Influencing change
Do we manage change, or just influence it? Change is not just inevitable. It is a sign that life exists. The more things change, the more abundant life is. That is the story of nature and us; you and me. You are an organisation of cells, bacteria and a wide assortment of biological stuff working…
Read MoreNew course for Glasgow Chamber of Commerce: Person-Centred Leadership and Voice
I’m really excited to be working with my friend and collaborator, Fiona Taylor, on a new course for Glasgow Chamber of Commerce called: Person-Centred Leadership and Voice. The day introduces participants to the ethos of person-centred leadership. Carl Rogers, the grandfather of the approach, saw that the quality of a relationship between people directly impacted…
Read MoreThe Hedgehog and the Cateran Yomp: Lessons in Strategic Thinking in Challenging Times
A Yomp is a fast march over long distances usually undertaken by Royal Marines. The aim was to walk, or run, 54 miles in under 24 hours to raise money for the Army Benevolent Fund Charity. I walked some of it, limped, hobbled, and crawled the rest. This blog explores the experience through the lens…
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How Goethe got into the DNA of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service: Using a Coaching Approach in Cultural Understanding.
When we change our world view of how things work, we immediately see things and act entirely differently. Our usual way of thinking cheats us. It leads us to think that organisational wholes comprise many individual parts, in the same way that a car is made of wheels, chassis, axels and an engine. In this…
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Masaru Emoto, Water Crystals, and Our Health and Wellbeing
Masaru Emoto was a businessman born in Yokohama, Japan. During the 1990s, after receiving the rights to a magnetic resonance analyser, he started studying and experimenting with water crystals, with the results later published in a book called. “Hidden Messages in water”. Emoto was no scientist, and his work has been neither peer-reviewed nor evaluated…
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Why Use an Executive Coach?
It’s simple, it works. According to PricewaterhouseCoopers, the mean ROI for companies investing in coaching was seven times the initial investment. That means that for every dollar spent on coaching, the value added to that employee’s worth was 7 dollars. What an incredible return! ROI aside, executive coaches will elevate your career beyond what you…
Read MoreExecutive Coaching that supports the creation of a trusting environment.
For an Executive Coach, supporting clients through complex organisational issues is commonplace. One of the big tasks is to create an environment where the onus isn’t always on the leader to come up with all the answers, or even be responsible for delivering results (although leaders ultimately are – sharing the load is key) Creating…
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How to Select an Executive Coach
You might find this a bit of a surprise, but over the last 25 years in the coaching and consulting sector, I rarely get asked for any of the top ten ways to select an executive coach. Now, that is not to say there are no valid reasons behind this. In some cases, I get…
Read MoreExecutive Coaching: Humility is the Key to High Performing Leadership.
For an Executive Coach, it’s important to help clients think about the leadership qualities they value. Getting the right qualities helps define organisational culture and performance, so its key. When you think about leadership traits, typically, what comes to mind are qualities like strength, vision, enthusiasm, charisma, and courage. Often overlooked is an essential leadership…
Read MoreHow can an Executive Coach help me?
One of the most important aspects of becoming a successful leader is getting to know who you are and learning to appreciate your strengths. Over the last half-century, there have been more than 1000 studies completed to define the characteristics of great leaders. Thankfully, they have all failed to find the silver bullet. There is…
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