the staple experiences that LEAP participants have highlighted is the 1:1 coaching. Developing people is an integral part of LEAP’s vision, which is to diversify leadership for the benefit of communities. Mark Nozaki is one of the many highly qualified LEAP facilitators and coaches that has been with the organization for over 20 years.
Mr. Nozaki is the president and founder of Odyssey Leadership Consulting with over 30 years of organization development, human resources, and management. He has a background in engineering and has found his areas of expertise in leadership and team development. He was born and raised in Los Angeles and is a third generation Japanese American. He currently lives in Washington D.C. and has worked with a variety of individuals from corporate, technical, and non profit fields.
Read more to learn more about Mark’s leadership journey.
How did you get involved with LEAP?
I've had my own consulting business for the last 22 years. This kind of leads into how I got involved with LEAP and about how I have lousy timing. I've been working in engineering and then human resources for corporate for a long time and I had the idea of what it looks like to go into business for yourself. It meant that you've got to develop a network of contacts a lot more than I ever had to do in the corporate setting.The first day of my (consulting) business was September 10th, 2001 and I had clients lined up. I had worked hard to get my clients and of course the next day changed the world. Needless to say, all the work that I had lined up evaporated. I had to kind of re-start my business. It was probably shortly after that a good friend of mine, Sue Longley, who was formerly a LEAP board member said, ‘Hey, you know, let me put you in touch with LEAP, because that might be a good fit”. I was really attracted to LEAP’s mission. I was involved in leadership development, and worked a lot with organizations, but this was the only organization that really focused on the API community and that really resonated with me.
You mentioned your background is in engineering work, how did you develop the skills set to facilitate, coach, and essentially have your own consulting business for organizational development?
Along the way I started realizing that most organizations do a really poor job of developing their leaders. If any organization wants to be successful, a key part of that success depends on how they grow and nurture their leaders. If you don't, ineffective leadership leads to ineffective results. When I had the chance to move into human resources, I realized quickly what attracted me was the part of human resources that was called organization development. I could connect with people and organizations at a level different from what I was doing in engineering. And I also liked the spontaneity.
With all the changes you experienced, where did that flexibility come from?
Well I used to play music, particularly playing jazz with other folks. I think that was really the first indication to me that maybe it's not always a “cut and dry” solution. So for me it was like looking to expand beyond limitations. A day in organizational development cannot be planned and it requires a lot of conversations. You have to be creative and not just use what it says in the ‘Rule Book’. And it goes back to September 11 2001. I just quit a really good corporate job and I remember everything dried up and I was having trouble sleeping at night because the paychecks stopped coming in. I got a family to support. I needed to make a decision and that was I had to have the confidence that it’s going to be okay.
What is your coaching philosophy?
Imagine that we're going on a road trip together. You decide where it is and where you want to go, and I hope to get you there, but there could be detours along the way. We may deviate from the path. We may come back to the original location, and we will explore that. It's really a collaborative process. It's not me telling someone what they should do. Although at times, because I do have a lot of experience, and I've experienced a lot of things. I will say, “hey, you know this is something that I've tried in the past”. And I do it in the spirit of helping them explore, especially with LEAP clients because they come to these programs with the idea of “I want to improve myself. I want to maximize my career potential.” And so we end up talking about, “What's next? How do I get there? What do I need to work on?”
What makes the LEAP programs and coaching special?
I think it's not only the material that is great, but it's also developing a wider network of APIs and that’s even within the same organization. A lot of times in a large organization individuals do not realize there are others that experience the same narratives and can be a support system within. So when an issue arises even after LEAP’s program and coaching, individuals can use their network to find the support they need.
What is your facilitation style?
I really like to get in touch with my clients beforehand and know what their expectations and preferences are. I like to prepare in a way that will engage them that makes them think and actually feel like they can develop some things during the course of the program. I want it to be practical instead of theoretical, where it was a lot of fun, and then they put the book up on the shelf and never think about it again. I want to get away with 3 key things that really help them right after a program.
What advice do you have as an API leader/coach?
Don’t put your eggs all in one basket but instead cast your net as widely as possible. Find what you love to do and what you do best. Pick a niche that fits you best instead of trying to do everything for everybody. There’s also a self-awareness piece of knowing what your limitations are and you do need to take care of yourself because the work is going to catch up with you eventually. Also if going on your own and having a business is in your DNA, you’ve got to try it because the worst thing to do is go through an entire career looking back and think ‘Gosh! I wish I had gone out on my own and tried it’.
Thank you so much for your time and your knowledge.
Thank you so much. Nice meeting you and good talking to you.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Danielle Lynk is the Communications Manager for LEAP(Leadership Education for Asian Pacific). She is responsible for driving and creating LEAP’s communications and marketing strategies to bring awareness and support development efforts.
