As an extrovert, I love a bit of role play to bring ideas to life. And even with reluctant groups I’ve found it’s possible to create a safe enough space for people to have a go. (Although that usually involves me getting up first and not being afraid to make a spectacle of myself – my family would probably say I’ve been inclined to do that since I was about 3).
It’s this concept of animation that’s prompted a slightly different article today; where instead of telling you about coaching and the impact that it has I’m going to try to bring it to life by sharing some case studies of my work. I’ve also been learning about AI coach-bots this week and it got me thinking about the uniquely human dimensions of coaching. So imagination, flexibility and playfulness are on my mind as I write this (and as I prompted Gemini to make the cartoon above).
Here goes.
Meet Clara, a successful senior leader who was questioning the toll that her work was taking on her wellbeing and her young family.
When we started, my confidence was low and I felt lost and fearful. I wanted to run away from my career.
Clara came to coaching wondering whether leadership was really for her. She put herself under a lot of pressure to do a great job, to serve others and to be seen as ‘on it’ and she wasn’t sure she could break that pattern in a new leadership role. Yes, her job was huge, but she was also her own worst enemy when it came to pleasing others
As we explored the situation Clara reached new insights into what was preventing her from making the changes that would help her work in a more sustainable way. By bringing this into the light, she found herself more able to challenge what was driving her behaviour and her urge to please. Instead of trying to meet the expectations handed down by other people, Clara began to create her own definitions of success. She also got clearer about the job she wanted and re-shaped her role in the business. In her words:
I’ve made so much progress: I’ve built my resilience and I have less anxiety and more perspective – even when things go ‘wrong’. Work and life are more blended and in balance and I have more compassion for myself and others now.
I learned so much from working with Clara. She is deeply reflective, open and brave, willing to face up to the dilemmas that so many leaders face in the daily task of combining our work and home lives. Her case highlights the importance of honesty and connection in any coaching relationship – if we hadn’t built a bond of trust, I’m not sure we would have been able to get to the depths of awareness that Clara needed to see and question the previously hidden assumptions that were driving her actions.
It sounds dramatic, but coaching with Claudine has helped me come back to life professionally.
Next up is Helena, an experienced leader of leaders operating at the very top of her profession.
Helena had had coaching before and knew that she wanted a space to reflect. She had high stakes questions about how to drive change and improvement across her organisation. Helena was also at a crossroads in her own development, finding herself with an appetite for greater challenge and questioning how best to channel that into impactful work.
My role on the Board of a 3000-strong organisation is pressured. It can be lonely and exposing.
The potential to achieve more through better collective leadership quickly came into focus as we started to unpack the issues that Helena brought to our sessions. She wanted to build the kind of trusting relationships that would enable the team she was part of to really speak their minds and get to better results. Through our conversations, Helena got clearer about what she was aiming for not just with her peers but also in her career. She is now testing out new ways of leading those around, alongside and above her, adapting her style and growing in the process.
Claudine has a gift of getting to the heart of an issue, reframing it so as to make progress. She asks high quality questions which make you stop and think, backed by theory and analytical skill. Much more than that, she has many, varied practical exercises that unlock my thinking, so change becomes long-lasting and sustainable; I am a more adaptive, centred leader as a result.
I always look forward to my sessions with Helena because like all the CEOs and senior leaders I work with I know she’s going to bring tough leadership challenges to the table and it’s going to be a real work out. 🏋️ There are no quick fixes to the complex situations she’s grappling with and I’m constantly in awe of her resilience, self-awareness and commitment to keep learning and improving. Helena’s feedback chimes with one of the most consistent findings in our research on when and why coaching works; because it provides accountability without judgement:
Claudine is thoughtful, affirming and kind which makes it easy to be open and to try things out. In the most supportive way she never lets me off the hook.
We also laugh a lot.
If this has piqued your interest in coaching with me do get in touch to find out more. I’d love to hear from you.
