Charles Eakes

Charles serves AvoLead clients with business consulting, executive coaching, and leader assessment with developmental feedback. He particularly enjoys working with clients in transition –mergers, acquisitions and turnarounds.

His engaging style, compassion, directness, and ability to grasp what is true for the client make it easy for others to trust him as ally and sounding board. He hears beneath the surface, decouples complex overlapping issues and identifies actions that fit and support each individual.

Charles worked for ten years with international leaders as an executive coach affiliated with the Center for Creative Leadership and has led and owned multiple privately held businesses since 1977. He has coached leaders in High Technology, Telecommunications, Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals, Investment Banking, Finance, Automotive, Public Health, Retail, Higher Education, U.S. Military, U.S. National Security Agency, U.S. Department of Justice, and national Nonprofits. He has personal experience in Sales, Marketing, Finance, Accounting, Mergers and Acquisitions, Human Resources, Manufacturing, Information Technology, Project Management, Construction and Litigation. Charles is certified to administer and interpret more than 20 assessment instruments.

One of Charles’s most enjoyable projects was a pilot program to coach U.S. nuclear submarine commanders with the guidance of their Commodore to accelerate leadership development coupled with emotional intelligence.

Charles earned a BA in Economics from Davidson College where he received the Wall Street Journal Excellence Award. He is a former licensed General Contractor and was an early pioneer in the 1970s in innovative alternative energy. Besides being AvoLead’s President and Co-Founder, Charles also serves on its Board of Managers.

Charles loves his family and the joys of helping people find their abundance. You might see him in an Argentine Tango routine; he formerly competed as an amateur dancer. He also grows roses and enjoys photography and golf. He and his wife Emma live near the Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. He is proud of their five adult children for making a difference in the communities where they live and work.

What clients have said to Charles about their experience with him:

“Your insight, support and excitement about my future prospects were energizing. I am so lucky to have gotten you, a business professional, who has been there and done it.” –Executive, Industrial Hygiene Manufacturer

“Let me take this as an opportunity once again, to thank you for helping me to get my life back.” –Organizational Development Executive, Pharmaceutical Company

“Thank you for your kind words of encouragement…what a unique and special individual you are – sure you’re an extraordinary professional coach, and you’re also much more. No matter what happens in my life, I believe and sincerely hope that I will have a relationship with you for many years to come.” –Vice President, Automotive Manufacturer

“I truly want to thank you for your patience, compassion, and experience that you so graciously shared with me last week…I have had people come up to me this week and remark about the “glow” that surrounds me and how happy I appear to them. I have also dealt with a couple of very difficult employee situations and come out with a win-win for all. I will continue this effort until it becomes who I Am.” – Executive, Media Publisher

“Those three hours remain fixed in my mind as the singularly most developmental experience I’ve ever had. As you well know, I’ve experienced many powerful things that have made me who I am, but nothing else has ever so clearly allowed me to see why I am the way I am. Thank you for that experience. I continue to work on my goals and a couple of my subordinates have made comments like ‘hey sir, that leadership thing you did must really be working.’ I just chuckle to myself. It really is true that a slight modification in behavior produces noticeable results in how one is perceived. My commander has asked me to put together a professional development class for the field grade officers of our brigade based on my experiences.” –Officer, U.S. Military