I want to help you be a force for good.

I have a drive to make a difference but for a long time I struggled to find a cause. Nothing really grabbed me – poverty, clean water, the environment, literacy – the causes are all noble, but none of them is my passion. And then I realized: I can support the people who love their causes and want to make a difference. That led to my changemakers research project which led to a pile of data and evidence for a new book, Be the Change(maker) - which I launched in 2020. 

I’m a published author.

This was not part of the plan. Nine years ago I was well into my career as a professional leadership coach: loving my work teaching coaching skills for leaders and partnering with individual clients to offer 1:1 coaching support.

But after interviewing 48 people who are successfully making a positive difference in the world, I felt a responsibility to share what I learned from them. And whenever I spoke about this informal research project, people consistently asked, “Where can I learn more?” So I wrote a book (which is its own story).

I still love my coaching and training work by the way…

I am a learning specialist.

I clearly remember attending a leadership development course as an emerging leader at the University of Saskatchewan in the late 90's.  While the learning experience was fantastic, I was mostly consumed with thinking about how much fun it would be to be at the front of the room as the course facilitator.  This started me on a journey to earn a master’s degree in adult and continuing education and start teaching (yikes, some of those early courses were rough), and I haven’t looked back.  Creating rigorous and experiential learning environments has become my specialty.

I have a bias for rigour.

Standards. Professionalism. Research. Evidence. Whether I’m reading an article, listening to a speaker, or talking with my kids, I can’t help myself: I always want to find out, “How do you know that?”

What research have you done?  What sources are you referencing?  What theories and models have you tried and tested?

This pursuit of knowledge is why I only use assessments that have been researched and tested for reliability and validity.

It’s why I was on a global coaching committee that did not back down from setting stricter new standards – even in the face of heated opposition.

It’s why any course I teach is based on solid sources and resources.

And it’s why I’m currently serving as a Director on the International Coaching Federation’s Global Enterprise Board, speaking up for coach-specific education, adherence to ethics, and investing in earning one’s credential in our coaching profession.

I love my communities.

Whether it's extended family, dear friends, or trusted colleagues, I value my connection with these kindred spirits and I’m finding ways to spend more time with them. When I play the reel of my life, the moments that stand out are freedom-filled family vacations, sheer happiness at big family weddings & reunions, laughing so much that my face hurts with long-time friends, and getting inspired beyond belief at local and global International Coaching Federation conferences and meetings.

These people know me, accept me, and love me.  And I love them.

All the official stuff:

Kara Exner, M.C.Ed., PCC, CPCC

Professional Certified Coach

Kara Exner has a passion for developing potential in others. She has over 25 years of management and training experience, and has been working as a Professional Coach since 2005. Kara coaches leaders on both personal and professional goals, works with teams to help them operate more effectively, and facilitates training which teaches leaders and others to be more coach-like in their approach.

In September 2020 Kara published her first book: Be the Change(maker): Lessons from Those Who Are & A Catalyst for Those Who Will. The book is based on her informal research project, which included interviewing nearly 50 changemakers: people who step up to make a positive difference in their piece of the world. She found that successful changemakers share common mindsets in how they perceive themselves, how they relate to others, and how they orient themselves to action.

Credentials

Kara is a graduate of the Coaches Training Institute and holds the designation of Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC). She has also earned the credential of Professional Certified Coach (PCC) from the International Coaching Federation. She has a Master's degree in Adult & Continuing Education and a B.A. (Psychology) from the University of Saskatchewan. She has additional training in positive psychology coaching, and in organization & relationship systems coaching.

Since 2008, Kara has been certified by TTI Success Insights in DISC (personal profile identifying behavioural styles), and in 12 Driving Forces (personal profile identifying underlying motivators). Through these assessments, Kara has helped hundreds of individuals to better understand their own strengths and weaknesses, as well as the preferences of others, resulting in increased effectiveness at work and at home.

Kara has created two of her own courses for teaching coaching skills: Exponential Coaching™ (completed by over 600 leaders); and a two-day course combining the power of coaching with the science of positive psychology, which she has taught at the University of Calgary since 2010.

Advancing the coaching profession is of significant importance to Kara: she is currently a Director on the International Coaching Federation (ICF) Global Enterprise Board; was Vice-Chair of the inaugural ICF Credentials and Standards Global Board; served a three-year term (2012-2014) on the ICF Global Board of Directors; and she served for several years on a variety of ICF committees and task forces including nominating, credentialing & accreditation, and membership & community.

Professional Experience

Prior to full-time coaching, Kara’s career was focused in the post-secondary sector, having held a range of instructional, leadership, and project-related roles in higher education environments.

Kara served as a coach and change management facilitator at the University of Calgary, as well as Senior Executive Assistant to the Provost and Vice-President (Academic) of that institution. She taught communication, management, and orientation courses at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT), including teaching introductory management courses at a partner institute in China. At the University of Saskatchewan Kara taught oral and written communication for engineering students and held a variety of other positions in service of students and staff.