Got an executive dilemma? – Tell it to your rubber duck!
Picture this scenario: You are global head of a sales force in the financial industry, confronted with the decision as to whom to promote to the next level. You’re feeling very ambivalent about one particular candidate: He has generated the highest revenues, been very successful in pitching for new business and contributed tremendously to the overall P&L. However, the feedback you have been hearing for a long time is that this sales rep is not a team player at all: He doesn’t share information within the team nor with other departments and doesn’t help more junior sales people, although he has agreed to mentor them. Basically, he works by himself, almost in isolation. If you were to promote him, what signal would that send into the organization? How would this impact the energy in the team? What effect would any decision on his promotion have on you as his line [...]
Energy Leadership™ Assessment
Annette’s client, Emma*, is a young key account manager working for a mid-size consulting firm advising international companies in the financial industry. She holds master’s degrees in Economics and English and has spent half her life living abroad. Situation She contacted Annette because she felt stuck in her current work situation; having already tried various different approaches to push forward her career, all to no avail. She felt she was standing in her own way and was desperate to dissolve whatever it was that was hindering her progress. Goals Emma appeared very ambitious and slightly impatient; she wanted to see results fast. To jump-start the coaching process, she was keen to complete the Energy Leadership™ assessment that Annette had suggested to her. The purpose of the Energy Leadership™ assessment is to see how different types of energy present themselves in your home and work life zero in on [...]
Leadership Inspiration from the Dance Floor
Fred and I love to dance the slow fox. As the music begins to play, we adjust our posture to find our starting position and a comfortable stance. Concentrating on the beat, we focus our minds on the dance and each other and let our feet find the rhythm. Fred sets the pace, guiding me with a gentle but firm hand and, intuitively sensing his direction, I mirror his moves. As we dance, we pay attention to each other’s body language, subtly re-aligning our posture to allow each other space. All around us, we subconsciously observe the other dancing couples, even though we are in a world of our own... Leadership can be found in every activity and every situation in life; and dancing provides a great setting in which to discover metaphors for the business world, since all leadership principles are as true on the dance floor as they [...]
Tolerance in Diversity – Leadership Mission Possible?
I recently joined representatives of the Network for Tolerance on a trip to Palestine and Israel to make progress on two of their art projects. The Wiesbaden artist and initiator of the network, Karl-Martin Hartmann, created a symbol for tolerance, the so-called “Stele”. The six-meter high steel constructions filled with red glass bricks serve as a shining incitement to demonstrate tolerance in our relationships with each other. The trip triggered in my mind a couple of topics that are relevant for leaders; tolerance being the first. How can tolerance be defined? The Declaration of Principles on Tolerance issued by UNESCO (1995) provides more insight on the meaning of tolerance. Article 1.4 showcases this: Consistent with respect for human rights, the practice of tolerance does not mean toleration of social injustice or the abandonment or weakening of one's convictions. It means that one is free to adhere to one's own [...]
Leadership by Example: Resolving Conflict
I’ve just returned from a trip to Palestine and Israel, where conflict is omnipresent on a day-to-day basis. All around, there are signs of a conflict with a long history and for which the prospect of long-term resolution seems doubtful. It made me think about how we can solve small scale clashes before they become large scale conflicts in our daily business environment. So here is some food for thought on how to resolve conflict when it threatens to disrupt harmony in your working world. Conflict is common and inevitable. We have all been through conflict situations. But anyone who has ever worked in a conflicting team will know how debilitating it can be for collaboration and the achievement of common goals. Wikipedia describes conflict as something that emanates from intentions or tendencies whose simultaneous realization is mutually exclusive. In other words: a state of disharmony is created when what [...]
Leadership Development Plan
Situation Annette’s client was a junior business strategy manager in the aviation industry who held an MBA from London Business School and who was fluent in five languages. His career had come to a turning point and he found himself in a professional crisis when he started working with Annette. Goals The agreed objectives for the coaching process were to: Develop a leadership development plan to manage the transition into a more suitable role and ensure his employability; Identify inner and outer blocs that were holding him back from true success as a leader; Create an approach that the client could put into practice to manage his self-leadership and to inspire others. Approach Annette held 15 coaching sessions via skype with the client to develop his leadership development plan and ensure its sustainable and successful implementation. The following actions were taken: The client compiled any feedback he [...]