Lessons in leadership and executive coaching - Derek Fisher
Executive coaching can have a big impact on you and your team. Part of what makes executive coaching so powerful is the use of behavioral coaching in getting the best performance from your team. Let’s take a closer look at Tuesday night’s Game Three of the NBA Finals to see how executive coaching can lead to success in your own organization.
The Lakers have, arguably, the best coach in the history of team sports. Phil Jackson is a master at knowing how to motivate his players and put them in a position to succeed.
How many other coaches could actually have a team in the Finals with as divergent personalities as Ron Artest, Lamar Odom, Adam Morrison and, of course, Kobe Bryant.
Jackson has been able to keep these personalities on the right track throughout the season despite numerous distractions. Jackson does have one major asset that most coaches don’t when leading a team. He has Derek Fisher. Thanks to Jackson’s leadership coaching, and Fisher’s desire to be the best he can, they have formed a rather potent combination that has helped the Lakers win four titles in their time together.
On Tuesday, workman-like veteran Derek Fisher was the star. He made a number of big baskets in the final minutes to lead the Lakers over the Celtics, building a 2-1 lead in the seven game series in the process.
Fisher has always been a solid, if unspectacular performer. Where Fisher shines is in his leadership and consistency on the court, traits he has no doubt learned through Jackson’s coaching abilities. His teammates look up to him and he seldom, if ever, plays a poor floor game, even if his shots aren’t falling.
Following the game, while being interviewed, Fisher was clearly emotional. His eyes red and his voice cracking, he explained that he loved the game, works very hard and cares about his teammates. He is not afraid of being himself with his team, another important lesson, which easily translates to executive coaching.
Derek Fisher is able to concentrate on basketball and the calming leadership he brings to the Lakers every night. Thanks to the coaching of Phil Jackson, Derek Fisher is always inspiring his team to success on the agenda.
With the power of executive coaching, now you too can impact your team members to become champions and lead your organization to dizzying heights of success.
So team up with your own Phil Jackson today and see for yourself how executive coaching can alter the face of your organization for the better. After all, executive coaching focuses on results –results that reflect productivity, performance and of course, the bottom line.
The Business of Coaching. That’s the name of the first coachumentary ever produced. ActionCOACH, the world’s leading business and executive coaching firm, produced a documentary on the value as well as the results produced through the coaching process. Get a taste of what business and executive coaching is all about.
After a long, arduous search for a team member, you finally find one outstanding candidate with a killer resume, who also performs impressively during the interview. “A gem,” you tell yourself. And then you hire him –only to question your decision three months down the road.
You were right –he looked impressive on paper and gave a killer presentation. What then went wrong? You find there is a disconnect and the new hire’s style and behavior is not aligned to the values and culture of your organization.
There are many things that contribute to this. But before looking at the reasons, think about the damage and expense caused by one bad decision?
This is why organizations are increasingly enlisting the services of competent executive coaches and enrolling into executive coaching programs. Their executive coaches guide them, using the appropriate profiling tools, toward better hiring decisions.
Lack of competence Every employee needs the necessary skills, tools and experience to perform his/ her job. A fancy resume does not indicate the employee possesses the skills, tools or experience to perform his/ her job well.
An executive coach can help you apply the right profiling tools and guide you through the process so you get the best candidate for the job –and look beyond the résumé and personality to do that.
Poor job match Does the new hire have the behaviors and interests to succeed in his/her role? If not, this is a serious concern. Again, you need to work with an executive coach to determine this through quality assessments.
This is not something that cannot be easily determined through an interview process –so executive coaching (using the right tools) plays a crucial role.
Unclear goals
Goals not communicated clearly can cause much confusion. Daily distractions and new directions (which are inevitable) can somewhat come in the way of an employee’s productivity.
Executive Coaches help their clients set SMART goals for their teams. These goals are Specific, Measurable, Action-oriented, Realistic and Time-oriented.
Poor relationship with manager or co-workers A poor relationship with one’s manager can stifle performance. Many times, employees are not clear on their boss’ expectations of them.
Furthermore, managers often fail to match their management approach to suit a specific employee’s style. Executive Coaching plays a key role in such situations.
An executive coach, being an outsider, is able to objectively look at situations, diagnose them and help propose a plan to make things work. The same goes for co-workers –at times a new hire comes across as a mismatch mostly because he/she is either incompatible with the team, insensitive or is a cultural misfit within the organization –so he/she sticks out like a sore thumb.
Personal wellness issues as well as other environmental factors Are you providing health and wellness education to your team members? More importantly, is the physical environment at work conducive to high productivity? There are many issues to address here as employees cannot perform at peak levels if the worksite is not ideal.
Again, executive coaching will help you address these and several other questions so output and productivity are enhanced. An executive coach offers an outside perspective, which is invaluable. No wonder, a growing number of organizations are using executive coaching to help boost productivity.
Now that you know why smart employees underperform and the importance of making the right hiring decisions, what will you do to ensure you get the right people on the bus –every time?
Executive Coaching is a proven, best choice for many organizations, which have been able to prevent the horrors of making the wrong hiring choices.
How executive coaching helps leaders create cohesive teams, just like the commanders-in-chief on the battlefield.
Historic Battlefield & the Executive Coaching Arena
Pick up a history book and go through the various battlefields –be it the battle of Hastings, the battle of Waterloo, the battle of Mogadishu or any other. Now think about it. What can corporations and businesses learn from the fiascos and successes of these historic battles?
In other words, what can leaders of organizations learn from the army’s commanders-in-chief?
The main aim of these commanders is to help individuals transform into soldiers so they can work as a team. They inspire and motivate their soldiers to work for the greater good of the unit, the army and the country.
An executive needs to do the same –mold individuals so they can strive for the betterment of their teams, customers and company.
Executive coaches use and apply these lessons from history to coach their clients on methodologies and techniques used in warfare. And these become powerful strategies when adapted to fit the corporate world.
Here’s what an executive coach can offer through the process of executive coaching:
An executive coach can show you how to become more versatile with your plan and how to adjust it based on current conditions in the business world, so your “battle plan” is always relevant and up-to-date.
An executive coach also shines light on your leadership prowess and helps you find the most appropriate ways to recognize performance.
One of things army commanders master in on the battlefield is keeping their soldiers’ morale high. An executive coach will show you how you too can boost team morale, despite any setbacks.
Army commanders, (under any circumstances), seek to transform individuals into a uniform force, so they operate as a unit –working toward common goals. An executive coach will help you transform the individuals into a team so they work in a cohesive manner toward organizational goals.
An executive coach will also show you, the executive, how clarity of communication is a powerful tool and how to master communication skills so you can relay the vision, mission and organizational objectives clearly to your team.
An executive coach will also show you where your best opportunities lie and how to tap the same.
And once you master these skills through executive coaching, you will be in complete command of your team, career and life.
Cause-related marketing is seen as a necessity these days. Most recently, the world’s leader in business and executive coaching also launched one such unique, successful and award-winning campaign.
St. Louis Bread Co. Cares
The famous Deli chain Panera Bread Co. launched a new nonprofit store in an upscale St. Louis suburb of Clayton, Missouri this week.
While it has the same exact menu as any of its other locations, one thing is clearly different, the prices. That’s because there just aren’t any. Customers may donate what they want to for a meal, whether it’s the full suggested price, a penny or $100.
Panera’s nonprofit foundation will support this and will pay the new restaurant’s bills, including staff salaries, rent and food costs. At the end of each month, it will tally donations to see if they cover food costs. The Panera parent company won’t bear losses if the experiment fails.
As a growing number of organizations are moving toward social philanthropy and cause-related marketing campaigns, it is becoming increasingly important for large organizations to do something that is unique, valuable and seen as … well philanthropic …
Pro Bono Business & Executive Coaching campaign
ActionCOACH, the world’s number one business and executive coaching firm, did just that. The company launched Coaching for a Cause -a pro bono business and executive coaching campaign (October 2009 through March 2010) for not-for-profits and charitable organizations around the world. Its top business coaches and executive coaches pledged to donate time to their favorite charities and non-profits. With $ $3,409,645 generated with the help of its executive coaches and business coaches for the campaign, this business and executive coaching giant has decided to make this its annual campaign.
So, what unique campaign are you launching this year? Why not bring in an executive coach to give you an outsider’s perspective on how to carry this process out?
And if you are looking at going to a non-profit Panera café in your town, you might just have to wait till they open one in your neighborhood.
While Panera hopes to expand the model within months, it all depends on whether customers will follow the motto displayed over the deli counter: “Take what you need, leave your fair share.”
Social marketing and philanthropy – now that’s a delicious recipe!
Large corporations need to enlist the services of competent executive coaches as executive coaching is clearly becoming a necessity in today’s world.
Greek Protestors
As Greece bids goodbye to its glory days of the 2004 Athens Olympics (when foreign funds came pouring in) there are lessons to be learned for organizations, which risk riding the tide of globalization without a firm grip on their finances.
With Greece drowning in the current debt crisis, the biggest lesson of them all is that big steps can no longer be taken without also seeking the help of an outside, objective person –in this case, an executive coaching professional.
An executive coach –using an outsider’s perspective, guides an organization to develop a solid plan and executive it –making sure all ends are covered and there is maximum Return On Investment.
This is because the process of globalization is a complex one. After all, the same global liquidity that can encourage growth can also dissipate at a moment’s notice –as it did in the Greek debt crisis.
This is one of the reasons executive coaching is gaining momentum in today’s business world.
With rapid globalization within a dynamic market place, executive coaching is now becoming a necessity. The business structure is getting flatter, making direct reports a much more cumbersome process. This is where an executive coach comes into play.
There is also an added focus on e-business with a growing number of mergers and acquisitions, both of which require the services of competent executive coaches.
All this adds to the stress points placed on executives who need an outside perspective and executive coaching helps provide that. In this manner, executive coaching also helps the executives gain higher levels of productivity and performance.
It is no wonder then that a growing number of executives are employing certified executive coaches for leadership coaching as well as other forms of executive coaching to be able to deliver the desired results in a relatively short span of time.
So will the €110 billion rescue package be able to save Europe? Well, we will just have to wait and watch.
In the meantime, American tourists are at an advantage. With a drastic drop in the Euro and great deals to lure more dollars in, travel to Europe is much less expensive.
Another lesson -there’s always opportunity for someone in the global business community.
Even in your industry.
And executive coaching will show you exactly where your opportunities lie.
Oil Spills, Economic Disaster and Executive Coaching
The oil spills… the economic meltdown… and the power of executive coaching…
Another disaster, (albeit of a different kind) has hit us while we are still trying to weather the one plaguing the economy.
Yes, the reeking slick in the Gulf of Mexico and some of the US coastal states is causing concern for environmentalists all over the world.
And just like the oil spills are calling for compelling changes, so is the disastrous economy.
Change, of course is at the heart of the executive coaching process.
Leadership executive coaching plays a crucial role in helping organizations initiate, execute and cope with change.
Executive coaches use proven models and frameworks to work on this change process with their executive coaching clients.
Many accepted fundamentals of leading and managing the change process have been explained by executive coaches in the form of models and frameworks.
People and systems are by and large, dynamic in nature. To change any organizational structure or process or result requires a change in people. This is where executive coaching comes into play.
Behavioral-based executive coaching is gaining much significance in today’s world as it is a means by which an executive coach can bring about lasting personal and professional behavioral change.
Executive coaches help with the successful implementation of insights, which can be achieved by employing a proven, validated behavioral change program. What’s more, these executive coaches coach organizations on how to deal with this change so they can do it over and over again.
As for the oil spills, the environmentalists are right. There has been a lack of accountability and everyone is quick to blame and not accept responsibility.
Now, these organizations and politicians definitely need leadership coaching.
In his most recent documentary, Capitalism –A Love Story, Michael Mooresurrounds all of Wall Street with yellow “crime scene” tape to emphasize his low opinion of the area’s activities. He also drives an armored car up to AIG’s corporate headquarters, demanding that the company return federal bailout funds.
Capitalism -A Love Story
While Moore’s aproach may seem rather extreme, there is no doubt the “horror stories” about the “AIGs” and the “Goldman Sachs” of the corporate world are troubling… to say the least.
Corporate leadership, as our generation sees it is sure to lose its shine in such circumstances. We need our leaders to rebuild the trust that has been lost in capitalism.
However, with a multitude of pressures faced by our leaders today, this task is near impossible if leaders lack the necessary support system.
And the best way for organizations to provide their leadership with a massive, well-grounded support system is by enlisting the services of a competent executive coach to guide, motivate and coach their leaders to higher grounds –financially and ethically, thereby helping them strike a fine balance.
Moreover, executive coaching helps leaders maneuver their teams in accordance with current trends -helping them also gain personal mastery in the process.
Contrary to Moore’s driving point in the documentary, capitalism is not evil.
In fact the most interesting thing is that Moore launched an attack on capitalism in the form of a wide-release studio film… as the film’s producer.
While the recent debacles on Wall Street need to be addressed from a “leadership” stand point, profit is not such a bad thing, after all.
Especially when a film hits the Box Office … Wonder what Mr. Moore would say to that…?
How executive coaching along with the guidance of a competent executive coach helps organizations retain high performers.
With the current national unemployment rate of 9.7% (as of March 2010) and the global crisis, the demand for high-performing employees is ever more significant.
So what can organizations do to retain these people? It’s really quite simple! Leaders need to manage their biggest assets (their employees), with the same enthusiasm they devote to fiscal assets.
Developing people is a tactical method, which adds enormous value to both the organization’s employees and its bottomline. High-performers are extremely capable and committed individuals who create pecuniary rewards for the organization. Needless to say, organizations that focus on their people –developing them and creating growth opportunities for them are highly desired places of work for star performers.
Great leaders know this… and do everything to create an atmosphere, which is conducive to their well-being and growth by following this simple, proven principle of organizational success.
This is why a burgeoning number of organizations are now investing in competent executive coaches to work with their top-performers. Quite often referred to as performance coaching or alternately, executive coaching, executive coaches work with individuals to boost their performance and productivity, delivering both tangible and intangible results.
By assigning an executive coach to work one-on-one with employees in an executive coaching relationship, leaders can help their key personnel achieve higher levels of personal mastery. This, in turn, helps them tap their employees’ potential in an optimum manner.
Such is the compelling power of business executive coaching and consulting, which focuses on measurable metrics.
Here’s your chance to learn from the number one business coach and executive coach in the world.
With an unemployment rate of 9.8% in the state of Idaho as of March 2010 (a slight decrease from last month), and the biggest employer Micron showing an increase in profits over the last two quarters, things seem to be finally looking up for the “Gem State.”
And just last evening, Idaho witnessed ActionCOACH founder and Chairman Brad Sugars’ Business is Booming 2010 North America tour. Business owners from the city of Boise gathered at the Double Tree Hotel, Boise –Riverside to attend Brad’s highly-acclaimed Business is Booming event
Sugars’ “Business is Booming” event outlined 28 proven strategies and “secrets” for growing a business, even in the tough economic conditions.
Just like Micron’s ability to increase their profit margins helped them get on the path to recovery, ActionCOACH’s, clients have had a great fiscal year in 2009. Brad has embarked on this tour to share the strategies his company has used to stay afloat in the current economic conditions with business owners in 52 cities across the continent.
The economic recovery will not happen unless small businesses begin to prosper, and this event will help small business owners around North America realize the incredible potential they have in their companies.
New research from the SBA suggests that small businesses are poised to play a big role in economic recovery. This is why Brad embarked on a journey to revitalize businesses all over the United States and Canada.
Brad will review a number of sales, marketing, management, cash flow and profitability strategies, and also outline the five most important metrics toward business growth that every owner and CEO should know.
Here’s Brad at a “Business is Booming” event explaining one of his strategies.
If you would like to learn the remaining strategies and improve your business –despite the downturn, click here to find out when Brad will be in your town. Register here for the event by using the ticket code GCS001.
P.S.: Brad is currently presenting in Colorado, Denver…
