NOTE: TARRA member, Tawny Pacheco, is one of our keynote workshop leaders for the TARRA 2024 Leadership Retreat on May 17, 2024. Tickets are almost sold out but there are still a few spots left.

In the landscape of organizational leadership, Tawny Pacheco, founder and principal of Human Drive Amplified stands out as a warm, wholehearted human who blends years of experience with a profound understanding of human dynamics. Her track record speaks for itself. Across a variety of roles, she has crafted high-performing teams and helped steer organizations toward success.

With a Master of Science in Management, an Organizational Leadership Degree, and a Certificate in Executive Leadership, Tawny combines a deep knowledge of academic theory with practical wisdom. Her journey has taken her from elite athletic coaching to corporate wilderness instruction and executive coaching. Each role has helped build her unique insights into the intricate workings of human motivation and achievement.

As a Gallup Global Certified Strengths Coach®, Tawny has a knack for unlocking potential within individuals and teams. Her approach is to foster a culture of growth and resilience. Drawing on principles of emotional intelligence and change management, she navigates the complexities of organizational dynamics, priming her clients for triumph in the face of adversity.

Tawny’s professional journey is a testament to her versatility. From her tenure as an Olympic Development Coach, where she honed her skills in coaching elite athletes to achieve peak performance, to her role as a Corporate Trainer where she has mastered the art of effective presentation design and delivery, she has continually pushed boundaries.

Tawny is a true leader of leaders and one of our beloved members at TARRA. Here she shares with you a few insights into where she finds inspiration and what advice she would give her 25-year-old self.

What scares you the most?

The absence of human awareness in the workplace.

Picture a Venn diagram composed of the digital age landscape, remote workspaces, and isolation from the pandemic-all actively compromising our daily human connections. Social cues, spatial awareness, mental cognition, self-awareness, communication, decision-making, and overall common sense are weakened. When you consider these are the very mechanics largely contributing to leadership success, the need for strong emotional intelligence is higher now than ever.

Currently reading/watching/listening to:

Reading: Adam Grant’s “Hidden Potential.”

Watching: Athletic and music events of our extended family and friends. Any time we can make it out to the pitch and applaud the love for soccer in our blood is especially rewarding.

Listening to: Music is my muse, so in lieu of podcasts, I indulge in a healthy dose of wordsmiths like Leon Bridges and Trevor Hall, Ondara, a bit of Club de Belugas, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, a daily helping of acoustic folk or bluegrass (Nickelcreek and Caamp are high on rotation), and Air is my go-to background music while working.

Leadership advice you would give to your 25 year old self:

“It’s not who you are that holds you back, it’s who you think you are not.” -David Weiley

Describe what you were like in high school in 6 words or less.

Reached out to my high school bestie, her thoughts: Accepting (of everyone), Friendly, Outgoing, Thoughtful, Positive, Soccer Stud.

What do leaders need to lean into more?

Inspiring Others Through EI (emotional intelligence)

Of listening to understand. Of building trust and confidence in teams by gleaning an understanding of their unique talents and potential and celebrating it daily.

Leadership Alignment

Ensuring the people you promote are good at leading, in addition to being good at their jobs.
Nobody ever quit for receiving a compliment.

Exercising Self-Awareness

As a part of routine, rather than a one-and-done annual retreat.

Reinvention While Still Focused on the Goal:

Fail faster, reinvent, and get back on track quicker.
Commitment to leading change.
FLEX. YOUR. STRENGTHS!!