John Clark

John Clark is a leadership coach who supports mid- to senior-level leaders in navigating complexity, building adaptive leadership capacity, and strengthening team health. With over 18 years of experience in education and nonprofit leadership, John specializes in coaching directors, VPs, and executives managing the tension between operational demands and people leadership. His clients often seek clarity in decision-making, support through transitions, and strategies to lead more effectively by understanding their behavioral patterns and leadership identity.

A former school founder, John understands firsthand the challenges of launching and scaling mission-driven organizations. He brings this lived experience to his work with founders, start-up leaders, and executives in evolving roles—helping them lead through uncertainty, build strong culture from day one, and make values-aligned decisions that support long-term success. Before founding Best Days Consulting, he served as a Managing Director and School Director in high-performing charter networks, coaching principals, leading cross-functional teams, and driving large-scale improvement efforts. While rooted in education and nonprofits, his approach translates seamlessly to for-profit leaders who value human-centered, values-driven leadership.

John’s coaching style is reflective, adaptive, and action-oriented. He helps clients rise above the swirl to make intentional decisions, expand their influence, and lead with alignment between values, mindset, and behavior. He supports leaders in deepening self-awareness, building emotional agility, and guiding others through complexity and change.

Clients describe John as calm, curious, and direct—creating space for reflection while moving toward clear outcomes. He is certified in the E3 behavioral assessment and Blindspotting, and holds master’s and bachelor’s degrees from the University of Notre Dame. As a father of three, John is especially committed to helping leaders align their values across all areas of life—so they can lead with clarity and empathy, whether in the boardroom or at bedtime.