Leah M.

Fygetakis, Founder/Principal
Directed Success: Executive Coaching
Leadership and Career Development
Email: LMF@directedsuccess.com
Office: 617/ 244-2683

Leah M. Fygetakis, Ph.D., G.C.E.C.

Biography and Mission of Directed Success

Leah M. Fygetakis is the Founder and Principal of Directed Success, an executive

coaching, leadership and career development business which focuses on the human
performance aspects in developing one’s talents, succeeding as a leader and advancing
one’s career. Whether an organization initiates changes during bullish or challenging
economic times, successful leader performance often undergoes a redefinition based on
current circumstances or anticipated future changes. Directed Success partners with
business and non-profit leaders, managers, groups, and individuals in a collaborative
process in order to be informed from multiple perspectives in tailoring the individual
leader’s development to on-the-job leadership and business objectives. Additionally,
Directed Success will coach teams or provide training to targeted work groups. We also
contract with highly motivated individuals on a self-pay or severance benefit basis. This
includes consulting with those who wish to take charge of their own leadership
development when institutional support is not readily available, and providing career
coaching to those in transition, those who have had interrupted careers, and with
persons who are interested in pursuing a work-life change.

During her undergraduate years, Leah worked as an accounts receivable

bookkeeper at the headquarters of a regional chain of 20-plus restaurants owned by an
extended family member. It provided her with some up close and valuable lessons in
entrepreneurship, growth management and related business realities. Other previous work
experience in the formal roles of teacher, trainer, clinical supervisor, testing coordinator,
researcher, and sport psychologist all serve to inform Leah's current work on the
behavioral, stylistic and skill-based performance aspects of successful leadership.

Leah holds a Graduate Certificate in Executive Coaching with a doctorate in

psychology. She brings with her over 15 years of senior leadership experience in
university and health care administration. She has worked for several state and
independent universities. While at Boston University, she directed the Counseling and
Wellness Center from 1990 to 2004. This was an accredited, multi-programmed, fee-for-
service agency serving a community of 37,000. Areas included coaching and
psychotherapy, career testing and development, a public health education-based
program, a doctoral internship training program, academic success services, and
organizational consultation and training for university personnel on various work-related
topics and skills enhancement. Some training examples which are relevant to executive
coaching include dealing with difficult people, managing diversity, team-building,
supervising/mentoring others, addressing conflict, stress management, and public
speaking anxiety.

A speaker and trainer on LGBT issues in psychology and in the workplace, Leah has
addressed a wide variety of audiences including the American Association for Affirmative
Action, the Board of Directors of the St. Paul-Minneapolis Water and Sewer Commission,
leaders in higher education, health-care professionals, and international audiences. For
these efforts, she was honored by the Society for the Psychological Study of Gay, Lesbian
and Bisexual Issues of the American Psychological Association with their Distinguished
Education and Training Award. She is also the recipient of a similar award given by the
Association for Women in Psychology. As a trusted coach and advisor, one of Leah's many
interests is in working with leaders who may be trying to organizationally address or
individually manage the multiple complexities that are often associated with gender, race,
ethnicity and/or sexual orientation. Finally, Leah has volunteered her time or served as a
board member for several small and large non-profit organizations.