Mark Haines, Higher Order Coaching LLC
Transition Navigator, Thinking Partner, and Catalyst for Strategic Change | I help successful leaders move from months of paralysis to decisive action on high-stakes transitions.
About
If you've been stuck for months on a decision you know you need to make, you're not missing information — you're missing an outside perspective. Something exists just outside your line of sight that you can't see on your own. That's where I come in.
For over 40 years, I've walked alongside leaders when the path forward is invisible from inside their situation. I ask the questions you haven't been able to form. I find the connection between what's happening and what's actually keeping you stuck. And I stay with you until the step you've been avoiding becomes the one you're ready to take.
I don't give advice. I help you see what you couldn't see, so you can take the step you've been waiting to take.
Packages
What's Keeping You Stuck
If you've been stuck on something longer than you expected, this complimentary conversation is a good place to start.
Continuing Our Conversation
A relaxed conversation — no agenda, nothing to prepare. Just a chance to get acquainted and see where the connection leads.
BNI One to One meeting
This is only for fellow members of BNI -- Business Networking International.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I've already tried coaching before?
Many of my clients have. They've also tried podcasts, self-help books, and talking it through with mentors and consultants. None of it worked because they were treating it like a knowledge problem.
But you're not stuck because you lack information. You're stuck because there's a pattern you can't see, a cost you're not willing to face, or an identity shift you're resisting.
Here's the difference: Traditional coaching assumes you have the answers inside you and asks questions to help you discover them. That works great for tactical challenges. It doesn't work when you're facing a transition you've never done before or when you're too close to see what's actually happening.
My approach is pattern interruption. I help you see what's keeping you stuck, often in the first session, so you can make the decision you've been avoiding. I'm not facilitating your self-discovery - I'm showing you what you cannot see on your own.
What kind of results do your clients get from working with you?
The Pattern Is Consistent, Regardless of Industry
When successful leaders get stuck, they follow a predictable pattern: 6+ months of trying to fix it themselves, consuming podcasts and books that don't help, and getting increasingly paralyzed on decisions that seem impossible to make. The breakthrough comes not from more information, but from seeing what they couldn't see on their own.
Here are two examples from completely different industries that show how this works:
The Nonprofit Executive Director: From Overwhelm to Strategic Leadership
An executive director managing a nearly $2 million nonprofit came to me after six months of trying to fix the problem herself. She was drowning in HR operational tasks—job posting, pre-screening, scheduling, drug testing, onboarding—across three programs in two counties. She'd tried podcasts, ordered self-help books she never read, and talked herself through it repeatedly. Nothing worked. The overwhelm was so severe that she was considering leaving.
In our first conversation, we mapped out everything she was actually doing. Four full pages of responsibilities. She hadn't realized the full scope because she was too overwhelmed to see it clearly.
The real problem wasn't time management—it was guilt. She felt she should be involved in every aspect of HR, even in administrative tasks that didn't require her strategic judgment.
Once she saw the full picture objectively, something shifted immediately. "No wonder this is overwhelming. It's too much for any human to do."
Within three months, she'd identified what to delegate and budgeted $400/month for HR outsourcing services. When three staff members left within a month, she was ready. Instead of drowning, she delegated the entire hiring pipeline.
The results:
- 20-25 hours reclaimed per month (nearly half a work week)
- An estimated $12,000-15,000 annual time savings at conservative ED rates
- Estimated new program opportunities worth $10,000 first year, scaling to $30-40,000
- Prevented resignation that would have cost the organization 6-12 months' salary plus disruption
- Restored emotional availability for staff leadership
What She Said
"I didn't feel bad about delegating anymore. After filling up four pages of duties and responsibilities, I was like, 'Well, no wonder this is overwhelming.' Instead of keeping some involvement just to feel responsible, I gave it all away. I wanted nothing to do with it. And it was so nice."
"If I would have waited another six months, I would have been a less effective boss. I wouldn't have been emotionally available for people when we really needed that. There's a decent chance I would have checked out and started looking for a different job instead of dealing with the problem head-on."
The Financial Planner: From Burnout to Strategic Focus
A financial planner came to me after 6-12 months of saying yes to everything and burning out. Every opportunity seemed important. He couldn't figure out which ones to decline without feeling guilty or missing something critical.
In our first session, we created a values-based decision grid. Instead of evaluating opportunities based on urgency or other people's expectations, he could now assess them against what actually mattered to him professionally and personally.
The shift was immediate—he finally had a framework for saying no strategically.
The results:
- 4-5 hours reclaimed every single week
- 200+ hours per year—roughly five full work weeks
- $30,000-40,000 annual value at conservative financial planning rates
- Mental clarity, he described as "priceless."
- Ability to focus on work that energized him rather than drained him
What These Stories Have in Common
Both clients:
- Were stuck for 6+ months trying to fix it alone
- Had tried the usual solutions (podcasts, books, self-talk)
- Experienced immediate relief after seeing the full picture clearly
- Took decisive action within 3 months
- Achieved full implementation within 6 months
- Would have faced serious consequences (resignation, continued burnout) if they'd waited another 6 months
My clients routinely report preventing six-figure mistakes and reclaiming 10-15 hours per month.
My work with these leaders wasn't about giving them more information. It was about helping them see what they couldn't see on their own—the guilt keeping the Executive Director from delegating, the lack of a decision framework keeping the planner from saying no strategically.
How quickly can I expect results?
Relief comes fast. Implementation takes time.
Most clients experience a shift in our first session. That's when you typically see what's been keeping you stuck - a pattern you couldn't identify on your own, a cost you weren't willing to face, or a decision you needed permission to make.
One client described it this way: "The relief was immediate. Just talking to somebody with the sole intent of getting some relief - that was pretty immediate, right after the first phone call. I didn't feel alone in the drowning anymore."
Within three months, you'll usually have a clear roadmap for action. You know what you need to do, even if you can't execute immediately due to timing, budget, or other practical constraints.
Full implementation typically happens within 6 months. That's when the new patterns become sustainable, and you're operating differently, not just thinking differently.
But here's what matters most: clients who've been paralyzed for 6-12 months often make their critical decision within the first few weeks of our work together. The implementation timeline depends on your specific situation, but the stuckness ends early.
How do I know if I'm stuck enough to need this?
If you've been sitting on a critical decision for 6 months or more, you're stuck enough.
Not every problem needs outside help. Sometimes you just need more information, or you're waiting for the right timing, or you're working through a complex issue methodically.
But if you're experiencing any of these, you're past the point where you can solve it alone:
- You've been avoiding a conversation for months that you know you need to have
- You keep saying yes to opportunities when you know you should be saying no
- You're working harder than ever, but feeling less effective
- You've made the same decision three times and keep reversing it
- You're so overwhelmed, you're considering leaving a role you actually care about
- People around you see you spinning, but you insist you're "fine."
- You've tried podcasts, books, and advice from friends - nothing sticks
The pattern I see most often: successful leaders who've never been stuck find themselves paralyzed on a decision. Not because they're less capable, but because they're facing a transition they've never made before - first-time leader, manager to senior leader, founder to CEO.
You don't need more information. You need to see the pattern keeping you stuck.
If you're reading this and recognizing yourself, let's start with a brief conversation. I meet with people I don't know for a 30-minute Discovery Conversation first - no pressure, no sales pitch, just an exploratory conversation to understand what you're dealing with.
If it seems like there's a fit, I'll invite you to work with me in a way that matches your specific situation. But the first step is just getting acquainted and seeing if my approach makes sense for where you are.
Do you have other packages and services?
Yes. I offer a strategic transition assessment and premium one-to-one conversations.
These offerings are by invitation only, based on fit and readiness. If you're curious whether one of these might be right for your situation, schedule a "Let's Talk About What's Keeping You Stuck" conversation. We'll explore what you're looking for, and I'll let you know if I can help.
Let's Connect