13. January 2011 by Bob.

We have coached hundreds of leaders and executives over the years and led an equal number of workshops on leadership and coaching. I often ask our clients in our workshops to identify the number one reason that people leave their organization. The answer has been universally the same over the 27 years I have been in this business. That answer is – my direct boss. If retention and succession have become leading contenders in organizational development success conversations, what keeps these companies from doing more about this dilemma?
Psychometrics Canada conducted a survey to study leadership in the Canadian workplace. Of those surveyed, 63.2% saw leaders as having a lot of influence over their organizations’ success with only 2.5% reporting that leaders had very little influence. This leads me to believe that our informal surveys over the years do have merit.
The survey also found that good leadership created some of the following results:
• Increased motivation (85.5%),
• Improved working relationships (85.1%),
• Higher team performance (80.7%),
• Better solutions to problems (68.9%), and
• Major innovations (41.6%).
So hooray for good leadership! But what about poor leadership? With so many ‘accidental promotions’ into leadership and not enough investment in developing good leadership skills, is there a cost to poor leadership ability?
The Psychometric survey professes that when not properly used, leadership can have many negative effects. Results falling into the top 5:
• Good people quitting and a lack of morale (91.7%),
• Employees’ skills not being utilized (87.2%),
• Disconnection between organization’s goals and employees’ work (76%).
• Feuding staff members (68.3%), and
• Failed projects (60%).
The Management and Leadership section of most bookstores seems to always take up as much space as the Mystery section. And with its challenges maybe the Management and Leadership section should be married into the Mystery section! With so much on the line in terms of positive benefits versus negative effects, uncovering the skills necessary for effective leadership is critically important.
The survey rated the importance of various leadership skills to success:
• Communication is critically important (90%),
• Dealing with change (52.6%),
• Managing people (48.2%),
• Setting goals (37.5%),
• Solving problems (30.3%), and
• Project management (12%).
When these key skills were rated survey participants were also asked to rate leaders on their current effectiveness in each of these skill sets. Here lies another challenge. Only 27.8% rated leaders’ communication skills as effective, and only 24% indicated that the leaders they know are effective when it comes to dealing with change. These respondents cited a number of obstacles that get in the way of leaders developing these skills. These include leaders not seeing the need for improvement (67.5%), not having enough time (63.1%), lacking support from superiors (50.1%), and having inadequate training budgets (41.6%).
When asked what leaders could do to be more effective, respondents endorsed actions such as:
• Clearly communicating how the organization plans to manage change  (89%),
• Talking less and listening more (81%),
• Providing clear expectations (78%),
• Having more informal interaction with staff (76%),
• Assigning tasks to staff based on their skills rather than office politics (71%),
• Holding people accountable (68%),
• Giving employees more responsibility (65%),
• Deferring to people with greater expertise (63%), and
• Overcoming resistance to change (48%).
Now all of this may seem so much like ‘duh’ to those of you reading this and as a coach and leadership developer for almost 28 years now, I would want to agree with you. The concern is that this seems to be so true and even more obvious that we wonder what it takes for organizations to realize how valuable it is for them to find the right leaders, develop the right leaders and keep the right leaders! And finally, here’s a toast to all of you that have had the seemingly rare luxury of working for and with one of those talented few.

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10. January 2011 by Bob.

I recently facilitated a workshop at a conference for the two sales divisions of a very successful pharmaceutical company. I travel frequently delivering workshops and speaking on the art of coaching and leadership. I love the adventure of traveling to different places, absorbing the local culture, and receiving the energy that shows up when participants learn and grow as a result of a workshop. This workshop provided me with some insights that led me to some research and new learning.
This conference was jam packed with beautiful people. Pretty women and handsome men filled the conference halls and almost without exception, the participants in my two workshops all topped the charts on the physical beauty scales. It was clear that this company saw a direct correlation to attractiveness and sales success. Type A personalities was also an obvious hallmark of criteria for the attractive sales professional along with what appeared to be one other criteria – youthfulness. I believe that fully eighty percent of the participants had to be under the age of 32. Youthfulness and high-energy personalities didn’t surprise me, but I did find myself curious about the beauty factor. Easily recognizing that I no longer fit into the youthful category, place myself more into the Type B personality range and do not qualify for the beautiful people club, I wondered mostly what impact beauty has in the world of business, thus fueling my curiosity.
Lisa Johnson Mandell posted an article in August of 2010 titled “Beauty Can Be A Beast At Work”.  She wrote “It’s hard to feel sorry for pretty girls, since numerous studies have been done that show they have an edge when it comes to getting hired, promoted, elected and evaluated. But there are two areas in which they are at a distinct disadvantage: one is in fields that are traditionally considered to be masculine, and the other is when an insecure and/or jealous wife is involved.”
The Journal of Social Psychology revealed a recent study that suggests attractive women are discriminated against when applying for jobs that many people consider to be more testosterone-infused, called the manly job syndrome. “In these professions being attractive was highly detrimental to women,” said Researcher Professor Stefanie Johnson of the University of Colorado Denver Business School. “In every other job, attractive women were preferred. This wasn’t the case with men, which shows there is still a double standard when it comes to gender.” Her study found that they frequently ruled out good-looking women for positions considered to be more masculine, but attractive men were not subjected to same discrimination.
However, there’s another area where attractive women are often discriminated against and attractive men are not: That’s in positions where the female will be working closely, or perhaps even living with, a married man. These include jobs such as personal assistant, assistant manager, nanny and au pair. The jealous wife syndrome.
Preferring less attractive females in these positions may be understandable, but that doesn’t make it fair or easier to swallow, especially for the attractive women being passed over for the jobs.

Newsweek.com recently released an article titled “The Beauty Advantage,” Newsweek surveyed over 200 corporate hiring managers and more than 900 members of the public to find out how looking good affects everything from hiring to office politics and promotions. The results prove Johnson’s findings that beauty is no longer just skin deep but a double-edged sword that can help or hinder your career depending on how it is used — a hindrance that researchers have coined, the “beauty is beastly” effect.
The findings from the Newsweek study include:
• Fifty-seven percent of hiring managers said that, “qualified but unattractive candidates are likely to have a harder time landing a job.”
• Half of hiring managers advised spending as much time and money on making sure they look attractive as on perfecting a resume.
• Sixty-one percent of hiring managers (most of them men) said it would be an advantage for a woman to wear clothing showing off her figure at work.
• Newsweek also asked the hiring managers to rank the top nine character traits they sought in an employee in order of importance, appearance came in third, right behind experience (No. 1) and confidence (No. 2).
The conference sessions and the subsequent reading on the topic left me unresolved about beauty discrimination. It feels like many other things in life – sometimes it works to our advantage and sometimes it does not. May we all have success putting our best assets – whatever they may be - to their best use. My biggest hope is whatever that best use may be; it is for doing good and not evil!

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7. December 2010 by Bob.

I took a golf lesson this past week during my monthly trip to our place in Phoenix. I probably should take a lesson more often than the once a year fix it lesson when I can’t seem to figure it out for myself. My golf coach looked over my grip, posture, alignment to the target, take away, swing path and finish. He proceeded to ask me, in typical coach fashion, questions that helped me notice what I had been doing that was no longer working for me. As a golfer I tend to make very slight adjustments to all parts of my game, grip, stance, posture, take away, follow through, etc – knees through, shoulders square, line to the target, do this, don’t do that, - adjust, adjust, adjust.  After a while my swing looks nothing like I learned it to be. And I feel like I have no idea what is necessary to make it work effectively again or to enhance the game I have learned to love. Consequently, I watch my handicap slowly creep upwards and my enjoyment of the game increasingly move downwards.
What followed my lesson were two of the worst rounds of golf in recent history. I track all my game statistics and discovered that I had not seen as bad a score on these two rounds in over two years! These results made it very difficult to keep working through the adjustments I had made rather than going back to the swing that had become my comfort zone. After all, I could score better if I just went back to my old swing. And I knew I would not reach the next level of success and enjoyment by going back to old habits.
We find that many leaders we coach tend to follow a similar pattern to my golf story when it comes to their learning, practice and delivery of the art of leadership. When they venture outside the comfort zone that has become their leadership style it is usually with minor tweaks to the fundamentals of their leadership. After all, they already possess the ingredients necessary for leadership success. Therefore, radical change is not necessary. Being able to recognize the small steps and practicing them until they become ingrained should be a life long pursuit. We do not advocate tossing out all that has been learned so far, but rather seeing what needs to be modified for greater success. For some, the modifications may be greater than for others and like a golf coach, a leadership coach, can help someone see for themselves the shifts that are necessary. After that, it is up to the leader to spend time at the practice facility to hone the game. Imagine the challenge for leaders when the practice facility is always in front of the audience you lead – your people.
While at the practice area before one of my fateful rounds after my lesson, my playing partner, Jake asked me what it was that I learned from my lesson that I had not known before. That question helped me realize that I had not actually heard anything new in my lesson, but rather found that my coach had helped me see what I already knew. He held up the metaphoric mirror for me to see myself and refine what I already knew. The challenge for me was that I could not see it without engaging in conversation with a coach that had my best interest at heart and successfully supported me in my relearning the practices I already had at my disposal. Leaders, like golfers, can regularly use a pro to hold up the mirror for them to see themselves.
My challenge now is to stay with the corrections I have made until the muscle memory becomes natural. In the meantime I expect that there will be more rounds of golf with inflated scores and a rising handicap. Once the skills become more comfortable and less mechanical, my scores will come back down and hopefully pass through the handicap barrier I previously achieved. With that I anticipate the enjoyment of golf to also surpass previous heights.
I know how to play golf just like most leaders we work with know how to lead. The leaders we coach are typically very good leaders to begin with, and are searching for ways to take their leadership to new levels of success. Radical success as a leader comes after constant work on the practice field honing the skills that exist. The ever-developing leader becomes a significant leader when the game of leading becomes their passion and life pursuit.

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16. October 2010 by Bob.

Patrick Lencioni, the author of several leadership books including The Five Dysfunctions Of A Team recently came out with a new book titled Getting Naked.  It’s quite a catchy title to support a very catchy concept.  Patrick believes that service providers will provide best service to their clients if they let go of three primary fears:
1.    The fear of losing the business,
2.    The fear of being embarrassed,
3.    And the fear of feeling inferior.
What great lessons for those constantly trying to manage their business and maintain significant relationships with their clients. And this is not just a lesson for those of us delivering our services as outside consultants, coaches, trainers, etc.  We work with leaders and executives helping them develop the skills necessary to effectively lead the people in their organizations or in other words the clients they deliver their service to. Many leaders are learning today that the old style of command and control or being strong in order to be powerful are leadership styles that are best meant for the history books rather than effective leadership styles for the workplace of today.
Powerful leaders today are realizing that several seemingly vulnerable traits are contributing to their success. Lencioni reveals some of these traits to include:
1.    Asking dumb questions,
2.    Making dumb suggestions,
3.    And celebrating mistakes.
Can you imagine these as effective leadership tools a generation ago?
Further to that consider the next four:
1.    Honor the clients (employees) work,
2.    Make everything about the client (employee),
3.    Do the dirty work,
4.    And take a bullet for the client (employee).
He finishes with four more under the Fear of Losing the Business category, which includes:
1.    Always consult instead of sell,
2.    Give away the business,
3.    Tell the kind truth,
4.     And enter the danger.
Let’s consider these the new top 10, or 11 with a bonus trait thrown in, leadership and relationship skills for the effective leader of this generation. How many would you prescribe to? Which ones are big gulp stretches for you? Give yourself a grade rating for each. A 10 would be you walk on water with this skill; a 1 would be it is absent or very weak in your portfolio of skills. Which would you identify as your top three? What are you doing to enhance these skills?
If we are to grow as leaders in the work systems of today then the art of “Getting Naked” is likely the new skill set necessary to achieve the pinnacle of significant leader.

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29. September 2010 by Bob.

I have had the pleasure of getting my shoes shined by Pat, the shoeshine guy, for many years. It has been so long that I cannot remember when I first stopped by Pat’s Place looking to get my shoes shined before one of my client meetings. What I do know and frequently remember fondly is that I have received far greater value well beyond well-groomed shoes. I often say in our leadership workshops or coaching sessions that even in my business of developing leaders, executives and people relationships, I have yet to come across the perfect human being. My good friend Laura Whitworth once said “We will all forever be perfect works in progress”.  Therefore, I do not take it lightly when I say that Pat Dardano is one of the finest human beings I have ever had the pleasure of knowing.
Pat came to Canada from Italy over 26 years ago and set up his shoeshine business speaking barely a word of English. He has told me how he would smile and nod to his customers as they talked to him and he didn’t understand what they were saying. It reminds me of a lesson for my world of leadership and executive coaching. Our job is to listen, not advise. This allows our clients to feel safe to talk their way through their challenges and opens up some of their own best thinking. This happens only when there is a true connection between the coach and the client. Pat exemplifies this connection. Today language is not a barrier and Pat still listens with true compassion and care. You can see his heart and soul pouring out through his soft eyes.
I travel frequently and spend about half my time in Calgary running my business and being with family and friends. When I am in town I regularly stroll by Pat’s Place to see Pat and get a shine. I have well-polished shoes and know that most of the time I see Pat I don’t really need a shoeshine. I just want to stop by and see Pat, catch up on his life since the last time I was in town and share stories of our families, our business and our mutual love for soccer. Pat will always ask how my family is doing, how the people in my business are getting along, asking about them by name, and how my travels have been.  It is easy to tell that he is not asking as part of a casual small talk performance, instead because Pat truly cares how you and the people important to you are doing. And, Pat has a very successful business because people come to have their shoes shined so they can visit with a man that exudes human connection and care.
Pat has recently been challenged with some serious health issues and while he was away visiting family in Italy, friends of Pat organized a benefit for him to celebrate Pat, the human being. Pat returned from Italy to shyly find out about this planned event. More than 350 people attended Pat’s benefit. It was a testament to the number of friends Pat has connected with over the years.
Good people care about good people. Pat has touched the lives of many over the years and it was time to honor this man. I have coached many leaders and executives over my 27 years in my people development business. My best guess is that Pat has coached many more from his two-chair office in the public space he occupies in downtown Calgary. Maybe some of our clients could benefit from a shoeshine coaching session with Pat – a natural example of human kindness.

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23. September 2010 by Bob.

I coined a value many years ago called Shared Abundance.  It is a term that I place as the value that best defines me and how I see my place in the world. I would love to see a world that truly sees each other and places significant value on caring about how they treat each and every human being they cross paths with.
I travel frequently to many parts of North America and occasionally other parts of the world as part of my work. I love to travel and whenever possible, I will spend extra days after my work visiting the area and trying to absorb the local culture and most importantly, the people. People are a very curious thing to me, which helps make me a very good professional coach as well as someone that constantly searches for meeting new people and hearing what their story may be. Imagine the challenge I have whenever I travel to other parts of the world, particularly large cities, and I wander the streets or sit in curbside cafes attempting to make eye contact with those that pass me by. Try this sometime, wherever you are, even your hometown city. Walk the streets and make eye contact with others passing by you. Count the number of people that actually look at you. Or even more interesting, count how many of those few that do make eye contact with you, what type of reaction do they have? I find that the percentage of those that we actually make eye-to-eye contact with is generally very small. And an even smaller percentage would hold that contact for more than an instant or possibly smile, nod or say hello. There are times I find this almost depressing and with shared abundance as a value, it becomes something of significant interest for me to take on to change.
I believe that we are all starving for more human connection. Because of safety and security concerns we insulate ourselves from the stranger on the street and pass them by with our head down or barely a glance in their direction. Then we go to the security of our homes and jump on the Internet dating sites or cry to our friends about how difficult it is to find that perfect someone or to make new friends.
Two weeks ago I attended as a newbie, an event in the desert of northern Nevada called Burning Man. This is an annual weeklong event set up on a dried up lake bed 120 miles north of Reno, Nevada. In other words, in the middle of nowhere! From nothing but flat, white dust filled desert emerges a small city of over 50,000 people migrating from all corners of the globe to spend a week in a non-monetary commerce community. The key idea is that gifting to others becomes the currency that drives this instant city.  For one full week I had no idea where I had put my wallet. As well, cell phone coverage and Internet connections were very scarce.
At Burning Man you cross paths with every walk of life you can imagine. Young, old, male, female, artist, entertainer, homeless, CEO, etc, all of which come to experience interacting with others with a minimum of judgment or care for the others background or history. And there is the culture of just about anything is accepted as long as it does not harm another. Costumes are a significant part of the event and you see people in costumes generally reserved for the rare Halloween occasion back home. As well, some choose not to wear costumes or wear anything at all. Interestingly enough, soon after the heightened visual stimulation of crazy costumes or partial, as well as full nudity, becomes the norm in this community, we all settle into getting to know the people there and their motivation for attending this event in such a harsh desert environment. Here is where shared abundance shows itself in some of its most unique forms.
I attended this event knowing only my close trusted friend that had been talking about going for several years and we finally decided to take the plunge and go. After the close of the event, I left with many new friends with hopes of staying in contact as we all went back to our regular lives and activities. My greatest joy throughout the week was the constant connection to virtually everyone you crossed paths with.  Such the opposite of what I experience everyday. It was an automatic response to make eye contact and to give, as well as receive, a genuine greeting. We would stop in the street and hold a conversation with someone that we had never met before and in many cases a gift may be exchanged with no expectation of reciprocity.  After a full week of openness, connection, high visual stimulation and caring community I found myself back in the real world and walking my city streets with a hopeful expectation that I would receive the same community-like connection with everyone whose path I crossed. That has not been the case and yet I remain hopeful. I challenge all of us to consider the gift that eye contact, a nod of acknowledgment or even more boldly, a hello and smile has on those we come in contact with.

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23. July 2010 by Bob.

I recently traveled to Costa Rica for a week of solo adventure – unlike many of my trips that are connected to client work somewhere in the world – this trip was strictly for fun and adventure. Central America has always been in my travel sights or as I now hear many people say, on my bucket list. I had an airfare credit that I wanted to use before it expired. I wonder how often we find ourselves way too busy to enjoy life and respond to that bucket list? For many, I believe they consider themselves too busy to even contemplate a bucket list, let alone actually do some things that may be on the list. I remember working with one executive that was proud of never actually taken a vacation day!
I know that my company could have kept me busy during the time I chose to be gone on this trip. We are trying hard to grow our business in these economic conditions and every effort is helpful toward achieving that goal.  And, I fully expect to put in many more vital years into the business that has been my life for 20 years. If I want to continue to be a significant contributor to the business I founded in 1991 I know that I need, rather want, to spend time revitalizing myself so that I can be a valuable resource for the people that are a vital part of our community. Time away to recharge is not only a desire, I fully believe it is a necessity for sustained health and business success.
Research has supported this belief for many years. What continues to concern us as we coach one senior leader after another, is that most continue to ignore the research. There seems to be some distinction between the leaders we coach in Canada compared to their American counterparts we work with. An annual Expedia.com survey shows that “short vacations are becoming shorter as Americans take fewer days off than ever before…at least 30 percent of employed adults give up vacation time they have earned, a situation that resulted this year in a total of 415 million unused vacation days.” And “nearly 25 per cent of Canadians aren’t taking the full number of vacation days they’ve been allotted, leaving 34 million vacation days unused every year.”
The Expedia.com survey goes on to state, “There are incredible health and wellness benefits associated with time off from work. Americans should take a cue from their foreign counterparts and relish the vacation they earn.” Expedia.com analyzed vacation habits among employed workers in the U.S., Canada, Great Britain, Germany, France and Australia. Compared to other countries included in the survey, Americans receive the fewest vacation days per year on average (14 days), compared to 17 days in Australia, 19 days in Canada, 24 days in Great Britain, 27 days in Germany and 39 days in France.
I was born and raised in New Jersey and moved my family to Canada in 1983 to pursue the coaching career that has become the calling I did not know it was meant to be. In the late 80’s the US government allowed duel citizenship with Canada and all members of my family took advantage of the opportunity. We have enjoyed the privileges of dual citizenship ever since. Since then I often think what it would be like if we could take the best of both cultures and create one that is more significant than the two I have lived and worked in for so many years. Taking time off to revitalize and create healthier and more vital workers is one factor I give credit to our Canadian counterparts and would like to see our American friends and clients adopt. The Expedia.com survey goes on to say, “Like many workers, Canadians benefit greatly from their vacation time. 44 percent of employed Canadian adults reported feeling better about their jobs and feeling more productive upon returning from vacation, while 55 percent say they feel rested, rejuvenated and reconnected to their personal life.” And we all still have more work to do in this arena.
As I find myself closer to 60 than 50 I spend more time finding myself thinking about what impact my life will have in this world (research now suggests that not leading a meaningful life has taken over the number 1 spot as the biggest fear people have in life displacing public speaking from the top spot), I hope to contribute to many of the leaders and executives we coach to living not only a more meaningful life but also a longer one.  In a nine-year analysis of more than 12,000 people, the researchers found that “men who didn’t vacation regularly were 32 percent more likely to experience a fatal heart attack, while women were 50 percent more likely - and the rates of illness increased with the scarcity of vacations.” Many of the executives I have coached over the years have become friends. I hope to spend many years experiencing their company and friendship as we all enter the second half of our lives.

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19. July 2010 by Bob.

As a part of my new plan to dedicate time to my own health I decided back in May to start doing Bikram Yoga. For those of you that are unfamiliar with this particular form of yoga it is also called hot yoga. They heat up the room to 104 degrees and you go through a routine of 26 postures during a 90-minute class. Now this has been a great program to begin getting back into shape and to test my commitment level to regular exercise.
I also find this yoga practice to be a significant challenge. Firstly, my balance sucks. I work so hard to muscle my way through the one legged balance postures and rarely hold one through the allotted time frame of 60 seconds for the first set and 30 seconds for the second set. It is a constant process of falling out of the posture and working to get back into it. It is not uncommon for me to fall out and to work back in the posture up to four or five times in one set. By the time we get through all the standing postures I feel fully worked over and just hoping to then make it through the postures that make up the second half of the class on the floor. Secondly, the heat affects me and I can often find myself trying to stay upright and keep from passing out. When I see double or black spots in front of me I have to give in and kneel down until this passes.
Therefore, I have been asked several times by my family why I keep going.  And when I have sessions where I feel like a failure and have to take a knee, like the two in a row I had last week, I ask myself the same question. Then this week I have so far had two sessions in a row that I have completed with relative ease. Now that is breathing and not passing out ease, the balance stuff is still a work in progress.
I am challenged by the constant pull to give up this practice and move on to something that is simpler and less of a burden to master. I can feel a sense of embarrassment when I fall in and out of postures or have to kneel to keep from passing out when right with me classmates are nailing the postures with grace and no evidence of strain. And then I want to stay in the program as I have a small success and notice changes of flexibility and body tone. Who knows, maybe I can master this stuff some day!
I have been a leadership and executive coach for over 27 years. I regularly see leaders drop back into their comfort zones of technical expertise because the pain of developing leadership skills can only be achieved in front of either those they lead or others that are leaders, either skilled or on their own development path. Like the beauty and grace of yoga I see while struggling in yoga class, many leaders struggle to develop the skills necessary to successfully lead under the microscope of many observers. When I receive an appreciative nod from the yoga instructor acknowledging my efforts along with the occasional gesture from another participant signally their own struggle as a common cause, I recognize what is necessary for leaders to boldly step into the continuous practice of leadership development. I encourage all leaders to stay in the heat of leadership learning even when you feel you might look incompetent, out of balance or about to pass out!

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10. June 2010 by Bob.

As unbelievable as it seems to me, I have recently passed my 27th year in the executive coaching field. Then when I look in the mirror and notice the grey hair on my head and goatee I realize I may have amassed the experience that many crave when they enter the profession like I did at the ripe old age of 30. I can remember growing a beard when I started, back in 1983, to hopefully look more mature. All I accomplished was to appear like a young rookie with a scraggily beard!
After so many years as a coach I have had the privilege and pleasure of hiring, training, mentoring and observing a significant number of bright, young, promising coaches. And some were maybe not so young, but still new to the work and looking ahead with great hopes. Many times I have been asked about what characteristics I look for when I search out the next generation of coaches to add to our organization. The answer has always been the same. It does not matter if it is our youngest generation (we have coaches in their late 20’s and early 30’s) or those that can compete with me on the age scale; presence is always the factor that separates a great coach from a good or poor coach.
Presence is elusive in definition as much as it is in character. You know it when you see it show up in front of you and many wonder what it is that is different with this person but they can’t seem to put their finger on it. When they do we often hear folks say that it is something that is innate in someone and not something that can be developed. I don’t agree. Presence is a characteristic that each and every one of us can add to our portfolio and continue to massage as a profound strength in our character.
Excellent executive leaders also carry this key characteristic in their leadership briefcase. I have an exceptional executive coaching friend, Valerie Williams in New Jersey (www.valwilliams.com) that recently wrote her latest book, (she has written several books on leadership), titled The Influence Puzzle®: 6 Aspects of Powerful Executive Presence. This book and Valerie’s coaching process moves leaders through their own development path toward defining and developing their leadership presence. Valerie says, “Executive skill development alone is the old leadership paradigm. It is insufficient. The new leadership paradigm goes far beyond skill development to focus on leading and influencing people at a much deeper level. The new leadership paradigm is combining higher level leadership skills with the strategic use of your leadership presence. Skill development is a good start. However, it is not enough for today’s complex business challenges. The most strategic tool you have is not a skill; it’s your presence.”
You can tell the difference. Leaders that exercise their executive presence stand apart from other executives. Are you one of those leaders that stand out? If not, you are likely a leader that still depends solely on your leadership or technical skills to lead your organization. Valerie goes on to say, “If you still believe that leadership skills alone will get you where you want to be, then you may never achieve all that you could be. Executive effectiveness in this business environment requires a much deeper level of development - one that goes beyond traditional executive development. Success today requires a thorough exploration of how your own personal presence drives results.”
When we ask participants in our leadership workshops to name the people in their lives that have had the most impact on them they universally pick leaders with characteristics that describe presence. Take a moment to think of those people on your list that have made a difference in your life. What about you? Will your name show up on the minds of these participants and the people you lead?

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1. June 2010 by Bob.

We recently conducted exit interviews for one of our clients when two employees resigned on the same day. Both were quality players in this organization and had each put in four and five years respectively before moving on.  Our best people will always be marketable given either good times or bad. And when they start to exit it calls for a review of how we are doing and what we need to do to most effectively attract and retain our top talent.
Over the past eighteen months our coaching business has experienced slow but steady growth. I would like to credit this growth to our brilliant work as coaches and possessing the best resources of executive coaches at our ready disposal. And I know that this has been a success factor for us since we started Leadersearch way back in 1991. Therefore, we continue to espouse the belief that companies are realizing the need to use coaches to partner with them through the economic reset we are experiencing.
Our workshop business has been a harder sell as this economy settled into reality.  We run half day, full day and multi day workshops coaching participants through a variety of leadership development topics. As I’ve talked with other friends in the training and development business it seems consistent that business is off for them in the range of 40% or more. I’ve often heard how training is one of the first things companies take off the table when trying to shave costs. It would be interesting to know from companies what their experience has been during past downturns, what productivity impact they had when they either cut or maintained training budgets.
In a recent workshop I had a participant say, “I hate it when we train them and they leave.” referring specifically to younger generation professionals. I said, “What happens if you don’t train them and they stay?”.
When our best and brightest are always marketable, given good times or bad, what are we doing to develop them and keep them? Recently, the Wall Street Journal posted an article titled – “Despite Cutbacks, Firms Invest in Developing Leaders”. The article suggests “Despite layoffs and recession-starved budgets, many employers are investing in leadership-development programs, hoping not to be caught short of strong managers when the economy recovers.”  Bret Furio from Philips Electronics North America said, “Identifying and grooming leaders is important in good times. In times of crisis when the economy is struggling, it’s imperative.”
We have witnessed an increase in the coaching side of our business since this economic downturn has gripped the world, particularly, the relationship coaching work that has become an integral part of our practice. It seems that the issues that were overlooked when we were running hard, making money and being successful, become critical when times get tougher.
I have enough grey hair to have experienced a couple of recessions. A key learning from any of these previous experiences is that we learn more about ourselves, and those around us, when times become different, particularly, tougher times. The best tests of true leadership show up when our people get scared. And we’re not talking problem solving, doing or project managing skill sets. We’re talking about the ability to have the conversations that are necessary in order to build the relationships that produce the most effective productivity. The Journal article continued on to state “executives believe that without capable managers, their ability to come through the recession in a healthy fashion is diminished.”.
Sage leaders will look at this recession and define it as our new reality, our new economy and our economic reset.  A recent survey by a San Francisco marketing firm revealed some quality characteristics for these leaders and companies during this time of economic reset:
*They know and value their core strengths.
*They recognize new opportunities quickly.
*They demonstrate flexibility and persistence.
*They show speed in executing plans and strategies.
*They provide extreme customer service.
*They create powerful and vibrant teams.
There is not a better or more necessary time in a company lifecycle than now to lead effectively. Are you stepping up to the plate or are you one of the statistics that contribute to the #1 reason people leave organizations – their manager sucks? It is definitely a time to run with our winners and cut our losers. We need to be dynamic enough to manage this economic reset and come out the other side with a herd of running horses!

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