My Blog

The Leadership Challenge

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 08:01:00 GMT

The action of challenge has been a recurring theme for me in recent days. I had forgotten how important it is to be challenged and to challenge others. Growth is dependent on this dynamic and as leaders we can forget that this is a powerful way to motivate, excite, engage, intensify and wake-up the talent around us. As leaders we must expand our range of styles in this domain of challenge.

Great leaders, as I was reminded yesterday, use a wide array of styles and emotions to make things happen. Styles and behaviours such as being coercive, directive through to being democratic or distant and hands-off along with many in between.

Then the leadership challenge for all of us is how to expand and perfect that range. If you limit your range, you limit your impact and therefore you limit your future!

‘Space’… The Final Frontier

Sun, 11 Sep 2011 11:06:00 GMT

Busyness and action are the bywords of our current lives. There is no room for space/emptiness/quietness/nothingness. These seem to be the enemy that no one is prepared to succumb to, so we fight it off by always being on the go, most of it in the name of productivity.

I only have to look at my kids to see that as teenagers they are already in the cycle of perpetual motion, filling every waking hour with video games, TV, chatting with friends on the phone or the constant flow of BBMs etc.

And yet what exists most in this universe is ‘space’. Every atom that is the building block of you and everything else consists of 99.9999999999999% (that’s 13 nines after the decimal point) empty space.

Our resistance to space (also known as stillness, quietness, emptiness) truly is one of the final frontiers to better leadership.

Leaders need to find and spend time in ‘space’. They need to do this for the following reasons:

Quantum leaps. Logic can be restrictive, providing only small incremental steps forward. Quietness is the breeding ground of new radical thinking and ideas.

Differentiation. Because this is what separates the leader from the ordinary person. If you wish to be different you must do different things.

Deep and genuine rest. This is not just the physical rest that comes with sleep; it’s the emotional, mental and spiritual rest that is critical to a powerful leader.

New thinking. If you do not create the space for new thinking to appear in then its remains hidden. The wealth of knowledge you possess in the subconscious with remain stuck behind the more controlling conscious mind.

Renewal. Fresh perspectives and new thinking are found on the other side of silence as well as new fresh energy.

Creativity. Exciting and workable solutions exist to all of your problems if only you would allow them the space to appear.

The enemy of access to this powerful space is YOU. This is what you need to be aware of to overcome the traditional traps of blind busyness.

Fear. It is very uncomfortable when we stop doing and connect with stillness. All of our upbringing and education has taught us that productivity is king and the only way to achieve it is by being busy. You must overcome or push through that discomfort.

People Pressure. Because the connection between activity and productivity to so strong in the work place you will come under great external pressure if you suddenly stop and seek a quiet/still space, while sitting in the public work environment. Chose you moments wisely!

Here is how to begin your relationship with space and to see its untapped source of knowledge to you.

Find a quiet space at home without possible interruption for at least 45mins.

Find a comfortable chair to relax in.

Write down on some paper a question to which you need an answer that currently eludes you.

Once sitting, relax and let go of your thoughts of the day. Breath deeply in the beginning as you feel you muscles relax and soften.

Stay awake and conscious by focusing on the airflow through your nose and mouth. Consistently let go of any thoughts that appear during this time.

After about 30minutes rouse yourself and write down the thoughts that appear to you at this point.

Repeat as often as possible.

(Video) The Power of Self-Belief (A Personal Story)

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 08:07:00 GMT

Sir John Whitmore shares a true story of a key moment of awakening that created a positive powerful engagement of his true capabilities. Speaking here at the recent ICF European Conference 2011, Sir John is considered one of the founders of the modern coaching industry.

This video was created by me having attending this conference, to assist leaders in understanding the immense ability that lies within us and the simple solution available to accessing it.

Coaching Moves to Self-Regulate - Breaking News

Thu, 14 Jul 2011 08:34:00 GMT

In a joint initiative aimed at self-regulation, the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC) and the International Coach Federation (ICF) today file with the European Union a common Code of Conduct as the benchmark standard for the coaching and mentoring industry.

In view of the tremendous growth experienced over the past decade in the coaching and mentoring industry, professional bodies have increasingly recognized the need to lay the ground rules, establish markers of good practice, and move to self-regulate.

Thus, ICF and EMCC have joined forces to spearhead this initiative, and have agreed upon a common Code of Conduct for coach and mentor practitioners, and for their representative industry bodies.

The Code establishes a set of guidelines whose goal is to establish a benchmark for ethics and good practice in coaching and mentoring. It forms the basis for the development of self-regulation for the coaching and mentoring profession. It is drafted with regard to European law such as to be registered on the dedicated European Union database which lists self-regulation initiatives in Europe. This publicly accessible database is co-managed by the European Commission and the European Economic and Social Committee. See www.eesc.europa.eu/?i=portal.en.self-and-co-regulation.

This initiative is also designed to inform coaching and mentoring clients, and to promote public confidence in coaching and mentoring as a process for professional and personal development, which serves society as a whole.

The guidelines for practitioners cover requirements for:

- Competencies;
- Training;
- Continuous professional development; and
- Ethical standards.

The guidelines for professional bodies cover requirements for:
- Ensuring commitment to ethical standards by their members;
- A disciplinary and complaints procedure for ethical issues; and
- An independent board to monitor and sanction breaches of the Code of Conduct.
“The ICF and EMCC are working hard to make sure there are safeguards in place for those interested in working with a coach or mentor—be it an individual or a business,” said ICF President and Professional Certified Coach Ed Modell. “Both groups are interested in advancing the profession as well as helping to protect consumers.”

(Video) Adapting Leadership to the Middle East

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 07:56:00 GMT

Our interview today gives great insight into the challenge faced by all leaders in the Middle East namely, ‘how to adapt our leadership style to this specific market with specific nuances’.

David Youssef, a serial entrepreneur, successful businessman and MD of Now Health Int’l gives us his thoughts and his experiences after working 17years in the region following a business grounding in the US.

On a personal note, David is indeed an inspiration. Although he himself will play it down, he has overcome great adversity in his early years to rise above the ordinary and seek the ‘Next Level’ of personal success through a combination of positive early support from those around him and then sheer passion and determination coupled with strong principles.

(Video) Key Lessons in Leadership

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 10:18:00 GMT

The ‘Executive Next Level’ interview this week is with a top US executive coach. The content is about leadership and the challenges being faced by those people leading organisations in the US as well as thoughts on the key steps we can and should take in stepping up in our leadership of self and others.

Vikki Brock is a sought after speaker around the world and her impressive credentials include an Executive MBA, a PhD in Coaching and Human Development, ICF Master Coach Certification since 1998, and being a genuinely caring, creative human being.

Throughout her university teaching, writing, international speaking, and leadership in the International Coach Federation, Vikki has always emphasized collaboration and inclusion. She lives and works from her 50ft yacht in Ventura, California.

84.2% want a career change

Sun, 12 Jun 2011 11:54:00 GMT

This is the percentage of Middle East Professionals who are looking for a change in career. The recent poll by Bayt.com has highlighted the large gap that exists between employees and their engagement or commitment in their current organisations.

As mentioned by Dr. Tommy Weir in an article in The National Newspaper, this is unlikely to be due to poor pay, as most people in the Middle East would find it difficult to earn a similar high wage in their home countries.

Therefore the problem is more complex. A key question to ask ourselves as HR professionals and as business leaders is what can we do to bridge this gap?

Here are some thoughts;

Know how truly big this problem is in our organisation.

Understand the bottom line cost to the business.

Engage the hearts of your employees not just their heads.

Be clear about the true and bigger purpose of the business.

Expand the methods and ways you communicate with your employees.

Be prepared to hear the hard truth and create an environment where those conversations can happen.

Please share your thoughts with us here in our blog

DIFC HR Forum

Wed, 08 Jun 2011 10:26:00 GMT

Yesterday we were invited to speak at the Dubai Financial HR Forum. As people that are passionate about coaching it is great to be able to engage with this high level of HR experience in global organisations and see that coaching has a critical role to play.

Interestingly the questions where more focused on Team Coaching and the new methodologies now starting to create an impact on leadership teams.

If you have any questions about Team Coaching then please feel free to post it here.

European ICF Conference 2011

Mon, 06 Jun 2011 11:42:00 GMT

Following a fantastic event in Paris last year I will be attending the ICF conference in Madrid this year. This is where the leading coaches in Europe convene to talk about and share coaching practices and thinking.

The dates are 16^th-18^th June 2011 and I look forward to seeing the cutting edge coaching tools and thinking to bring back to this region.

If you have the chance to join me to help represent Middle East professional coaching please let me know or alternatively tell me what questions you have for me to take and get answers for.

The 1st Middle East Coaching Conference

Mon, 06 Jun 2011 11:38:00 GMT

31st May-1st June 2011
For the first time in the Middle East a conference dedicated solely to Coaching is being run in Kuwait. Woodthorpe Wright Associates have been invited to speak at the conference due to our extensive regional experience in this arena.

If you are interested to attend or just want some more information you should visit www.kuwaitcoaching.com

Keep an eye on this blog as we will be updating it with the insights being shared.

What is the difference between a duck?

Tue, 24 May 2011 17:25:00 GMT

For 30 years this question has stayed with me, making me laugh and making me think. So how has such a few simple words strung together been able to stick in my head and pop up at various moments to have me wonder once again about the answer?

As you can see the words themselves are nothing special but it is the fact that they are put together in the form of a question, a question that requires thought, a question that challenges my understanding.

Of course there are many questions that I have been asked in my life that have had little or no impact and have been long forgotten so it would be safe to say that the questions that have the greatest influence are special in some way.

They don’t require fancy words but somehow they cut to the heart of a situation and have us think again about who we are, what we are doing and why we are doing it.

In coaching we call these ‘powerful’ questions. They have us and our clients dig deeper into circumstances and ourselves to seek a new level of answers, ones that have not appeared before.

As with any system that is closed, if there is no new information that appears within it then the outcomes constantly remain the same. And if these outcomes are not what you want then you’re stuck going round in circles. Not very nice but its exactly what we tend to do until we are inspired to think differently, and that is where the powerful question is needed.

Leaders need to be able to access these powerful questions to create opportunity for those around them to raise their thinking and being. But there is not a simple list we can go to find which powerful question would be most appropriate for a particular scenario, however these questions are all around us. We know them instinctively because they make us stop and think, they land on us in a way that cannot be ignored and they change the possibilities.

So be a seeker and a user of powerful questions because to change and grow we need to discover new information, which requires us to challenge our old thinking habits.

Your comments are welcome along with your powerful questions. I also would love to hear your answers to the original question ‘What is the difference between a duck?’

The Conversation IS the Relationship

Tue, 24 May 2011 17:20:00 GMT

Whether you like it or not everything you are communicating is either moving your relationships forwards or backwards. As in nature so it is in relationships, there is no neutral, there is only growth or decay.

What are you saying or not saying in your relationships that are moving them forwards or backwards?

Remember you are actively responsible for where your relationships are at the moment and you have the power to shift them in anyway you choose but only with renewed conscious effort and commitment. Complacency is also a choice so choose wisely and deliberately.

Let me have your thoughts…