David Gruner

David Gruner, Principal of Career Directions, has served as consultant to more than 100 organizations in business, including Fortune 500 firms, higher education, government and health care. His down-to-earth application of the teachings of psychology, combined with his holistic approach to the art of leadership, helps leaders address hard issues and discover their own “right actions.” Leaders coached in his holistic approach are able to readily adapt to new challenges and changes in their organizations. David is proud that his company was tapped in 1998 to become the Michigan partner of Career Partners International, a move which also increased Career Directions’ ability to serve clients with multi-state, national, and international program needs.

To say that David’s commitment to career development and workforce management issues is lifelong is not an overstatement. His father, Saul Gruner, was a pioneer in the outplacement field, created a model for the first outplacement programs, and trained a large number of the first-generation consultants before selling his NYC-based firm to Right Associates. David’s mother, Sybil Gale Gruner, was a retirement consultant and a nationally recognized pioneer in retirement planning. Their commitment to excellence and thirst for exploring new workplace challenges and solutions are traits that David is proud to have inherited.

Coaching Focus

David’s primary focus at Career Directions is on leadership coaching and development. His coaching specialties include:

• Acting as a “thinking partner” on sensitive and confidential issues
• Coaching talented leaders to strengthen their emotional intelligence
• Team coaching to accelerate integration of new team leaders and members, to facilitate the repair of “broken” relationships, or to create buy-in for new ideas and higher expectations
• Developing “high potential” emerging leaders to increase bench strength, including tailored approaches for learning key organizational competencies
• Working with leaders who have recently taken on new major challenges, including focus on an increased workload, working with other leaders who are “difficult”, and building partnerships among conflicting units
• Preparing leaders to address challenging performance management issues with direct-reports
• Guiding leaders through self-assessments and re-direction efforts that result in best-fit for the organization and for personal career fulfillment
• Onboarding leaders that are new in a position

Education and Training

David has been certified as a Personal and Professional Coach by the Coaches Training Institute of San Rafael, CA. This institute is recognized as one of the most comprehensive and rigorous training programs for coaches. David has also completed all of the Institute’s advanced level coaching courses. In 2005, he completed the intensive Empowerment Training Program of the Empowerment Institute of Woodstock, New York, and received its Empowerment Coaching Certification. He is the first Career Management Practitioner in Michigan certified by the Institute of Career Certification International (ICC International). David earned his MSW at the University of Michigan and his BA in Economics at Brandeis University.