When the stakes of leadership transition become real
—EXECUTIVE COACHING ・TOKYO, JAPAN
I partner with organizations to provide consistent, senior-level coaching support for leaders navigating new roles, new cultures, and new levels of responsibility.
— THE TRANSITIONS THAT MATTER MOST
A high performer who earned a promotion but now questions how to show up effectively in their new role
A seasoned leader adapting to living and working in Japan — where the rules are genuinely different
A capable expert becoming a first-time people manager, discovering that technical skill doesn't automatically translate
A senior hire from HQ stepping into a Japan role and struggling to land with credibility and cultural fluency
Support your people when capable leaders suddenly feel in over their heads
There's a moment in transition when even the most accomplished professionals struggle to find their footing. These moments are often accompanied by overwhelm, self-doubt, overthinking, communication challenges, or a growing sense that the old way of operating no longer works. That moment calls for a trusted thinking partner — not a training program scheduled three weeks out.
Leadership Coaching Retainer
There's a particular kind of challenge that doesn't fit neatly into a training program or a scheduled session. A newly promoted manager who's losing confidence. A senior leader who can't quite crack the culture. A high performer whose old way of operating isn't landing anymore.
I work with organizations through a monthly coaching retainer. You allocate a fixed number of hours each month, and those hours are available for the leaders who need them — when they need them.
Every engagement begins with a 360 assessment to ground the work in honest data from the people around your leaders. From there, I'm available as a thinking partner: before a difficult conversation, navigating a new team dynamic, or simply working through what's making leadership feel harder than it should.
Coaching takes place in person at the Thrive Tokyo office in Meijijingumae, or online.
— HOW WE WORK TOGETHER
How it works
- Begins with a 360 assessment to establish clear development priorities
- Fixed number of hours per month, used flexibly across one or more leaders
- No mandatory session schedule — available when something real comes up
- For leaders at any level, from first-time managers to senior executives
- Renews monthly
Works especially well for
- High performers promoted into people management for the first time
- Senior hires stepping into a new company, culture
Hi, I’m Katheryn Gronauer
I'm a PCC-certified executive coach, TEDx speaker, and author based in Tokyo. I grew up between Japan and the US, which gives me a first-hand, bi-cultural lens that I bring to every engagement.
I work with professionals who are capable, often high-achieving, and navigating a transition that's turned out to be harder than expected. My work sits at the intersection of leadership, culture, and identity.
I partner with organizations through monthly coaching retainers, so the leaders who need support have access to it when it matters most — not just at a scheduled session three weeks from now.
— ABOUT KATHERYN
"I've spent over a decade helping people find their footing in some of the most complex situations — new titles, new cultures, new versions of themselves."
— Katheryn Gronauer, PCC · CEO, Thrive Tokyo Co., Ltd.
"The insights from coaching have given me confidence to open conversations with my Japanese subordinates and colleagues. I'm more equipped with finding out where they are coming from and finding the right words to move us forward. Previously I would just give up on the basis that we don't speak the same language or force my ways on them."
Seema
Global Leader, Managing Director in Japan
"I had to grab the opportunity to do coaching as I was stepping into a new role within my company. Leading a team was something new to me. Katheryn's insights have given me a lot of awareness on how to approach my mindset, relationships, and communication. My sense of direction became as clear as light and things turned out for the better."
Jay
First-Time People Manager
"I had recently received a promotion which meant moving to another country and taking on a new role. Katheryn has given me so much support and guidance during our coaching sessions that have been invaluable to me during this transition period in my career. I would certainly recommend anyone who is going through a challenging time in their career to try coaching sessions with Katheryn."
Sam
Promoted Leader, International Relocation
Leaders who've found their footing
— WHAT CLIENTS SAY
—LATEST INSIGHTS
The Top 5 Challenges Japanese Professionals Face in Global Organizations
Read More →The Top 5 Challenges Global Leaders Have When Managing in Japan
Read More →The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Multicultural Teams (and Why It's Essential in Japan)
Read More →From the blog
— LET’S TALK
Interested in a monthly coaching retainer for your leaders?
I work with a small number of organizations at a time. If you're curious about whether a coaching retainer could support your team, I'd love to hear what's going on in your organization.
