Julia Ritchie, MA, MEd, LCSW
Executive Coach, Senior Consultant, Facilitator
Julia Ritchie is committed to helping leaders and organizations unlock their potential and take bold action to transform themselves, their organizations, and the world.
Over the last twenty years Julia Ritchie has designed and facilitated strategy and organizational change initiatives for a range of organizations across multiple sectors including: philanthropy, international, national and local nonprofits, government and academic institutions, social enterprises, private equity and family-owned businesses. She has a national reputation for superbly managing group processes that promote dialogue, bridge agendas, build consensus and successfully meet project objectives.
Using a unique High Performing Organization model™ developed over 20 years, Julia can quickly assess an organization in its current and historical context. Julia understands the realities that leaders are facing, and knows that making choices, undergoing organizational change, and striving to be an adaptive leader requires facing ambiguity and managing complexity. It also necessitates developing a willingness to “lean in” to conflict while building a shared understanding that enables the organization to transform. Julia will lean in with you and provide thought partnership and guidance that creates confidence and delivers success.
Before attaining her advanced degrees, Julia worked as a fundraising consultant in New York City. She received a Bachelors’ degree from Princeton University; a Master of Arts and a Master’s in Education and Counseling Psychology from Columbia University. She is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) and a certified executive coach. Currently she is on the Advisory Board for the Pipeline Project, a leadership development program for LGBT leaders of color; and is a trustee for the California Immigrant Policy Center, a constituent-based statewide rights organization that promotes and protects safety, health and public benefits and integration programs for immigrants.
In her personal life, Julia loves the outdoors. Being in nature rejuvenates her while sustaining hope, creativity, and inspiration. She loves hiking and kayaking local waterways, bird watching, protecting frogs and salamanders, cooking with her husband, writing poetry, and playing with her Labrador Retriever Raye.
The Science Behind Our Practice
Our work is grounded in established methodologies and models of human and organizational behavior, including, but not limited to the following:
Emotional Intelligence
The competencies of emotional intelligence (self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management) account for an individual’s ability to understand their own and others’ emotions and use that information to guide decision-making and action. Research has shown that leaders who master the competencies of emotional intelligence have a distinct advantage.
Positivity & Resilience
The incredible developments in neuroscience research over the last several decades have enabled a greater understanding of how practices that promote positivity and resilience—both individually and organizationally—have a significant and lasting impact on our capacity for creative thinking, productivity, efficiency, empathy, focus and more.
Intentional Change
Developed by Richard Boyatzis, the Intentional Change Model underpins successful leadership development programs by supporting an individual or group in intentionally moving through five stages of change that close the gap between a current “real” self and a clearly articulated “ideal” self.
Appreciative Inquiry
Appreciative Inquiry, developed by David Cooper Rider, is a strengths-based model of analysis, decision-making and strategic change that clarifies the assets and motivations that are an organization’s strengths in order to build or rebuild an organization based on what is working rather than trying to fix what doesn’t.
Resistance and Cycle of Change
People are at their most creative in their resistance. The Gestalt cycle of change maps the critical stages of change that all members of a group must experience in order to optimize success and minimize resistance. Disruption of the cycle manifests in very specific levels of resistance that can be effectively mitigated through intentional responses.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is the awareness that one develops through paying attention to the present moment through your five senses without judgment. In addition to relieving stress and building resilience, even a simple mindfulness practice can significantly expand your range of options in any given moment. Incorporating mindfulness into any process of change or development supports an individual or group by rewiring the brain for more intentional responses and behaviors.
Dynamic Inquiry
Dynamic Inquiry, developed by Annie McKee and the Teleos Leadership Institute, is a method of discovery that uncovers an organization’s emotional reality–what people care about, what is working well, and what’s getting in the way. The purpose of the inquiry is twofold: 1) to identify underlying issues related to culture and leadership that are helping or hindering implementation of a strategy; and 2) to build ownership and commitment to the mission, vision, strategy, ideal culture and leadership framework among key stakeholders.