Tuesday, June 6, 2017

How to Practice Leadership Energy Coaching!

Wham! Bam! Thank you Mam! Here comes a new kind of executive coach - the leadership ENERGY coach! Just in time for the new leaders of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Based on a new model of how to generate, mobilize and recharge energy for leaders and how to achieve breakthrough results at the team and enterprise level, leadership energy coaching is primed to be the next generation step in the evolution of executive coaching.

The essence of leadership is energy: the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual energy of the leader to persist with his/her mission, vision, and purpose over time. It can be seen in leaders who are driven to achieve something meaningful beyond their own personal goals, often at great cost. Leaders such as Steve Jobs, Jack Ma, Muhammad Yunis, Howard Schultz, and Malala Yousafzai are exemplars of leadership energy. What ignited their energy? Their individual stories reveal a common patter. Something in their early experience so compromised their most deeply held beliefs and values that they decided to do something about it, to make a difference, to create a better future. In a nuclear energy sense, they were 'fissionable'.

Leadership Energy Coaching is the practice of helping leaders to realize, and persistently act on, their core values and highest purpose for the creation of a better future.Leadership energy is not simply a collection of items a leader should do. It parallels the three Laws of Energy:
  1. All humans possess energy. Everyone has the potential to do work.
  2. The released leadership energy may or may not create useful output. How the energy is released and channeled depends on the purpose and values of the individual.
  3. Leadership energy needs to be restored.
This suggests a new model of executive coaching which follows four phases of energy transformation in a continuous energy loop. Executive coaching might start at any point on the loop, but in order to generate leadership energy the leader (and coach) must follow the forward motion of the loop:

Phase 1: Priming
Before energy can be utilized, a potential must be charged. It is the building up of personal energy that allows one to overcome the activation barrier. Recognizing what needs to change, what is seeking to emerge, and what is impeding progress towards some meaningful goal.
Phase 2: Release and Reroute
Channeling energy towards useful work, feeling the flow. Being clear about purpose and the desired better future.
Phase 3: Result
Evaluating outcomes, recognizing what worked what didn’t work, and what needs to be implemented.
Phase 4: Recharge
Reflections and insights on what has meaning. Preparing, repairing and replenishing ready to build up energy again.

Leadership energy coaching may be distinguishable from executive coaching in four ways:
  • It is based on a definition of leadership as 'the act of harnessing human energy towards the creation of a better future', rather than personal development models.
  • It integrates both personal and organizational development, while aligning business and leadership strategies.
  • It is focused on helping individuals develop self-sustaining, long-lasting leadership energy through proven tools and techniques.
  • It is not overly goal-focused or learning-driven, but rather fosters leadership energy at the individual, team, and organizational level.
The first Leadership Energy Coaching Certification program kicks off in Asia in July 2017. There are limited places available if you want to be at the forefront of executive coaching training and practice! Get more information here.