by Doug Gray | Feb 19, 2016 | Leadership Coach Nashville
Think of a recent example of success in your experience, and an example of failure in your experiences. Then consider the following formulas:
Learning from success
Our accomplishments certainly define us; look at any profile on LinkedIn or your net profits from last year. And there is plenty of support for successful leaders, in western cultures, that value heroic leadership. Those examples range from Jeff Bezos to Mark Zuckerberg to the popularized leaders in this month’s Forbes or Inc. magazines. That focus on heroic leadership may reflect hierarchical beliefs such as “the boss is the super-leader” or our team is “too big/smart to fail.” Heroic leaders exist in most cultures, as described by Campbell (1988). However, excessive success can lead to hubris. Success can endanger a leader, especially if they lose the ability to consider multiple perspectives. I have witnessed examples from previous executive coaching, management consulting, and leadership training clients who have lost their focus on a corporate vision. Successful leaders often need external coaches to speak truth to power.
Learning from failure
Failures also define a leader’s character. We recall our failures from 8th grade and from last month. Some leaders post a list of failures in the hallway as a public reminder. Did you know that we recall failures longer than we recall successes, and that the memories of those failures are located in the oldest part of our brain where we process emotions? Last week I participated in a fascinating webinar on “Coaching the post-heroic leader,” led by Jeff Hull at Columbia University. That webinar focused on recent studies describing adaptive leaders who are comfortable working in a fluid, networked, virtual world that supports failure. The lean startup movement described by Reis (2011) and the disruption models (Christianson, 2011) encourage failing fast, and failing often in order to gain a competitive advantage. From a systems thinking perspective (Senge, 2006), failure can provide an external stimulation that helps leaders stay true to their values and character. Leaders who are failing at one behavior may need external coaches to teach them additional tactics and strategies.
Your Consultant’s Conclusions:
My tentative conclusion is that leaders are in greater danger from success, than from failure. But my conclusion is less important than yours.
Ask yourself these leadership coaching questions:
- What have I learned in the past month?
- How do I know that I have learned that?
- What do I need to learn in the next 6 months?
Then call me at 615-905-1892 today, or schedule a complimentary leadership coaching session to discuss how you learn best. As your leadership coach, I strive to provide you with the tools to create an impact, rally optimistic coworkers and comrades, as well as maximize group and individual productivity and creation.
What are you waiting for?
Download this list of services and investment levels now:
References:
Campbell, J. (1988). The Power of Myth. New York: Doubleday.
Christensen, C.M. (2011). The innovator’s dilemma; The revolutionary book that will change the way you do business. New York: Harper Business.
Reis, E. (2011). The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses. New York: Crown Business.
Senge, P. M. (2006). The Fifth Discipline: the Art and Practice of the Learning Organization. Random House/Currency.
by Doug Gray | Jan 22, 2014 | change, Coaching, Employment, healthcare, Leadership, Managers, organizational leadership, Personal Development, positive psychology, Sales, Success, talent, talent assessment
Doug Gray, PCC, is a Leadership Consultant and Executive Coach.
Coaching and Consulting Experience
Since 1997, Doug has partnered with hundreds of executive leaders in the Healthcare, Energy, Manufacturing, IT, Construction and Financial industries. He is quick to say that he has “just enough expertise to support leaders, without too much complicating industry-specific knowledge.” His clients agree. Doug typically uses customized assessments to assess organizational and individual strengths. A popular speaker and facilitator, Doug loves to facilitate experiential leadership training programs and strategic planning retreats. His recent speaking topics include “How to Apply Positive Psychology to your Business” and “How to Increase Employee Engagement.”
Doug knows how to manage and lead teams. Doug brings a unique background as an educator, administrator, and non-profit director to his clients. That background enables him to help leaders who are passionate and need his direct, supportive expertise. He is regarded as an expert facilitator using Action Learning methodology. And he will bring strategic focus, humor, and proven expertise to maximize your consulting investment.
A representative list of leadership coaching engagements and clients include:
- CFO and 20 leaders in finance and accounting, Fortune 500 energy construction company, who needed to embrace a redesign without losing productivity
- team of EVPs tasked with redesigning the IT needs of their F100 healthcare company
- MD struggling with burnout who needed confidential consulting (e.g. anonymity from his employer and insurer)
- CEO in a technology company recently promoted to replace the founder
- President and 18 members of executive leadership team, Fortune 500 energy construction company, who needed to demonstrate alignment within 6 months
- SVP and site managers at a nuclear power construction site who needed to increase alignment with business partners and avoid negative media
- SVP in functional but de-centralized group who needed to assimilate 20 leaders, using action learning methodology in direct meetings, coaching, and SharePoint to drive accountability
- Small business owner of a franchise who needed to fire an employee after 11 years of good service
- SVP, global bank, who needed to reorganize a division
- VP, global bank, seeking career opportunities
- newly hired VP who needed to develop radical transformation of a functional group that required external coaching and team building leadership training using a customized app
- Newly promoted director who lacked interpersonal skills to manage 33 people
- Founder of an IT company who was not able to develop new business
Business/Organizational Leadership Experience
Doug has been a successful business owner since 1997; he knows the challenges and “what works.” He co-developed the Leadership Development Institute at the University of Maryland, College Park and taught there for 7 years, and he is a former adjunct faculty member at several colleges including NC State University. He directed a non-profit agency in Washington, D.C. for 9 years and grew it 900% while managing 120 people. As a former world-class athlete, Doug knows that the rigor of change requires regular support from experienced consultants, plus a dash of humor.
Education and Training
Doug’s graduate research at Dartmouth College included development of an assessment to determine risk tolerance and risk aversion. That theme of mitigating risk in business and leadership has prevailed in his continued learning from clients and colleagues in the safety, consulting, executive assessment, and leadership development industries. He is certified in the Hogan suite, DISC, several 360’s, several EI assessments, and 5 coaching certification programs. Since 2000, Doug has been a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with the International Coaching Federation. A perpetual learner, he is a doctoral candidate at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology in Organizational Leadership. His research interests include the effect of positive psychology on business leaders, managers, and executive coaches.
Publications and Appearances
Doug loves to share his expertise as a speaker, facilitator and a writer. As a keynote speaker, he has addressed annual meetings, executive retreats, and nonprofit leaders. As a facilitator, he has partnered with clients to design experientially memorable leadership training solutions that range from boot camps to strategic off-sites to contests using customized mobile apps. As an author, he has frequently been published in journals ranging from the American Society of Safety Engineer’s Professional Safety to Financial Advisor to webinars and hundreds of guest blogs.
He is a published author of articles on leadership development, physician burnout, healthcare, analytics, safety and productivity. Doug has published two books: Passionate Action; 5 Steps to Creating Extraordinary Success in Life and Work (2007), and Adventure Coaching; A Guidebook for Action-Based Success in Life and Work (2006) that can be purchased here and here.
Consulting Value Proposition
“Developing smarter leaders. Faster.”
Doug will not waste any of your time or resources. He expects you to achieve great results. And he always guarantees exceptional value.
Call him now at 704.995.6647 or contact us here or schedule your initial consultation here.
For biographies on other Action Learning Associates, Inc leadership consultants and executive coaches, contact us here or review the list of our partners here. We also provide scaled solutions for any-sized organization, anywhere in the world.
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