Why We Exist
Government leadership is hard.
You’re pulled in a hundred directions, asked to fix problems you didn’t create, and expected to do it all at full speed, under public scrutiny. There’s no training manual. No onboarding process. No margin for error.
Too many leaders are left to figure it out alone—and the stakes are way too high for that.
We started Government Executive Coach because we believe there’s a better way. We’ve been in your shoes. We know the pressure, the politics, the loneliness of leadership. And we know what it takes to build high-performing teams, deliver results, and stay grounded while doing it.
What makes us different?
Relational investment.
We don’t just drop in with a framework and leave. We walk with you. We build trust, earn our place at the table, and help you lead with clarity—through fire drills, bold initiatives, and leadership transitions alike.
Because at the end of the day, this isn’t just about strategy.
It’s about people.
And the work you do affects millions of them.
We exist to help you do it well—and not have to do it alone.
Meet The Founder
Michael Lanahan
Founder and CEO
“I started this firm because I needed it, and it didn’t exist.”
Michael Lanahan knows what it’s like to walk into a public service role with impossible expectations, entrenched problems, and no playbook. At just 30 years old, he was appointed to lead and transform a struggling division of Missouri state government, managing $500 million annually across more than 30 complicated programs—and tasked with fixing it fast.
No roadmap. No guide. Just fires.
That trial-by-fire experience is what shaped Michael’s mission: to make sure no government leader ever has to lead alone again.
Today, Michael serves as a trusted advisor and executive coach to senior government leaders across the country. He’s the founder of Government Executive Coach, a firm that blends strategic consulting with something rarely found in government: deep relational investment in the leaders doing the work. His team helps leaders cut through the noise, align their teams, execute better—and actually enjoy the work.
Michael is also the author of The State Government Leader Playbook, built from the insight of over 30 top state agency leaders across the country. The Playbook offers the clearest, most actionable roadmap available today for newly appointed or elected government executives.
In a past life, Michael worked as a venture capital and M&A attorney at an AmLaw 100 law firm. He earned degrees from The University of Chicago Law School and The University of Missouri, and he lives in St. Louis with his family.