Dear Readers,
Welcome to the September 2017 issue of Coaching Growth. This month we tackle a question that keeps surfacing in conversations with our clients. It also keeps coming up in the business literature. The question is: What’s missing from leadership education and development programs?
This question has become more relevant than ever before, as evidenced by the daily news of failing corporate and government leaders locally and globally. Understandably, we resort to books (hello airport newsstand) to learn from previous leaders in the hope of finding the formula for great leadership.
The fact is, the 21st Century requires a new leadership paradigm. The magnitude and rate of combined technological, geopolitical, economic and demographic changes have created a permanently volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) workplace. This is placing never-seen-before cognitive and emotional demands on leaders who will invariably strive to succeed at all cost. As we keep striving to succeed, our brains are likely to ignore the signs of chronic stress from our bodies (frequent illness, burnout), work colleagues (conflict and lack of productivity), and from loved ones (relationship breakdown). We therefore need completely new methodologies for leadership development and equip our leaders with new capabilities that meet the needs of the 21st Century.
These new capabilities are discussed in our article
Should You Include Mindfulness in Leadership Development? Yes, but it Depends…, which presents mindfulness as an evidence-based tool and a key ingredient in expertly designed leadership coaching programs. When mindfulness is introduced by experienced and qualified executive coaches, leaders can develop skills such as cognitive & emotional agility, emotional intelligence, sense-making and perspective-taking capacity, which are some of the essential leadership capabilities for the 21st Century.
Furthermore, practicing mindfulness (as part of a well-designed coaching program) can lead to better mental and physical health. Ultimately, achieving optimal health is central to our ability to attain our life and career goals, and to thrive in today’s VUCA world.
I would therefore like to personally invite you to attend our Executive Workshop on Rewiring Your Brain to Thrive in the 21st Century, specifically designed for Managers, Directors, GMs and MDs. The Workshop will cover the scientific foundations of mindfulness and show you how to apply it to develop key leadership capabilities. You will walk away with cutting-edge material sourced from leading universities, psychologists and business schools, all presented in an approachable and relevant style to the organizational world.
Please go to the page here to confirm your interest (or your colleagues’) and we’ll keep you informed on upcoming dates and locations.
Wishing you the very best,
Ruby
