Leadership requires a wide range of skills, understanding, and awareness. And it starts with an objective personal assessment of all of these.

As we look to organizations, we do so with the understanding that in every organization there is a current “leadership lid.”  Nothing brings forward the current leadership’s lid as much as change does.

Leadership is often made or broken by the trials of experiencing change. Leaders rarely acknowledge the toll that leading change takes on them personally. The personal impact can be enormous.

Executives find a way to adapt to new business situations such as establishing a start-up, growing a business, negotiating mergers and acquisitions, downsizing, or restructuring. Yet many are ill equipped to deal with the obvious personal dimension of executive leadership, especially when faced with change. Thankfully, there are preparations that one can take to ensure success.

Before we embrace change we must look objectively at ourselves by asking some tough questions:

• How do I limit the organization? 
• Does my current view of my leadership team limit their progress?
• What blind spots of mine are hindering the organization’s performance?
• What personality characteristics of mine hurt the organization as it faces change?

Questions such as these are necessary to develop our own internal understanding of how well we will lead others through change. 

It is about nurturing our ability to get beyond our own set of thinking, which is based on experience…and may not be steeped in reality.

Stop and ask yourself: How well am I leading through change and what is the impact it is having on me personally?

A common assumption is that a leader can go through a “change” and not be affected by it. This is simply not the case. 

The rules of the game are uncertain and may have to be developed along the way. As the context and assumptions of the situation are changing, understanding and clarifying our habitual behaviors is critical. 

Factors such as mission, initiatives, goals, and priorities will ensure that the basis of the change is appropriate and that it does indeed solve the “right problems.” Many organizational changes are initiated based on false assumptions and understanding – our blind spots. These surface due to a lack of personal awareness.

A leader’s primary role must therefore be to test and validate that the changes will lead to an improved state…for all parties, not just themselves.

The leader that aspires to lead change must often be the first to be transformed in order to lead the change in question. He or she must also assess how their mind-set will have to be transformed by the very change that they are expecting others to experience. At an emotional and visceral level, they must be able to understand how this change will impact themselves before they attempt to lead others through it.

Leaders must have a strong sense of self-awareness prior to leading any change initiative. Knowing one’s strengths and constraints can create a conviction of informed optimism that can infect, motivate, and mobilize others. In contrast, those who plunge head long without a deliberate personal change plan will often find themselves questioning their abilities and commitment in the midst of the change…as will those whom they lead.

Identify your blinds spots and change yourself first in order to help lead others through change. It’s your duty as a leader.

To your continued success!



©2013 and beyond Executive Coaching University. All rights reserved.

Do you spend a great deal of energy trying to make things perfect?

You can’t let go of this project until it’s perfect...

You can’t have this discussion until your comments are perfectly rehearsed...

You can’t move forward until you know how it will all play out... 

Really? 

How much of your energy is spent thinking, and re-thinking, about the action you want to take?  How much time are you wasting working toward perfection?

Has being perfect become an excuse for you? Perfection can move from a need, to a wonderful excuse for not moving forward, in the blink of an eye.  Lack of perfectionism isn’t about being lazy or doing things half way, it’s about understanding the natural progression some things take.  How are we possibly going to know how a situation will play out unless we make our first move?

If you are spending too much time analyzing and rehashing the situation, you are stuck in your thinking mind.  This loop will create zero momentum.   Step out of your thinking mind and connect to your higher vision...and take inspired action!

Inspired action is based upon trust. Trust in your instincts. Trust in your talent. Trust in the fact that everything will be o.k. Take action based upon knowing these things.

Our thinking mind, the one that loves perfection, can truly limit your grow---and success. Yes, you may fail at some things. Yet you will never have any chance of success unless you take action. Any action equals progress.

And remember, there is really no such thing as being perfect. Be perfectly happy knowing that.

To your continued success!

My daughter and I share a love of Greek and Roman mythology. We are currently reading “The Mark of Athena,” the third installment of Rick Riordan’s “The Heroes of Olympus.”  It is such great material and rich with modern interpretations of the stories.

Percy Jackson, a demigod (son of Poseidon and a mortal) and one of the main heroes in the book series, is confronted with a particularly challenging quest.  Following a confrontation with another demigod in which Percy very well could have been killed, he begins to question his power…and himself. Eerily like many leaders in top organizations I work with on a daily basis. 

“Percy didn’t feel powerful.  The more heroic stuff he did, the more he realized how limited he was.  He felt like a fraud. ‘I’m not as great as you think,’ he wanted to warn his friends. Maybe that’s why he had started to fear suffocation.  It wasn’t so much drowning in the earth or the sea, but the feeling that he was sinking into too many expectations, literally getting in over his head.”

When I read Percy’s rumination I flashed back to a conversation I had with a CEO of an organization last year. Much of the business’s growth had been meteoric and his “reputation” had grown with similar speed -- to almost cult like proportions.

His ego reveled in being held in such high regard, but through our discussions he acknowledged he was quaking inside, “Just waiting for them to see who I really am and for it all to fall apart!”

As his external world seemed to improve his internal world deteriorated. This leader found himself closing down and trying to control more and more.  He was less open to comments from his executive team, often making unilateral decisions without consulting them.  He discounted information that he did not agree with. He was cutting himself off -- suffocating himself!

He began to lose touch with the values that anchored his initial success, replacing them with others’ expectations. His compass no longer pointed to his “true north,” and he began to lose his way.

We see it constantly in the news -- General Patraeus, Eliot Spitzer, and the Secret Service detail in Columbia, to name just a few leaders (or those considered leaders in their field). They drowned in others’ expectations or projections of greatness, leading to poor judgment and a belief to some extent of being “above the law.”

When a CEO (or any leader) loses their way, it has a ripple effect throughout the organization, their family, and their entire community! The collateral damage is immense.

Who else do you know who responds to feelings of vulnerability and inadequacy with greater levels of denial, self-importance, and constriction?  We all know someone who fits that profile...they might even be staring at us in the mirror in the morning.

The remedy is a loving, tough, trusting, outside advisor. A person who calls it like they see it and says the things that a person often doesn’t want to hear. Luckily, Percy Jackson had his demigod friends as trusted advisors to help him find his way.

Who do you have?

Commit to getting your own advisor (it could be an executive coach, a mentor, or a trusted friend), or you may run the risk of becoming a self destructive high performer. Leadership is a challenging path that all of us need help navigating. Make sure that you have a support system that will keep you from a path like Percy’s.

Oh, and that CEO I had the discussion with…he’s still looking for work.


©2013 and beyond Executive Coaching University. All rights reserved.

Our Founder and CEO, Drayton Boylston, is once again honored to be presenting at WBECS this year with the likes of John Maxwell, Marshall Goldsmith, and many other esteemed colleagues. Please join us for 30 complimentary pre summit sessions. All sessions are "no pitch," which we love. Pure content. Pure growth.

Here's the link to enroll for the FREE sessions: http://wbecs.com/partner/a/wbecs2014/a2113 




One of the primary goals of The Executive Coaching University is to promote the best practices in our profession. Additionally, we want to raise the awareness and standards of coaching worldwide. 

With that desire, we have partnered with the well respected World Business and Executive Coaching Summit to bring the leaders in the coaching industry together to provide a no charge, no pitch, educational experience.

WBECS offers an outstanding professional growth opportunity. It brings together the thought leaders of the coaching world to share their knowledge and experience with practicing, and aspiring, coaches.

You can get your complimentary pass here: http://wbecs.com/partner/a/wbecs2014/a2113

The presenters are diverse and first rate. They include:

John C. Maxwell: One of the top coaches on the concept of leadership.

Dr. Marshall Goldsmith: One of the top thought leaders in the field of management. 

Frances Hesselbein: Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipient and President of the Drucker Foundation.

Last year, hundreds of professional coaches gave testimonials as to the value of the conference.  That is why we not only endorse this conference but will also be providing a discount for you to attend the full summit. We will send you details about this next month. For now, be sure to register for the complimentary pre-summit series here: http://wbecs.com/partner/a/wbecs2014/a2113

You’ll be able to attend all 30 sessions live or listen to the recordings at your convenience.

Once again, here is the link to join the complimentary sessions: http://wbecs.com/partner/a/wbecs2014/a2113

Enjoy!

My inbox sat at 1,405 emails, my calendar was over flowing, and my task list was miles long. I was in a state of overwhelm. Certainly not in a state of happiness...

Sound familiar?  I bet it does…

If I only had the time to catch up. If only I had the time to be happy…

With most of us over scheduling and multitasking, how can anything really get our attention, much less, our focus? Especially our focus on what is truly important. “Busyness” has taken over. At what cost? Where has our happiness gone?

I spent time with a client the other day who, from an outside perspective, you would think has it “all.”  Beautiful home with a panoramic view of the ocean, fancy car, high status, lots of money. With one question I stopped him in his tracks; “Are you happy?” It was like I hit him with a two-by-four. The conversation went dead silent.  After a long pause he answered “No.”

I harken back to when I was “slapped in the face” by life. Within one day my life as I knew it was forever changed. I never saw it coming.  My ambition as an athlete, my thriving career, my beautiful home, didn’t mean a thing.  I had lost my health and immediately nothing else mattered.  All that mattered was that I made it through the day. All that mattered was finding a glimpse of happiness through the pain.

Life changes on a dime, so my question to you is “Are you ready?” and more importantly, “Are you happy?”  Isn’t that what we are trying to achieve will all of our efforts? Have we lost sight of that? I know I did and didn’t even realize it.

Right now take inventory of your level of happiness. On a scale of 1-10 what is it? If you are like most it needs some work. I challenge you to ask yourself, “What one step can I take today to create a little more happiness in my life?”

Trust me, it’s worth it. You’re worth it. If you don’t take care of yourself and focus on finding your happiness you may well get a big wakeup call like I did. 

Give yourself the gift of happiness once again. It’s a choice. Slow down and make it.


©2013 and beyond Executive Coaching University. All rights reserved.

You kept reading after seeing that title for a reason. What is it?

Do you feel lost? Do you lack purpose? If so, you are not alone…

How many people do you know that jump out of bed each morning - completely excited about starting their day…focused on fulfilling their mission in life?

Not many, eh? Hmmm…how about yourself?

What is your mission in life?

Yes, it's a heavy question, but one worth asking yourself. Have you spent time thinking about what gifts you possess and how to utilize those gifts to the best of your ability? Or, are you just going through the motions each day? Could you possibly be one of the people who say- “I just want to make it through the day?”

Really?! Is that why we are put on this planet…to make it through the day?

Heck no!

As I work with organizations to formulate their long term strategic plans I am struck by what a great job we do in the corporate world regarding defining an organization’s mission, yet how little we do about this as individuals. In reality, what could be more important for us to figure out?

Think of what it would mean for you to know each day what you stand for and what your mission in life is. Take the time to explore what is important to you and use that knowledge to create the perfect path for yourself.

Here's the challenge - commit one hour this week to work on your mission. Just one hour. If you think this is too much to ask then you may well continue to be one of the lost…

Think about what you love to do. Think about the last time you were in “the zone.” What were you doing? When you start to focus on what brings you the most joy you will soon discover why you are here. It’s kind of funny how that aligns. 

Where there is passion, there is purpose!

Be patient with yourself. A person rarely discovers their mission in a lightning bolt fashion. It takes time and multiple iterations. It is not a linear process. Give yourself the space to let your mission reveal itself. Remember, it’s always been with you…you just haven’t let it emerge yet.

Post your thoughts below…share what you discovered. Who knows, you may provide great motivation for others to follow your lead. You could go from feeling lost to helping others discover their purpose. Who knows…that could be your mission! 

As you take ownership of your life you will discover that feeling lost is a choice, not your destiny.


©2013 and beyond Executive Coaching University. All rights reserved.

It’s true. You may not know it. You may not want to own it. But it is true.

All of the following facts come from the scientific community; folks who study the brain. Here’s the reality:

•     We have 60,000 thoughts a day.
•     95% of these thoughts are the same ones we had yesterday.
•     71% of these thoughts are NEGATIVE!

What???

The reality is…we are talking ourselves into failure!

YOU are your greatest foe.

YOU own your thoughts.

YOU can change them!

It’s all about awareness…

Here are some techniques to shift this destructive cycle:

•     Own it! Say to yourself: “I own my thoughts, no one else.” This is a major shift which brings the power and ownership back to you. You, no one else, owns your thoughts. Look inside for the answers, not outside.
•     Start acknowledging each negative thought you have. Stop (mentally) and soak in the thought. Don’t avoid it. Stuffing it back inside is like continually putting pop back into a bottle. At some point it is going to explode. The same will happen with you.
•     Close your eyes (stay with me here, this really works). Imagine clouds floating in the sky. Now place your negative thought on a cloud. Send it good thoughts. Thank it for the awareness lesson it provided. Tell it you don’t need it any longer. Watch it drift away.

Try doing this for just one day. See how you feel. See if your thoughts start to change. If you keep this up you will DEFINTELY change your thoughts, which in turn leads to a change in your actions.

If you truly want to change your patterns of behavior you first have to change your thoughts. They are the building blocks for everything.

This negative self talk is your ego’s way of trying to keep you small. Don’t let it! YOU own your thoughts, not your ego. Take back ownership of them, and…

TALK YOURSELF INTO SUCCESS!

P.S. - If I see any of your words on a cloud I will make sure they continue on their journey.  ;-) 


Want to know more about Executive Coaching? Click here.



© 2013 and beyond. Executive Coaching University. All rights reserved.

Due to the amazing demand for the complimentary public service training we do each month, we have created a YouTube Channel where you can access all of the previous training webinars dating back to 2012. These are all complimentary. Please subscribe to our channel so that you will be notified automatically when we post new videos. Enjoy!

Here's the link to our special YouTube Channel:  


You can register for the webinars here.

*************************************************************************

Please join Gary Henson and me as we take on the biggest issues in the coaching industry. This is a free public service program we offer each month. It is lively, provocative, and packed with helpful information!

We all know the kind of conversation I’m talking about.  The kind you would gladly trade for a root canal at your favorite dentist or that “routine” exam by your proctologist. Yes, anything but that conversation!

Most of us will wait until the emotion surrounding the conversation becomes so heated or toxic that when we do finally say what is needed, the true message is hidden in anger, frustration and disappointment.

What is the “true message?”

Is it a litany of the wrongs the person has committed?

Is it a list of everything the person didn’t do that they should have?

In other words, is the “true message” focused on how the person has failed in your eyes?

Unfortunately, usually the answer to all these questions is “yes,” when it should be a resounding “NO!”

A “crucial conversation” is nothing more than a powerful opportunity to convey our current concerns to someone whom we care for greatly.

Did you get that?  We have “crucial conversations” out of our intense caring for another – otherwise why expend the energy?

How much more effective might our conversation be if we perceive it not as a negative thing, but the opportunity for a “powerful conversation” with someone we care about?

How much more effective might our conversation be, if we didn’t shirk away and become complicit in the difficulty the conversation needs to address (because the less we say the more complicit we are)?

True servant leaders will hold a powerful conversation using these steps:

• The night before the conversation write down all the reasons you care for the other person.
• Then write down what the most positive outcome looks like – what would each of you walk away with?
• Just before the conversation review #1 and #2, take three deep breaths, and smile.
• Begin the conversation with something like “I wanted to meet with you today because I am very concerned about   you.” End the conversation with “Thank you for taking your time to meet with me today and thank you for being a part of this resolution.”
• Follow up the conversation with some correspondence reaffirming your commitment to the person and the pathway agreed upon.

Take responsibility for having the right approach, and these “crucial conversations” will become a powerful interaction that benefits both parties.

*Find the classic book Crucial Conversations by Patterson, et al. here.



© 2013 and beyond Executive Coaching University. All rights reserved.

Quick... what are your priorities today?

You may have a task list, you may have meetings lined up, but what are your real priorities?

Lately, I have been amazed at the answers I get when I query executives about their priorities. Many utter a reference to "objectives" that sounds good, but soon they discover that their answers don't clarify what their priorities are for that day. They often are not clear on what actions they need to focus on today that will lead to success tomorrow.

The second revelation is the massive amount of "disconnects" there are within companies over what a person's or team's priorities are, or should be. In training sessions I often focus on aligning a company's priorities in order to achieve their strategic goals. I will take executives through a discovery exercise that goes like this-

I ask the group to list their top 3 priorities. I then ask them to get with the person that they report to or with their teammates with whom they work most closely. They compare their priorities and guess what? Over 50% of the time they don't match! Over half the time their priorities are completely different than those around them. Do you think this might cause some "disconnects?" Imagine, the person that you report to thinks you should be working on "X" and you are working feverishly on "Y." Do you think someone may be disappointed?

There is a huge misalignment here, and it's all based upon assuming (a really dangerous thing to do in any circumstance!) that every­one knows what is important...the real priorities. Don't assume! Ask, verify, and realign!

Business runs at a frenetic pace as you well know. Things pop up daily that divert your focus and therefore may shift your priorities. Over time you can lose sight of the real priorities that lead to the achievement of the bigger goals that you have estab­lished.

It all comes down to continual communication about what is important and what has changed on the landscape that may have shifted your priorities.

Steve Pinchotti, CEO of a high tech company, states- "The leadership team in every company must set clear objectives and priorities and review them on a frequent basis. Having the discipline to maintain a priority list enables you to handle new initia­tives with minimal disruptions. The expectation that all workers can and will achieve extraordinary results is not realistic unless they know what to work on first."

Don't wait for your review, or board meeting, or any other check in point, to discover that there was a mis­alignment of priorities. Check with your team and those around you to make sure that everyone constantly knows what the priorities should be.If you and your team have your priorities in sync, the more successful and happy, you, and they, will be.

Leadership is often about focusing on the most basic things. This is one of them.


© 2013 and beyond Executive Coaching University. All rights reserved.