Spence’s True North, founded by Edward J. Spence, is a life coaching practice committed to empowering individuals through executive, marriage, and trauma-informed coaching. With a focus on personal growth, emotional intelligence, and professional development, the practice blends over three decades of experience in military service, emergency response, and spiritual care. Spence’s True North takes a personalized approach to coaching, ensuring that clients receive tailored support as they navigate life’s most challenging adversities, meeting them where they are on their journey.
Edward J. Spence’s own life story stands as a powerful testament to resilience, strength, and healing. His journey includes overcoming a severe injury while training for deployment to Afghanistan when he broke his back, the devastating loss of his son from a drunk driver, when he was a 19-year-old Marine, and a personal battle with PTSD stemming from his intense experiences as a firefighter and EMT-I. These life-altering events shaped Edward’s understanding of trauma, grief, and resilience, and they became foundational to the coaching services he now provides. His lived experiences uniquely position him to deeply empathize with clients, offering them not only professional guidance but also genuine understanding and compassion.
Spence’s True North provides clients with three core coaching services: executive coaching, which helps leaders, marriage coaching, which helps couples, and trauma coaching, which helps individuals. Every one of these services is specifically designed to help clients achieve greater clarity, cultivate both personal and professional skills applicable throughout their lives, and foster enhanced emotional resilience, thereby empowering them for sustained success.
The Executive Coaching program is a specifically tailored program intended to help leaders unlock their full potential and develop the strategic clarity necessary for effective leadership. Our clients benefit from tailored guidance designed to refine their management styles, improve team dynamics and increase their effectiveness as leaders, resulting in enhanced leadership capabilities. Edward’s experience in both military and emergency response has equipped him with a deep understanding of what makes a strong and an effective leader. He ensures that clients develop the confidence and purpose to meet challenges head-on by incorporating empathy and emotional intelligence into his leadership development program. By using the term “quadrangle of leadership style,” he prepares his team for any challenges that may arise, thus ensuring they are well-equipped to handle unforeseen circumstances. His ongoing theoretical work, a model he calls the quadrangle of leadership, combines the functions of manager, motivational leader, coach, and servant leader within a dynamic framework; the transitions between these roles are as effortless as making a morning cup of coffee.
He actively promotes his innovative “quadrangle of leadership” model, a testament to his position as a vigorous advocate and enthusiastic proponent, skillfully incorporating and maximizing the By system for a highly effective leadership approach. This project involves developing a more comprehensive and effective leadership style approach by conducting a detailed analysis of the strengths of four distinct leadership styles to better understand and leverage their individual benefits.
The manager, whose title reflects their responsibility, is in charge of the enforcement of policies, the maintenance of the budget, and the timely meeting of deadlines. The motivational leader acts as an expert guide and director, leading the team towards a common vision or goal with skill and precision, ensuring everyone works together effectively. The coach’s responsibility includes nurturing and developing each team member to achieve their optimal performance level for both the team and the company, while also promoting a culture of continuous learning and personal growth. By acknowledging the personal lives of their team members and by promoting a serene, cooperative, and smooth system of care, the servant leader guides the team toward a path of effortless support and well-being.
This fluid leadership style allows for seamless transitions between roles in response to employee needs, adapting instantly to various situations as dictated by the employees. The combination of these methods facilitates a more adaptable and ultimately more effective leadership strategy, yielding superior results and fostering a more successful organizational environment.
He has been a tireless champion of his innovative “quadrangle of leadership” model, a system that meticulously combines and enhances the By system to create a more effective and comprehensive approach to leadership. This paradigm posits that a truly successful leadership strategy must be rooted in a deep understanding and intentional application of four distinct leadership styles—managerial, motivational, coaching, and servant—each with its own unique strengths and situational applications.
The managerial leadership style emphasizes organization, efficiency, and the effective allocation of resources; he uses a quadrangle model of leadership styles in his instruction, thereby readying his students to successfully navigate any potential difficulties they may encounter.Commitment. The coaching leader focuses on individual and team development, providing guidance and support to help others reach their full potential. The servant leader prioritizes the needs of others, leading by example and creating a culture of service.
In the quadrangle’s context of leadership model, it is argued that these four leadership styles are not separate and distinct but are, instead, complementary, interconnected, and mutually reinforcing aspects of effective leadership. Effective leaders are able to fluidly move between these styles, adapting their approach to meet the needs of the situation and the individuals they are leading. By integrating these four styles into a cohesive and adaptable leadership strategy, leaders can create a more holistic and ultimately more successful approach to leadership.
Spence’s True North marriage coaching program aims to enhance marital relationships by teaching partners improved communication techniques, providing them with strategies for resolving conflicts constructively, and guiding them in building deeper emotional and physical intimacy. Because Edward uses a compassionate approach, couples find a safe space to explore their relationship difficulties, enhance their emotional bond, and cultivate a partnership characterized by increased resilience and fulfillment. His profound knowledge of trauma and grief allows him to effectively support couples as they work through the emotional and relational challenges that frequently emerge after experiencing individual or shared trauma.
Spence’s True North’s Trauma Coaching service is specifically geared towards assisting individuals in managing and processing the emotional and psychological consequences that can arise from having endured traumatic experiences. The service integrates trauma-informed coaching and cognitive-behavioral coaching techniques under the expert direction of Edward Spence, ensuring a comprehensive and sensitive approach. Utilizing these methods, clients can find assistance and solutions for a wide array of issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder, grief, anxiety, and depression. While a full recovery from trauma is unfortunately not always achievable, the primary objective is to effectively manage its lingering effects, thereby enabling the maintenance of a healthy and productive daily life. A crucial component of this process involves prioritizing self-care each morning, which can be achieved through practices such as mindfulness meditation, and the thoughtful recording of one’s reflections in a journal. For our clients seeking to cultivate a sense of peace and relaxation, we suggest the creation of a dedicated and calming corner in their homes; this space should be equipped with a variety of items designed to enhance relaxation, items such as inspirational quotes, candles, family The day will begin with photos and gentle, calming music designed to ease the participants into a relaxed state. In addition to handling daily operations, our objective is to facilitate a profound transformation that cultivates greater resilience, provides clarity to both personal and professional goals, and results in a deep and meaningful sense of achievement and fulfillment. Edward’s considerable experience as a Crisis Chaplain, his significant contributions to Critical Incident Stress Management, and his distinguished accreditation as a Diplomate from the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress all combine to significantly enhance both the quality and depth of services offered.
Located at 6835 Knowlesville Road, Oakfield, NY, Spence’s True North offers both in-person and online telehealth coaching sessions to accommodate clients’ diverse needs. The practice places a strong emphasis on a personalized approach, ensuring that each client’s unique experiences and challenges are acknowledged and addressed with care and expertise.
Unlike other coaching practices, Spence’s True North is defined by its incorporation of the distinctive combination of Edward J. Spence’s remarkable personal narrative and accomplished professional achievements, a combination that sets it apart. Drawing heavily from his personal experiences, particularly his service as a Hospice Chaplain and his gained expertise in Trauma Stress Management, Critical Incident Stress Debriefing, and Trauma-Informed coaching, his work reflects a profound understanding of these complex fields. Given his Diplomat status within the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress, the elements of Edward’s coaching extend far beyond standard professional counsel; his methods comprise a deeply empathetic and holistic system dedicated to supporting the healing, growth, and overall flourishing of his clients.
In addition to various other certifications, Edward also holds certifications in Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM), Acute Traumatic Stress Management, Crisis Chaplaincy, Certified in Emergency Crisis Response, Board Certified Master Mental Health Coach, and is a credentialed Master Christian Professional Life Coach. He plays an active role in the Western New York Stress Reduction CISM Team, dedicating his time and expertise to providing crucial stress debriefings that are essential for the well-being of first responders. Not only has he accumulated extensive experience in coaching, but he has also dedicated his time and expertise to serving as a Crisis Chaplain and Integrated Care and Condolence Team for the American Red Cross, Hospice Chaplain Cross Roads House, and a Chaplain for the dementia ward at Premiere Health, highlighting his multifaceted background. The breadth and depth of Edward’s experience uniquely qualify him to help his clients with their emotional, mental, and spiritual needs, a level of comprehensive care that is often unavailable through traditional coaching.
In addition to his other commitments, Edward is deeply dedicated to cultivating and mentoring future leaders, a commitment he further embodies through the forthcoming publication of his book, “Transformative Leadership Made Simple: Unlock Self-Mastery and Lead with Purpose,” designed to equip the next generation with essential leadership skills and a clear sense of purpose. This forthcoming book, slated for release within the next few weeks, offers a comprehensive guide for newly promoted leaders, focusing on the development and. Implementation of effective, empathy-driven leadership skills. His mission is to provide leaders with practical tools designed to foster success in their professional and personal lives by emphasizing authentic, vulnerable, and purposeful leadership.
The compassionate work of Spence’s True North extends beyond the professional realm. Edward is deeply involved in community service, offering coaching packages now for his services through his personal ministry and actively supporting individuals in need. His dedication to enhancing his clients’ resilience and supporting their personal journeys is clear in everything he does. Central to Edward’s philosophy was the conviction that authentic strength arises not from the denial of vulnerability, but from a willingness to confront and embrace it fully, a belief he held with deep conviction.
The dedicated approach of Spence’s True North ensures that clients receive comprehensive support, no matter what stage they are in on their journey toward personal growth and healing. By combining professional coaching with deep empathy, Edward J. Spence fosters environments where clients can work through their challenges, develop clarity, and find lasting fulfillment.
“Every day is a learning experience; we don’t make mistakes, they’re learning opportunities,” says Edward, emphasizing his belief in the power of self-reflection and resilience. His holistic approach to coaching highlights the importance of turning challenges into opportunities for growth, both personally and professionally. “We gain a significant amount of knowledge based on experiences and can turn them into emotional intelligence and care for our neighbor,” he adds.
Edward’s work also underscores his firm conviction that healing is not a linear process, and that individuals can gain profound wisdom from their greatest trials. “Our greatest trials often become our most profound teachers, guiding us toward deeper wisdom and compassion,” he says. For those facing life’s toughest moments, Spence’s True North offers a steady hand to guide them toward clarity, peace, and personal transformation.
For more information about Spence’s True North or to book a coaching session, visit their website at https://www.spencestruenorth.com.
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