Pablo’s story: Finding clarity through coaching

When Dr. Pablo Ruda Vega, a senior attending cardiac surgeon at University Hospitals Cleveland, began feeling increasingly unsettled in a leadership role within his department, he struggled to pinpoint why.

“I wasn’t angry,” he recalls. “But I was uncomfortable – and I didn’t really understand where that was coming from.”

At the encouragement of colleague Dr. Marc Pelletier, Pablo agreed to try one-on-one leadership coaching with Vision Coaching, working with leadership coach Jeff Green. It was his first experience with coaching – and he approached it with curiosity, but also uncertainty.

“I had no idea what coaching really was,” he says. “You can read about it online, but the actual process of being coached is an experience. For me, it was very valuable.”

At the time, Pablo was wrestling with a misalignment between how the organization envisioned his future and what he wanted for himself. Coaching helped him slow down and examine that tension more clearly.

“The first step was understanding where my frustration came from,” he explains. “I had never really sat down and asked myself, ‘What do you want? What’s important to you?’”

Through structured reflection and open conversation, Pablo gained clarity about his leadership priorities – and the realization that the role he was in had simply reached its natural conclusion.

“Some jobs have a beginning, a development and an end,” he says. “I understood that my cycle here had reached its end. That gave me peace of mind.”

Pablo credits Jeff’s approach with creating the conditions for honest self-examination. 

“From the first conversation, he said, ‘The more open you are, the more I can help you.’ That transparency made it work.”

Today, Pablo is in transition and pursuing his next leadership chapter with confidence and calm.

“I would strongly recommend coaching,” he says. “It is extremely useful, especially when you’re making big decisions or navigating uncharted waters.”

Curious how coaching can help you? Reach out to us to explore the possibilities.