What changes when the work is done well.

I began working in public safety at the City of Portland in 2022 at the height of our gun violence emergency... That's when I called Shareef. I knew from working with him in Afghanistan and Nigeria that he would know how to bring new thinking and solutions to our crisis. Shareef landed in Portland and within 3 months had done things that no one in our city had done before — he got money into the hands of community partners with the relationships and skills to keep people from shooting. Today, gun violence is down nearly 60% since 2022. I'm convinced we wouldn't be where we are today without Shareef's work.

Partnering with Shareef was a turning point for our leadership team. He brought deep expertise, sharp insight, and genuine care — helping us craft a clear, actionable plan that led to measurable progress. When planning our full-day retreats, Shareef created a space where every voice was heard, every challenge named, and real solutions were developed. His ability to surface core values, strengthen team cohesion, and offer practical, research-based strategies empowered us to lead with clarity, cohesion, and confidence.

Shareef didn't just improve on what was already there — he challenged long-standing assumptions and boldly conceptualised a new path forward. His ability to present a novel, community-centred approach disrupted business as usual and pushed the organisation to reimagine how it shows up in this critical work. What stood out most was his instinct for collaboration and his respect for the expertise others bring to the table. Together, we witnessed powerful results: clearer messaging, stronger partnerships, and a measurable shift in how the organisation and community worked together.

Working with Shareef was so impactful. By the end of my coaching programme, my confidence in my own intuition and as a leader had increased significantly. I was able to recognise and celebrate my strengths, sit comfortably with the idea of making and learning from mistakes, and access a level of self-assuredness I'd been craving for a long time. I've been left less reliant on external validation and free of much of the self-doubt I had been experiencing for years.

His mixture of experience, empathy, and clear guidance turned my rushed prep for a public speaking event to an audience of +1,000 people into a confident and polished performance. Shareef's composure techniques and stress management strategies have made a huge difference in my workplace experience — I've been able to be generally more grounded and ready to tackle professional challenges.

Shareef has been a great coach for me as a new leader. His wealth of personal leadership experience provides great context for how to approach challenging management situations, and his coaching style has given me assurance that my intrinsic ability can manifest into strong, empathetic leadership.