“Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do ... As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live.”
This has been a life changing week - giving me fresh and actionable insights into my patterns of behavior and how to make them more effective. The process and skills we have learned are transformational and will unlock new ways of behaving that will make a big difference in my work and personal life
I came here very low, de-motivated, exhausted having the internal conversation that the current model I am on doesn’t work & needs drastic change. The wheel of life wasn’t going too well at all,the dynamics with my manager haven’t been good for a while,the work environment somewhat toxic and just the requirements of my job have been stretching by their very nature plus the impact of being under resourced. I am leaving very confident that I stand at the centre of this, any change that happens starts with me, I am not a victim to my circumstance if anything am holding myself back,I am starting to see how others are playing into me and I am playing into them. It’s not 100% clear to me what the whole picture is however I have a tonne of action points that would have me more than turn a corner in my journey I am committed to showing up wholeheartedly for me. I am confident that as I do this there will be a ripple effect as I empower others to do the same just by finding me
The instructor is one of the few coaches/instructors (if not the only one) that has held my attention through the full length of a training session. He genuinely cares and his enthusiasm is contagious. I look forward to applying Peak Performance practice to improve my understanding of problems and allow for better decision making.
This course has been unlike any other in my personal or professional career. I applaud GE as a company for having the courage and character to offer this course. It’s results have been truly enlightening and I firmly believe will be transformational for the company. Well done.
I thought this class was a phenomenal step in my journey of leadership development. I will continue to develop these skills and share them with all who want to learn it in my sphere of influence. I think the content is just right and provide a great amount of personal and professional challenge for emerging leaders. I hope that as I continue on my leadership journey at GE, that I will have additional opportunities to take similar self-actualizing courses that help me transform myself into a more dynamic leader so that I can coach those around me to grow in these principles as well. The instructor you for the opportunity to grow with this course!
The course was an amazing experience as I continue to think about how to be a more authentic leader. This course gave me an opportunity to confront some of the things that have been hindering me as a leader, but was too scared to go after. I confidently shared with multiple people that I was gay without thinking about the judgement that may/may not come afterwards. It was a big step for me personally. In addition, it was great to understand how some of my internal struggles surfaced in my interactions with people at work. I now have the self-leadership to acknowledge them, but more importantly decide if I want to take action or let the “train pass by”. The time on Thursday afternoon to address any open wounds/emotional events from your personal timeline was so AMAZING!
The instructor was amazing. I think the best I have ever had. He’s passionate, funny, knowledgeable and engaged. He shared so many types of material: rich examples, experiences, metaphors, poems, meditation techniques, personal stories and much more. This class was a life-changing experience. It helped me learn so much about myself and the issues that I need to face and address professionally and personally.
I am already seeing the impact of my learnings and think it would be nice to continue to learn about these types of tools, techniques, and strategies. They are imperative for leadership in the 21st century.
This was an absolutely fantastic class. Key insights for me were around having the strength and courage to take ownership of how my past and my perceptions limit and impact me as an individual. Where I once had foggy ideas about my motivators and core principles, spending the time to really flush them out in such a supportive environment provided immense clarity and confidence that I could continue to do so and be closer to living a life more closely aligned with those values. I feel more in touch with my mind and feel empowered to make positive changes in my life
This course is life changing! While going through the process was challenging, it’s allowed me to gain deep insights and connect with my authentic myself in a new way. I feel I’ll be able to apply the tools I’ve learned to motivate myself and others at work and at home and to become a more effective leader. The instructors to The instructor and his team for such an engaging experience and to GE for having the courage to offer this valuable course.
The instructor was the best instructor I have had at Crotonville. I strongly recommend that anyone else teaching this course matches him in thought diversity, teaching skill and audience engagement.
The instructor is incredible, I feel and think on a different level.
Tremendous ... opened my mind to ways about new ways of thinking and how to improve on those that I do today. Mostly, I took away on how to be better engaged and present in the moment.
The instructor is a fantastic teacher! Whomever replaces him in the training needs to have the same amount of energy and passion that he does in order to make as much of an impact.
I thought the subject was big and bringing it down to 4 & half days in such an effective and impactful manner was an achievement in itself. Big credit goes to the instructor for connecting to each and everyone, making the course a great experience of life.
Completely changed the way I will approach things going forward. This is the third class I have taken at Crotonville and it is also the best class I have taken. I hope they keep this class going forward and I have already told leadership here that they should recommend other people to take it.
“We would say that Hank Laurence elevated our daughter’s academic life, but it would be more accurate to say that he elevated our daughter, who then applied herself to the dreaded tests with great success. Hank works in the way of a great prize fight trainer, not by rote or doctrine, but by what he senses the particular person requires. He is also an extraordinary person in every regard; smart and deft and funny and tender hearted. He turned the testing ordeal into a kind of adventure. And, he is very good at reassuring nutty parents.”
Sincerely,
Michael D., Brooklyn NY, USA
“I never got a chance to truly thank you for everything you’ve done for me. You supported me and believed in me when I never did, you were the one who pushed me to achieve the scores I never believed I deserved receiving, you were the one who didn’t treat me like just another client but an actual human being and someone who actually cared about my well being. It’s hard to find someone in your life who has all the characteristics you have, and someone who invests their time in making a difference in other people’s lives. I want to acknowledge you for changing my life in ways I could never imagine possible. You’ve helped me achieve self confidence I had always believed I never had. You are one of the few people that have made a strong imprint on my life and for that I thank you, from the bottom of my heart. For that I will never forget everything you’ve done for me. You truly are a hero.
What you have taught me is absolutely priceless, and I thank you for having been a part of my life.”
Sincerely,
Falcon G, Brooklyn, NY
Dear Hank,
Just a few lines to thank you again for the quality time you gave me and for your ... magic.
The flight home was very different! Remember my telling you that each bump no matter how slight caused my heartbeat to accelerate even before I consciously realized it was bumpy? Well I was stunned in discovering that after your magic weird “treatment” my heart didn’t react!!! It simply didn’t register, or didn’t care. I also managed to doze off ... even while landing!!!
After years of having flying fear/anxiety of “11” on a scale of 1 – 10, this time it was barely a 2, and the 2 was because I didn’t like the smell of the plane. This huge change after just one session on the morning of the flight!
An immense thank you!
Pia M, Trieste, Italy
“Hank, I am thinking of you, and how you held her hand and figured out what she needed and got her into that window she needed to get into so they would look at her and I thank you!!! Again, I thank you. Indebtedly,”
Dinah D, Brooklyn, NY
My first encounter with Hank was as an academic and SAT coach for my son. His scores jumped almost 400 points and his grades improved dramatically. I met with Hank several times to go over my son’s progress, while touching on certain issues in my life as well.
I began to realize that I too might benefit from his coaching. I had been in traditional therapy for a few years, but Hank was able to touch on areas and feelings that were never realized in therapy. He helped me better address, understand and deal with these issues. He helped me to build my confidence so I could confront things that were troubling me. He has distinct instinct, intellect and intuition, which I found to be instrumental in helping me through different components in my life. The process is unique, and truly beneficial.
David H, New York City
Dear Dr. K,
I’m following up our conversation about my coaching work with Hank.
I went into the session with about a million things on my mind. Hank was able to help me put things in perspective. He was able to pin point ways I could improve my life, that would have a ripple effect on all my other issues and they did.
With Hank’s help I was able to learn that I could rise above the smaller issues if I focused on what was important to myself. I even learned that I used to not allow myself to realize the things I truly wanted out of life. That changed!
He helped me move through some mental blocks and gain the confidence to face my fears. He gave me a new perspective on the way I view life overall.
I often sit with friends and discuss the exercises I went through with Hank. I challenge them to try them out. It’s amazing what is revealed through the simple learning activities Hank provided.
I now have a new found passion in my professional work, as well as my education. I have precise goals I am working towards, and feel more filled with energy and persistence to go for what I want.
I would recommend Hank to everyone.
Honeyrock I., Bronx, New York
I’d spent a fortune with a very expensive therapist for over a year and results were slow going at best, it was very frustrating. I’d probably still be there if I hadn’t gone to Hank. Working with Hank, I got results. It’s hard to describe his method but, for me, it worked. The process was challenging, fun, engaging, unique, not at all what I expected. I’m happier in my life, what more can I say? The things that used to bother me don’t bother me anymore. Simple as that. To make a long story short, it is my absolute pleasure to recommend Hank Laurence in the highest terms.
Sam G, New York City
When I first met Hank, I was afraid to admit that I was a deeply sad person. I grew up in a household where needing help was a sign of weakness, so it took some time for me to commit to coaching. But with Hank’s support, I was able to overcome my circumstances and rediscover the beauty of the human experience.
Not only has Hank given me the skills, the practices, the tools, to go out into the world with confidence, he’s also shown me how to live with intention, and helped me to reconnect with a feeling of joy and passion for my life. I used to let my fears dictate my life, but now I approach each day with joy and curiosity and excitement.
I look at my life now and it’s amazing how completely different it is — I’m doing so many things, having so many wonderful adventures I never would have done in the past. It sounds like a cliché but I enjoy and love who I am and what I’m doing.
Coaching can be incredibly demanding. In the beginning, I often felt like I was crawling around in the dark and many times I thought of quitting but I really trusted Hank, I felt supported, I wasn’t alone anymore, and he helped me push against the edges of myself, to engage and re-evaluate everything I believed. I won’t say it was easy, but then again, what other choice is there, really? Staying stuck, staying depressed? No thank you! I am reminded every day of how lucky I am to have Hank as my coach as I continue to reap the rewards of the powerful work we have done.
Eliza M, Oberlin, Ohio
Hank has an amazing ability to listen and pace fine distinctions when working with a client, while creating a secure framework where every expression of a client’s ‘true self’ is allowed and welcomed. His presence reflects integrity, competence and confidence with just the right dose of flexibility, compassion and tenderness that invites client to explore the unexplored river of unconsciousness in their unique way.
During the coaching process from session to session he develops faith and self confidence in clients, where the process starts being more important than particular issues addressed. Clients learn new ways of approaching themselves in a respectful and gentle manner, as well as ways of discovering the most suitable way to welcome whatever is there, with curiosity and excitement.
He wakes up each client’s uniqueness and helps them find the best way to express their own value and gifts out to the world. He has just enough patience to wait for change to happen and the right amount of fierceness to push that one step across the line of the known and comfort zone over the edge of client’s map, where healing occurs.
He plays with words, wraps them, and shapes them until they perfectly fit to the particular moment. His words create a frame where everything is possible and desirable; while at the same time clearly distinguishes harmful from helpful ways of self expression and experience of self and others.
His words flow with a rhythm that touches most hidden parts of person’s being and create music that opens and transforms.
He welcomes each little track of healing with joy and contagious smile that inspires and becomes a starting point for stepping one stage further on the pathway of client’s wellbeing. In coaching or therapy with him client’s uniqueness is welcomed and blessed with grace and enthusiasm. I highly recommend him as a coach.
Mirta F., Zagreb, Croatia
Dear Dr. M.,
First, I want to thank you for arranging my working with Hank, it was invaluable, as I think you know from the improvement in my work in the program. You said we could write feedback, and I definitely got a lot out of it and would like to share it with you.
This was my first experience with a coach, and I did not know what to expect. I was apprehensive at first, not certain of what we should discuss. Hank began the sessions with a kind of ‘life survey’ which I found both to be extremely helpful and insightful. When I met Hank, he made me feel comfortable discussing the issues that were really bothering me. I think it was because he seemed (and was) so genuine and sincere. I liked the fact that his sessions were filled with self-realization. He added input, and helped surface underlying issues and beliefs, but he mostly guided me through the process. That worked for me because I already had an idea of the things that needed to be addressed in my life, I think I needed an impartial person to validate my thoughts.
The experience was valuable because I came away from it feeling more hopeful about my prospects and the things I can do to go for what I want in my life. I like the fact that he focused on the skills I have and to use them to make the changes I want; it was always very positive, there was no pressure. I also like that he related my professional behaviors to my personal behaviors so that I could see the difference and similarities between the two. He was excellent at seeing things in a way I hadn’t thought of before, and I find myself looking at things in a new way now that works better for me. Hank definitely listened really well. I didn’t expect to talk about family issues, but it was very comfortable and turned out to be important. I think it was very helpful that we didn’t spend all our time on the ‘drama’ of the family issues, but actually discovered resources there and ‘cleaned up’ (as Hank likes to say!) Some things that needed attention and moved on to focus on my goals.
I liked that we set up an action plan during our sessions and came back to it each session. That allowed me to see progress which was helpful. Overall, the experience with Hank surpassed my expectations. The best test of that is that I met my goals for our work. I have been approaching my personal and professional lives more confidently and assertively, and its working. I did get a promotion at work to HR Training Manager, and I have found that disagreeing does not make me disagreeable (I know obvious, right???). Also, in personal life areas, there have been some major changes. Like I said, Hank’s sessions were great because they helped me come to many self realizations. I am going to miss attending his sessions and any ‘patients’ (for lack of a better term) he sees are lucky to have him.
Arianne F., Queens, New York