Tag Archive for: coaching

Support

Who supports you?

As a 4 year old, I set off with family and friends to climb this hill near Dunning, Perthshire. Since 1969, I have climbed this hill on many occasions, with my own children, family and friends. In fact it’s become one of my favourite spots on earth, to seek some peace, solitude and to reflect on life.

Just prior to my father’s death, I recall that we were talking about this photo. As we spoke about it, he asked if I could remember anything about the climb up the hill. I said “No”. He laughed and then responded “You can’t remember anything?” Once again..”No”. He then shared the story of our ascent. He told me that as we were about half way up the hill, I started to complain about sore legs and that I couldn’t make it to the top.

As we carried on, dad encouraged me and told me that I could make it. So, seemingly I persevered for a little longer, but then after a while, I told him once again – “I can’t do it”. As a loving parent, he picked me up, put me on his shoulders and carried me the last little distance to the top of the hill. Resulting with this photo taken a few minutes later – of a very happy child atop the stone for the very first time!

There are so many principles in this story about getting tired, taking my eyes off the goal etc … But most of all I want to make the point that in our conversations together, lets be ever mindful of supporting each other to achieve our goals!

Who can you support?

Being me

Do you like being you?

My days are filled with being me!

More than just affirming widely held character traits like honesty, kindness and compassion, I believe in π’ƒπ’†π’Šπ’π’ˆ – or in other words π’ƒπ’†π’„π’π’Žπ’Šπ’π’ˆ what I say I believe. Thus these character traits are not just a simple belief, but an actual practice, a way of life, not just a way of thinking.

During many of my coaching conversations magical discoveries are made during the process of self-reflection and self-exploration. Oftentimes, individuals rediscover who they are at their very core. If you are plodding along, day to day, not understanding yourself at all – then perhaps it is time to begin the process of introspection and develop more self awareness. A coach can help you on your way.

Once you are aware of who you are, π’ƒπ’†π’Šπ’π’ˆ who you are is key!

Top Tips:

– Love who you are

– Don’t let others tell you who you are

– Don’t make apologies for who you are

– Have the courage to be different from others

– Laugh at yourself – frequently!

Quickly you’ll learn, like I have, that I am best at π’ƒπ’†π’Šπ’π’ˆ me!

The Kaleidoscope of Leadership

As a child I remember having a kaleidoscope, with each simple turn a new beautiful pattern appeared.
Kaleidoscopes constantly generate changing symmetrical patterns from small pieces of coloured glass in which there are a multiplicity of nuances.
In a similar way a kaleidoscope can symbolise anything that changes continually.
Describing leadership is much like peering into a kaleidoscope – the image is constantly shifting, presenting a myriad of patterns and perspectives.
β€œTrying to describe leadership is like having several viewers trying to compare what they see in a kaleidoscope when the mere act of passing the kaleidoscope shakes up its design.” Neal A. Maxwell.
At its core, leadership is fluid and dynamic, shaped by a variety of contexts, cultures, and individuals.
Like the fragments within a kaleidoscope, leadership is composed of diverse qualities – vision, empathy, decision-making, communication, and adaptability – which rearrange themselves depending on the situation.

Life

Growing older, I am beginning to see that life can be frequently like a kaleidoscope.
Life brings us new lessons every day and we can get shaken up from time to time that changes our perspective.
However, by pausing, slowing down a little, reflecting and looking inside our kaleidoscope of life and holding it to the light – beautiful new patterns emerge.
Perhaps we all play the busy card too often and don’t 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩 long enough to see the beauty appear.
It is the same with the kaleidoscope of leadership.
Endless patterns, endless models, endless ideas, endless determining factors constantly shifting and shaping our leadership styles.
What matters most are the constant principles that create the most respected leaders – namely kindness, patience, meekness, humility, honesty, forgiving, commitment, respect, selflessness obedience and finally living the golden rule – do to others as you would have them do to you.
In essence, leadership, like a kaleidoscope, is a unique and evolving pattern that cannot be captured by a singular definition.
It’s a blend of different qualities and approaches, coming together in different ways to meet the demands of the moment.
Each of these qualities produces a kaleidoscope of beauty, no one can eclipse.
Wayne Dyer said: β€˜When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.’
How can you change the way you look at things today?

 

 

Be true to who you are

Our values are under attack…. personal, societal, organisational – open your eyes and see. This is a momentous challenge of our day.

Actions speak much louder than words. Know your values. Live them. Know your organisations values. Live them. Walk your talk. Be true to yourself, and those who you lead. Act, do not be acted upon.

In organisations when values are ignored and people don’t live by them, they have no meaning. When this occurs, I’ve witnessed business cultures becoming hypocritical, and employees losing respect for the organisation and its leaders. Conversely, when values are put into action, people feel engaged, energy, enthusiasm, and the drive to go beyond the ordinary all come to the fore.

“Vertigo to values brings a special dizziness” – Neal A Maxwell.

Identify the obstacles on your own path, get rid of the roadblocks and eliminate them! Always remember to choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong. Strongly-held values create powerful foundations in personal, family, societal and organisation structures. Be true to who you are and stand by your values.

Start today. Pause, reflect, identify your values and what matters most.

Vision

Whether you are familiar with the bible or not, you are likely to have heard this quote from Proverbs (29:18); β€œWhere there is no vision, the people perish.”

It has taken me quite a while to understand what that statement really means, but a recent experience may help.

Fog

When driving at 70 mph on the motorway, what does it feel like to drive when dense fog starts to settle in front of you?

As the fog starts to thicken and you realise that you can only see a few metres in front of you, I know that my heart starts racing a little.

I flick the fog lights on taking my foot off the accelerator at the same time.

When the fog is really thick, I’ll slow down to a crawl and take it very slow, so that I don’t run into someone ahead of me.

Extremes

Take that experience to its extreme.

When fog is so dense that even moving forward very slowly is dangerous, there is also the fear that someone may rear end you, which can be very alarming.

As the fog starts to lift and you emerge from its grasp, you can see a few metres ahead, then 20, 30 and its gone.

How do you feel then?

Relief perhaps?

You start to accelerate once more.

Think about what actually changed during those few minutes on the road.

The only thing that really changed was your vision, your ability to see.

With vision you saw the road clearly ahead.

When there was no vision, you were as is states in Proverbs, in danger of perishing.

And so it is with anything in life.

When you have no vision for your life, your family, your career or for what you want to accomplish, its a bit like being caught in the fog on the motorway.

To accomplish anything you must first have a mission, a goal, a hope, a vision.

And when challenges arise, or when the fog creeps in, remember to slow down.

We must catch the vision of who we really are.

How can you increase the vision in your own life?