It’s great to return to being in front of people again and to visiting businesses in person. This is me running a learning session for managers and future managers at the Roberts Group head office last Friday. I’m back to doing more of this sort of work these days and I have to say I’m loving it. Helping the room to model the sort of behaviour we’re striving to foster and deepen throughout the business is a pleasure – I believe everyone in the group left with a spring in their step and a little more confidence for tackling the challenges ahead.
Reflecting on the future
It is equally gratifying to hear first-hand feedback and to see people’s reactions in person. There’s no substitute for speaking to people face to face – for reading their body language, their attitude, their demeanour and seeing their social skills in action. These delegates chose to describe the session as a great opportunity to reflect and I think that is a perfect description of what we achieved that day. It’s one of the main jobs a coach must do and bringing it naturally into your daily routine is a massive step on the road to embedding the right mindset for today’s business scene. Reflection can bring with it self- assessment and retrospection, but it can also look towards the future too – where do you see yourself in five years’ time and how will you get there?
Leaders for tomorrow
Fundamentally, my approach is to instil a coaching leadership style where the leadership ability of the organisation is developed, to ensure ethical fitness for purpose – but also to build long-term strategic competitive advantage. In simple terms, ‘leadership’ which concentrates on what leaders are, every bit as much as their actions and what they do. As you’ll know from my previous posts, I’m launching a peer group at the end of the year called Challenge 22 – and the development of a coaching style of leadership will sit at the heart of what that group will strive to achieve.
It will undoubtedly require hard work from anyone who signs up, but I can guarantee you fun too, if you’re looking to build a business based on human values and sustainable practices. And, if you want to reflect on your own achievements and start to build the business you know is right – the type of business that you will be proud of but is also a reflection of you.
There’ll be more details soon about how to sign up and where Challenge 22 will take place in November, so keep a look out for more news in the coming weeks, or email me directly and I will keep you up-to-date: [email protected]