Coaching
The folio names your archetype. Coaching helps you live into it. Work 1:1 with a Formation Collective coach who is trained in BLI debrief methodology and the Black leadership tradition.
What coaching does that the folio cannot
The folio names your archetype with precision. It gives you practices, growth edges, and a historical lineage. But knowing is not the same as doing. The gap between a named identity and an embodied one is where most leaders get stuck.
Coaching is where the instrument becomes a practice.
A Formation Collective coach does not start from scratch with you. They come to the first session having read your full Extended Report — already familiar with your archetype, your facet profile, your growth edges. The session begins in the middle of the work.
Culturally grounded
Every coach has taken the BLI and been certified in the debrief methodology. They understand the archetypes not from a manual but from their own practice.
No generic frameworks
You will not be handed a generic leadership model. The entire engagement is anchored to your folio — your archetype, your facets, your specific growth edges.
Built for the tradition
Our coaches understand the specific pressures that Black leaders navigate — code-switching, hypervisibility, isolation, sponsorship gaps — and do not treat these as side issues.
Matched by fit
We review your folio before matching you to a coach. You will be matched with someone whose expertise aligns with your archetype and your current context.
Meet Dr. Daveon Swan
Founder & CEO, The Formation Collective
Creator, Black Leadership Inventory
Executive Coach | Leadership Strategist | Systems Designer
Dr. Daveon Swan
Dr. Daveon Swan is the Founder and CEO of The Formation Collective and creator of the Black Leadership Inventory, a leadership assessment and development framework that strengthens leadership capacity, identity formation, and organizational effectiveness. He is an executive coach, leadership strategist, and systems designer specializing in leadership development, organizational strategy, curriculum design, and engaged learning. His work focuses on helping institutions and organizations build integrated leadership systems through coaching, facilitation, strategic planning, and team development that improve performance, culture, and workforce readiness. He brings over a decade of experience in higher education and workforce development, where he has served as a master facilitator, curriculum developer, and designer of student success and leadership development programs, including the design and delivery of professional development for university faculty, staff, and nonprofit leaders. He holds an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from the University of New England, a Master's from Villanova University School of Business, and a B.A. in Theological Studies with a minor in African American Studies from Loyola Marymount University.
Focus Areas
- ✦Leadership identity development
- ✦Assessment interpretation and feedback
- ✦Executive coaching and leadership growth
- ✦Student success and workforce readiness
- ✦Program and curriculum design
- ✦Cohort and leadership program design
- ✦Transition coaching (academic, professional, identity)
- ✦Experiential and applied learning design
Coaching Packages
Single Session
A focused debrief of your folio with a Formation Collective coach. Ideal for leaders who have taken the Inventory and want one session to integrate the findings.
- ✦Pre-session: Extended Report sent to you and your coach
- ✦60-minute video session (recorded)
- ✦Personalized development plan (written, delivered within 48 hours)
- ✦Archetype integration exercises
- ✦Session recording
Engagement Series
Three 60-minute sessions over ninety days. The first session debriefs the folio. The second applies it to a current challenge. The third reviews progress and sets a path forward.
- ✦Everything in Single Session
- ✦Three 60-minute sessions across 90 days
- ✦Session 2: Applied challenge coaching
- ✦Session 3: Progress review and forward planning
- ✦30-day follow-up email support between sessions
- ✦Revised development plan after Session 3
- ✦Access to coach between sessions via asynchronous voice memo
Monthly Coaching
An ongoing monthly rhythm that continues the work after your Single Session or Engagement Series. One focused 30-minute session each month keeps your development moving between milestones.
- ✦Available after a Single Session or Engagement Series
- ✦One 30-minute 1:1 session per month
- ✦12 sessions over 12 months
- ✦Continuity with your matched coach
- ✦Ongoing accountability between larger milestones
- ✦Cancel or pause anytime
Organizational Debrief
A facilitated group debrief for a team or cohort who have all taken the Inventory. Capped at 10 participants. The coach leads the group through an exploration of their collective archetype distribution and facet patterns — and what it means for how they lead together.
- ✦Capped at 10 participants
- ✦Pre-session aggregate data review
- ✦Half-day facilitated session (3–4 hours, virtual or in-person)
- ✦Group archetype mapping exercise
- ✦Collective facet strength analysis
- ✦Written facilitation summary report
- ✦Recommended group practices based on the distribution
How it works
Take the Inventory
Complete the assessment and receive your folio. Purchase the Extended Report — it is required for coaching sessions.
Book a Package
Select a coaching package and submit your intake form. We review your folio and match you to the right coach.
Receive Your Match
Within 48 hours, you receive your coach match and a calendar link to schedule your first session.
Begin the Work
Your coach arrives to the first session having read your full report. The work starts immediately.