I was sitting at a table drinking a coffee and waiting for my client to arrive. My client likes to meet at a coffee shop because it is away from their work and provides enough confidential space for them to do their hard work.
They sat down and had this vibe that they were eager to say something and jump in. They leaned forward with their elbows now on the table and looked me seriously in the eye and said to me that they are starting to think differently about how they lead. That they believe they need to be deliberate, thoughtful, and intentional with how they lead. And this is not just with work.
Then he said something that is music to my ears and probably to anyone that provides coaching to executives and leaders… “This parallels what we are doing through our coaching. You are helping me learn to be deliberate, thoughtful, and intentional with how I lead my business and my life.”
I jokingly said, “Great job! I guess my work here is done! See ya!”
You see, as a coach, my job is to help my clients become so successful at being a leader and person that they do not need me. That they actually build up the capacity and skills needed to coach themselves and others effectively while building in support systems to propel them forward, eventually not needing me to coach them through.
COACHING THE LEADER IN TENSION
Sometimes this can be hard to do. Especially for Type-A, high-achieving, successful leaders in the business world. They have typically gotten most things “right” in their life. However, what got them here, will not necessarily get them to their next destination.
This is where I come in. Clients work with me because they are feeling this tension that they cannot figure out why they’re either not as successful as they used to be or they're unsure how to move forward and they need help getting their edge back.
The symptoms could show up in many ways… Employee engagement surveys. Manager feedback. Customer feedback. Losing clients. Losing suppliers. Missing targets or objectives. Or more personally… Divorce. Weight gain. Stress. Anxiety. Depression. Lack of joy.
Any of these on your list?
LEADING ALL AREAS
With the clients that I coach, they are high-doers. They get things done! Which is awesome! However, sometimes they forget to consider the impacts and importance of what they are doing, leaving a trail of bodies behind them.
With this client that provided me with their insight of needing to be deliberate, thoughtful, and intentional, they had been working through challenges for the last nine months. Some worked well. And others didn’t. What they were starting to see is that if they were able to be deliberate, thoughtful, and intentional with how they led their self, family, team, organization, and community, that outcomes were achieved at a faster rate and with more excellence. Also, one of the other surprising outcomes is that new possible outcomes emerged along the way because there was enough freedom within their framework for others to impart their wisdom. Plus, they had more fun doing it all!
Now that is leadership on fire!
You are a Force of Awesome!
Let’s go!
How have you seen leadership role-modeled well at work? Please share your experiences so that we can improve and grow together.
I am an executive/leadership coach working with high-achieving business owners, leaders, and their teams that are working on getting to their next level of performance. You might sense that what got you here might not get you to the next achievement. Want to connect? Contact me here.
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