Author: Heather

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Inspiration Leadership Development

What inspires leaders to lead with spirit?

Portrait of happy mature man wearing spectacles and looking at camera outdoor. Man with beard and glasses feeling confident. Close up face of hispanic business man smiling.

In my last post, I asked for ideas and suggestions about what inspires you as a leader. I was touched and enlightened by the generous response. 

Of the many resources offered, I want to share some that inspire leaders to lead with spirit. I’ve learned this takes clarity of values, commitment, and courage.

How spirit becomes a foundation for leadership.

I grew up attending an Episcopal school where in morning prayers we were reminded of daily service to others. I later came to the United States to attend the Yale School of Management whose mission is to educate leaders for business and society. For me, this mission included the ethos of service. And it took me a while to appreciate what it really was to lead with spirit because, for a long time, I confused spirit with religion.

My clients have been my teachers in giving me an appreciation of the important, pragmatic role that spirit can play. I have witnessed them grapple with conflict, hard decisions, and opposition to their vision for the future while finding a way forward by connecting to their core values and principles. Equity, inclusion, transparency, learning, integrity, generosity—whatever they uniquely stand for—becomes a grounding for their leadership.

What they have taught me is that to lead with spirit means to know what you stand for, in a very human way. It’s standing for serving a common good rather than, and sometimes in spite of, your own self-interest. I have been most inspired by seeing clients filled with anger in the face of injustice, or fear in anticipating the backlash to their position and move forward courageously for that common good.

To lead with spirit, leaders turn here.

I believe we are hungry for this reconnection to the spirit and to having a true foundation of meaning. The inspirational people below share what they have found helpful.

Ruth Levine | Philanthropy + Global Development Leader

Method | Commitment Practice

Ruth Levine has just completed her term as Director of the Global Development and Population Program at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and will soon be a Fellow with The Advanced Study in Behavior Sciences associated with Stanford. At the Hewlett Foundation, she led a team that was responsible for grantmaking to improve living conditions in low and middle-income countries, and to advance reproductive health and rights in developing countries and in the United States.

Ruth has a powerful combination of IQ and EQ. But there’s something more that you feel when you’re with her. Everything Ruth does is grounded in her values of true respect and care for others: including those who the Hewlett Foundation serves and those who she led.

One of the ways that she expressed her values was in a simple annual ritual with her team where she shared the lessons she has learned from them, her commitments to them, and her expectations of how they work with her and each other. Several of her commitments clearly manifest her value of respect, but one really stands out to me: “I will not compete with you.” It’s a simple but profound act that Ruth lives by and her team trusted. Take a look at a few of the slides that she presented every year that reflect this spirit.

View Ruth’s Commitments

Chris Murchison | Consultant

Poem | For a Leader, Bless the Space Between Us | John O’Donohue

Murchison is an organizational development consultant to private, philanthropic, and non-profit organizations. His work is an expression of two of his core values: creativity and inclusion.

Chris introduced me to John O’Donohue’s work. His blessings invite us to pause and appreciate the beauty in everyday moments. We don’t create enough moments like this at work. Art like O’Donohue’s offers the opportunity to bring organizations and leadership to life in a way that most business books just don’t.

May you have the grace and wisdom
To act kindly, learning
To distinguish between what is
Personal and what is not.
May you be hospitable to criticism.

May you never put yourself at the center of things.

May you act not from arrogance but out of service.

May you work on yourself,
Building up and refining the ways of your mind.

May those who work for you know
You see and respect them.

May you learn to cultivate the art of presence
In order to engage with those who meet you.

When someone fails or disappoints you,
May the graciousness with which you engage
Be their stairway to renewal and refinement.

May you treasure the gifts of the mind
Through reading and creative thinking
So that you continue as a servant of the frontier
Where the new will draw its enrichment from the
old,
And may you never become a functionary.

May you know the wisdom of deep listening,
The healing of wholesome words,
The encouragement of the appreciative gaze,
The decorum of held dignity,
The springtime edge of the bleak question.

May you have a mind that loves frontiers
So that you can evoke the bright fields
That lie beyond the view of the regular eye.

May you have good friends
To mirror your blind spots.

May leadership be for you
A true adventure of growth.

Diane Gabinelli | President + CFO

Book | Soul Without Shame Liberating Yourself from the Judge Within | Byron Brown

Diane Gabinelli is the President and CFO of Parallel Advisors, a private wealth management firm headquartered in San Francisco. Authenticity is a core value that Diane stands for. One of the things that gets in the way of authenticity is the internal critic or judge that we all carry within.

Diane says about Soul Without Shame: “This book has been my catalyst for venturing into the world of mindfulness and how big of an impact it can have both personally and professionally. Becoming more present, reframing inner and outer judgment, turning worry into action, taking ego out of the equation has given me more courageous authenticity, an ability to make better, clearer decisions, and to more actively move my company forward.”

Get the Book

Dylan O’Connor | Student

TED Talk | The Disarming Case to Act Right Now on Climate Change | Greta Thunberg

In this passionate call to action, the 16-year-old nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize, Greta Thunberg, explains why, in August 2018, she walked out of school and organized a strike to raise awareness of global warming. She protested outside the Swedish parliament and the result grabbed the world’s attention.

“What we do or don’t do right now, me and my generation can’t undo in the future,” Thunberg says. “So when school started in August of this year, I decided that this was enough. I set myself down on the ground outside the Swedish parliament. I walked out of school for the climate.”

Dylan, my 14-year-old son, says about Greta “While many people care about climate change, Greta took a stand. She wasn’t afraid of what other people thought.”

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Inspiration Leadership

On Creativity, Joy and Inspiration for Leaders

Woman making a hand shaped heart at sunset.

One of the things that I love is learning about new resources that will inspire and support leaders. Sometimes these resources are books, increasingly they are podcast episodes and music, and often they are practices that help leaders create an environment for themselves and their teams that support whatever their goals are.

Lately, I’ve been asking my clients and friends for the resources that are giving them the most inspiration and support right now. Their ideas inspired me to create this blog post and to share them with you.

Insights on an Environment That Inspires Creativity

Sam Gutsch | California Closets

Sam Gutsch, CMO of California Closets and a dear friend, was inspired by “The Daily Show’s Secret to Creativity,” an episode from organizational psychologist Adam Grant’s WorkLife podcast and is bringing what she learned into her own team meetings.

The story takes us behind the scenes of The Daily Show and reveals a creative team of 30 writers, producers, and on-air talent that starts each day with a blank page and ends up with 22 minutes of great comedy. In the words of Grant, “Four days a week, they make a show that millions of people watch. I want to know how they pull that off because usually big groups are where creativity goes to die.”

Decades of evidence document that brainstorming doesn’t work. Groups produce fewer and worse ideas than the same people working alone. People tend to silence themselves out of a fear of looking stupid. Some people dominate the conversation, with the effect of silencing others. And then there’s the tendency people have of getting behind the boss’s favorite idea.

The Daily Show’s creative team has overcome these problems. Grant takes us into the writer’s room and shows us how. You have to listen to the episode, but two big takeaways for any leader stand out.

  1. To encourage creativity, there needs to be a high level of psychological safety on the team and it’s the leader’s job to create this. 
You’ll get to hear Trevor Noah setting the tone.

  2. Teams create best when they have a structure that helps keep the group focused. 
You’ll hear about the rules of when and how the Daily Show’s team works together each day.

Finding Joy During Life’s Inevitable Suffering

Joe Morris | Morris Grassfed Beef

Joe Morris, a leader in grass-fed beef farming and a new friend, approaches his life and work with two key values in mind:

  1. Treat others with respect

  2. Be of service to the community in all its aspects, from health to the environment

He’s been drawing inspiration from The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World, which captures a five-day conversation between good friends and Noble Peace Prize Laureates, His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. They discuss the question “How do we find joy in the face of life’s inevitable suffering?”

Like everyone, leaders suffer. They face failures, losses, hardships, and boredom. To lead well, they need to be resilient and find optimism and joy, especially in moments of difficulty.

Both the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Tutu have been tested by great personal and national adversity, and in this book they share their personal stories of struggle and renewal. Now that they are both in their eighties, they especially want to spread the core message that to have joy yourself, you must bring joy to others.

Learning to Listen to See

James Flaherty | New Ventures West

James Flaherty is the founder of the New Ventures West coaching school and a good friend, teacher, mentor and now colleague (I am enjoying being an adjunct faculty with one of James’ professional coaching certification classes). James brings a depth of wisdom, kindness, and uplifting creativity to coaching that is truly unique.

Senior leaders are charged with seeing multiple dimensions of a situation—including those that are hidden. It’s difficult to do this well because it requires different parts of the brain to work together in a unified way. The emotional brain needs to be able to register gut feelings and intuitions. The relational part of the brain needs to listen to what others are saying and not saying. The thinking brain needs to be able to grasp problems and potential solutions.

One of the ways that James helps his clients to develop the ability to see multiple dimensions simultaneously is through listening to music. Different parts of our brain respond to the lyrics than to the timbre, rhythm or emotion. Shifting attention between different elements and the “zooming out” to the gestalt of the song helps strengthen the brain’s capacity to unify the experience, making us better able to appreciate more dimensions of a situation.

One song he often shares is Another Train sung by the Poozies.

The lyrics speak to loss and failure—experiences everyone has, but which can leave leaders feeling very alone. The music starts off feeling sad, slow and heavy before shifting into another mood. What range of feeling arises when you listen? Can you identify how different elements of the music affect you? Music can be a powerful teacher—and all you need to do is listen.

Lessons from Four US Presidents + One First Lady

Doris Kearns Goodwin | Historian

I became an American citizen after the election of President Obama because I wanted to be committed to the country he envisioned. As Presidential Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin says, history reminds us of who we are and in this turbulent time, I know that I am not alone in wanting to better understand and have faith in this country’s leadership history.

Two of my favorite books of the moment are Doris Kearns Goodwin’s new bestseller, Leadership in Turbulent Times and Michelle Obama’s new bestseller, Becoming.

Leadership in Turbulent Times Book

Leadership in Turbulent Times profiles the four presidents that Goodwin has written about extensively and studied most closely—Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Lyndon Johnson—all of whom led the country during uncommon adversity.

The book outlines each man’s formative years, shares how each overcame devastating reversals and provides a step-by-step analysis of his greatest leadership success. It’s great, insightful storytelling.

Becoming Book

Becoming tells the compelling story of Michelle Obama’s life and provides an honest, revealing perspective on the experience of being the spouse of the first Black president and her thoughtful approach to the role of the first lady.

These four presidents and the first lady all had different backgrounds, abilities, and temperaments, but they all led in a way that enlarged the opportunities and lives of others. In a time when our President represents the worst of our natures, these books show us that those who lead us can remind us as President Lincoln did in his First Inaugural Address, that it is possible to lead “by the better angels of our nature.”

Goodwin’s and Obama’s insights inspire me as an American and in my work with leaders, and provide fresh roadmaps for leaders in any field. More than anything, they are important reads right now.

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Inspiration Leadership

What my mother-in-law, Sandra Day O’Connor, taught me about leadership

I have the privilege to work closely with many leaders and to observe how they navigate their worlds effectively so that others are committed and together something better is created—whether that is new policy and programs, or breakthrough technologies and services.

Sixteen years ago, I married Jay O’Connor, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor’s youngest son. As part of the O’Connor family, I have had many blessings. One has been to observe the many qualities that make my mother-in-law such an effective and beloved leader. No doubt, you are familiar with her service on the US Supreme Court. But her work with iCivics, which she founded in 2009, is equally inspiring to me.

Retiring from the Supreme Court

Sandra chose to step down from the court in 2006 at age 76 to care for her husband, John. As his Alzheimer’s advanced, she asked herself what she would do with the rest of her life.

Justice Sandra Day O’Connor with other members of the Supreme Court

This was a hard moment for her: she had given up work that was deeply meaningful. Jay and I were with her one day when she wondered with great sadness if her time of contribution was over.

Before long, she gave birth to iCivics, a nonprofit that brings civics education alive for young people. She had become very worried by what she saw as a growing lack of understanding among citizens about the fundamental concepts of our government, our Constitution, and the importance of civic engagement.

Creating Something from Nothing

When she dug into this problem, she saw that civics education had largely disappeared from US school curricula. Her vision was to develop a solution that wouldn’t simply educate students but would inspire them to participate in democracy.

iCivics was Sandra’s vision to inspire kids to participate in democracy

Rather than revive the old civics lesson plans, she was inspired by Silicon Valley to create interactive video games that would teach young people how government works.

The idea of gaming as a teaching tool was in its infancy and she knew nothing about it, but Sandra learned and created an organization that solves an important societal problem and that brought a new mission to her life. She worked passionately on behalf of iCivics—giving speeches around the country, raising money and providing direction—until very recently.

Today, the iCivics program provides quality, non-partisan, and truly engaging civic education to more than half of all middle and high school students in all 50 states. My husband Jay and his brothers Scott and Brian are continuing to carry the torch for iCivics, along with a very dedicated staff and Board that includes Justice Sonia Sotomayor. In the Fox TV interview below, Jay shares his mother’s passion about iCivics.

While Sandra has had many big moments, I want to share a few small, personal ones that have taught me important lessons of leadership.

1 | Service

Serving others is in her bones. In the first year of his presidency, President Obama awarded Sandra the Presidential Medal of Freedom. As part of the celebration, each award recipient had a private conversation with the President.

We asked her what they talked about. Sandra said, “I told him that we needed more women on the Supreme Court.” In a moment that was a celebration of her, where the conversation could have been about her, she chose to speak about what she believed the country needed.

2 | Relationships

Sandra built and maintains strong relationships. At every organization she has been involved in, she has lived her philosophy that the key to making things happen is bringing people with different perspectives together to get to know and understand one another.

On the Supreme Court, her colleague, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg said about Sandra: “She has done more to promote collegiality among the court’s members, and with our counterparts abroad, than any other Justice, past or present.”

In fact, she makes friends from all walks of life. In 2004, I joined her on a safari in South Africa and Botswana organized by Kathleen Smalley, one of her first law clerks. It was my mother-in-law’s first trip to South Africa—she had been invited many times, but would not go when the country was under Apartheid.

Sandra Day O’Connor visits the South African Supreme Court and the Apartheid museum

She was deeply moved by our visit to the South African Supreme Court where she heard stories about the work her counterparts were doing to establish constitutional law in the country.

What sticks out most in my mind from that trip was how much Sandra connected with our safari guide, Anthony Bennett (known as Ant). Sandra appreciated Ant’s commitment to and knowledge of African wildlife. When she heard that he had never been to the U.S, she invited him to visit her in Washington DC. Ant ended up staying in her home and then staying with the O’Connors in Phoenix and with us in San Francisco.

She went all out for her friends, both new and old, and it’s something that I saw and experienced many times.

3 | Play

Sandra worked hard throughout her life. While undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer, she didn’t miss a day of work on the Court. But she also loved to play.

She has an enormous appetite for sports (skiing, golfing, tennis, fly fishing, dancing), the arts (music, theater, fine art) and travel. And she loves to laugh until the tears roll down her cheeks.

Play and laughter were essential elements of her leadership. They recharged and rejuvenated her so that she could keep showing up to do the hard work with energy and passion. Play is something that some leaders struggle with, but Sandra showed me how important it is.

Heather Corcoran with Sandra Day O'Connor
Kathleen Smalley, Sandra and I off to play

The Humanity of Leadership

Clearly much has been written about Sandra’s intelligence, commitment, energy, and mastery of constitutional law. The qualities of creativity, service, caring and play that I witnessed were ones that brought her humanity to her tremendous skill.

That humanity is very present today in her openness about stepping back from the active life she loved due to dementia. Anyone who has had a loved one with dementia, and more than 5.7 million Americans do, knows it is hard for everyone. So in this time of transition, we are grateful to be open about this condition and to hear how Sandra has touched others. With this, I want to add my voice to appreciating her and remembering the power of her lessons.

To honor her and in gratitude for the work I have the privilege of doing with creative and caring leaders, I am making a contribution to iCivics. If you are so moved to join me, the whole O’Connor family and iCivics thank you!

More on Sandra Day O’Connor

To learn more about Sandra Day O’Connor and her legacy visit the resources below:

  1. Learn more about iCivics + how to support their work with a charitable donation

  2. Sandra Day O’Connor’s letter to America about her dementia and personal thoughts | New York Times, October 23, 2018

  3. Interview with Jay O’Connor about his mother’s legacy | CBS This Morning, October 25, 2018

  4. Life’s Work: An Interview with Sandra Day O’Connor | Harvard Business Review, December 2013

  5. First | An intimate, inspiring, and authoritative biography of Sandra Day O’Connor, drawing on exclusive interviews and first-time access to archives by New York Times bestselling author, Evan Thomas.

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Leadership Teamwork

Lessons in Leadership and Teamwork from the Thai Cave Rescue

one person alone in a cave wearing a headlamp

Like many, I closely followed the Thai soccer team trapped in Tham Luang Cave. I have a 14-year-old soccer player and this story, while more than 7,000 miles away, felt close to home. The potential for tragedy was heart-sickening.

When it was announced that the boys and their heroic Navy SEAL rescuers were out of the cave, I felt such inspiration and gratitude. More than anything, I was awed by the leadership and teamwork of those who were called to help in a mission that by all accounts seemed impossible. The New York Times and Times of London each published detailed stories that demonstrate just how astonishing this rescue was.

Rescuers carry life-saving oxygen tanks through cave complex | PONGMANAT TASIRI/EPA

We’ve heard a great deal about the extraordinary people whose love of and expertise in cave diving made the miracle possible, but there were many others who came together and played a part. The New York Times reported that 10,000 people from around the world participated, including 2,000 soldiers, 200 divers and representatives from 100 government agencies.

Teamwork, Collaboration + Success out of Chaos

How was such collaboration possible from such chaos and complexity? How did a diverse team of experts work together to come to an answer better than any one of them could have come to alone? The leaders I work with may not face such life and death odds, but the questions are similar.

It’s been some weeks since the rescue, but I keep thinking about how it was accomplished against all odds. Three lessons from this beautiful story of heroic leadership continue to strike me and I want to share them along with some related resources to help you do extraordinary things.

Experts working together delivered an astonishing rescue | Corcoran Leadership
Lead with Values

Topline | The diverse people involved in the Thai cave rescue—from the international divers to the engineers who worked on draining the water to volunteers doing laundry—were united by values that called them to help. Values such as service, connection and supporting the wellbeing of others.

These values inspired them to rise above their own self-interest to make such a harrowing and complex rescue possible. They were very clear about why they were there.

Leadership Values Resource | People who lead from their own human-centered values are able to inspire and unite others to do astonishing things. The act of connecting with our values is an ongoing practice, a way of continuing to anchor us to who we really are, and it’s particularly helpful in challenging times.

Defining the values that inspire your behavior can bring depth and humanity to your leadership. What are the values that mean the most to you?

  • Creativity?
  • Loyalty?
  • Learning?
  • Family?
  • Community?

How do these connect to the work you’re doing?

Value Cards Book

One of my favorite resources to help leaders clarify and connect more deeply with their values is The Leadership Challenge Values Cards.

Designed especially for leaders, these cards are a companion to The Leadership Challenge, one of the three must have leadership books that I often recommend.

Create a Structure that Encourages Collaboration

Topline | Leading teams across multiple boundaries like geography, culture, and function is messy and conflict-filled. Yet that’s exactly what is required for high stakes work, whether organizing a complex rescue, addressing global issues such as climate change or developing brand new technology. It matters how you structure your teams.

Teaming Book

Teamwork Resource | One of the resources that I love to recommend to leaders is chapter six of Amy Edmondson’s Teaming: How Organizations Learn, Innovate and Compete in a Knowledge Economy. It recounts the effort to rescue 33 Chilean miners in 2010 which spanned 69 days and included the cooperation of three separate drilling rig teams, nearly every Chilean government ministry, NASA and a dozen corporations from around the world.

Edmondson describes the way these diverse groups worked together through clear agreements to make the impossible happen. She also outlines how leaders can apply this learning to their challenging work. It’s a great read, loaded with practical tools and suggestions.

Cultivate an Inner Calm

Topline | The young boys in the cave were taught meditation by their coach to help them stay calm. In moments of stress and challenge, our minds can either work for us or against us.

Many brilliant leaders I have worked with had patterns of blowing up in meetings and shutting others down. In the face of high stakes and tight timelines, they were often frustrated by what they saw to be ignorance, incompetence, fearfulness, or lack of integrity in their colleagues. While their frustration may have been legitimate, their emotional reactivity got in the way of their ability to bring out the best in others.

Thai Soccer Team in Cave
The cave boys were taught meditation to help them stay calm | Corcoran Leadership

Leadership Presence Resource | RJ Jennings is a black belt in Aikido who has a wise and gentle presence that fills the room. I often bring him into an engagement when I have a client who wants to learn how to manage more effectively in chaos and conflict.

At its core, all the work of a leader—teamwork, collaboration, conflict etc.—is a physical experience, but many of us tend to ignore our bodies and focus on what’s going on in our heads. Learning to tap into the wisdom and power of the body can help you to navigate stress and challenge more skillfully.

RJ teaches a practice called Leadership Embodiment that brings Aikido off the mat and into practices to support leaders. It is a powerful way to work with your body to cultivate an inner calm in the midst of stress, conflict, and challenge. If you’re looking for a way to become more mindful and sitting on cushion either seems unappealing or hasn’t worked for you, this is an excellent choice.

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Categories
Inspiration

3 Must-have Leadership Books

Open book, hardback colorful books on wooden table. Back to school. Copy space for text. Education business concept

Inspired by the Next Big Idea Club, I’ve been thinking of the many, many leadership books that I have read and given to clients. If I could only give leaders three books to support their development, what would they be?

The field of leadership is home to so many models that can help leaders illuminate something that was hard to see before—whether that is a strength, a pain point or a path to resolution. Different leaders need different things at different times.

What I love about these three books is that together, they make up a timeless leadership library that any leader can turn to again and again for the most useful and sustaining ideas.

The Leadership Challenge Book

The Leadership Challenge

How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations

James M. Kouzes + Barry Z. Posner

Get the Book

A Taste | “Model the Way” is one of the concepts in the book that details the importance of clarifying your values and then setting the example by living them. It is a simple practice that supports clarity in direction and decision-making, yet many leaders either don’t do it or don’t do it well. Their Leadership Challenge values card sort is one of the great tools they offer to help you define values.

Bottom Line | This book provides a well-researched, complete set of fundamental leadership practices. If you could only have one book this would be it.

In Action | I recently gave this book to a client who had taken over a new team. The values exercise was the first thing she did in establishing and connecting the team to what it stood for.

What I Love | This book does a great job of breaking down important leadership concepts and providing practical exercises to help you make use of them. Now in its 6th edition, it’s both well researched and pragmatic. You will walk away with a clear idea of why leaders need to define and articulate values and vision, in addition to other practices, and it gives you tools to do it.

About the Authors | James Kouzes and Barry Posner are internationally renowned scholars associated with the Leavey School of Business in Santa Clara (both now are Fellows and Professors, Posner was the Dean for 12 years).

For Your Improvement Book

For Your Improvement

FYI | For Your Improvement

Korn Ferry

Get the Book

A Taste | One of the competencies in FYI is called Interpersonal Savvy. The chapter on this competency describes relating openly and comfortably with diverse groups of people. It defines in detail what skilled Interpersonal Savvy looks like (e.g. “picks up on interpersonal and group dynamics”) and what less skilled looks like (e.g. “shows little interest in others’ needs”). It also offers a number of ways to support building the skill.

Bottom Line | This is the complete encyclopedia and “how to” guide for all the leadership skills. It names them, explains what they mean and provides multiple ideas for developing them.

In Action | One of my clients had a direct report who others complained was aloof and cold. As a result, people didn’t want to interact with him and worked around him. My client was struggling with how to explain this blindspot in a clear, understandable way so that together they could discuss a path forward. The Interpersonal Savvy chapter in FYI gave my client the language needed to help the direct report see and understand the problem. Together, armed with the information about what skilled Interpersonal Savvy looks like and with lots of effort on both of their parts, they were able to ultimately resolve the issue.

What I Love | This guide provides clear language and development ideas to a well researched and complete set of 38 leadership competencies (a chapter is devoted to each competency) relevant across organizations and globally. I give this to many clients to help them see what leadership competencies are. This is useful as a way to reflect on their own performance and that of their direct reports.

About the Authors | Robert W. Eichinger, Ph.D. and Michael M. Lombardo, Ed.D. wrote the first book in the 1990s. Their firm Lominger was acquired by Korn Ferry in 2006. This guide has become a gold standard among leadership academics and coaches alike. It is based on strong research and continually updated.

The 9 Types of Leadership Book

Nine Types of Leadership

Mastering the Art of People in the 21st Century Workplace

Beatrice Chestnut, Ph.D.

Get the Book

A Taste | The Enneagram is a personality typing system that outlines nine different types, each representing a distinct worldview and core motivations. These motivations can contribute to making leadership skills easy or hard to do.

Bottom Line | A clear guide to identifying the core motivations that inspire and limit leadership behavior.

In Action | Recently, I have been giving this book to clients who are hitting the wall of their own effectiveness—they have exhausted the possibilities that result when they operate as they always have and realize they need to explore new ways. This book can jumpstart their insight into their operating system, and suggest how to evolve their ways of thinking and acting to more appropriately meet whatever challenge it is that they are facing.

What I Love | It’s a great tool for understanding your own strengths and blind spots as well as those of anyone you are managing. I think of this book like a map that can help you identify what leadership competencies come easily to you and what you likely need to develop. Pair it with Korn Ferry’s FYI to more deeply understand this territory!

About the Authors | Beatrice Chestnut is a Bay Area local who published this book in early 2017. She’s a well regarded Enneagram expert and clinical psychologist who balances psychological depth with real world business application.

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Categories
Executive Coaching

When Someone On Your Team Isn’t Winning Friends and Influencing People

Flock sheep has one black goat as a part of their family.

You’ve been hearing murmurs about one of your direct reports and you’ve seen some things that concern you. Perhaps peers are complaining that this person doesn’t care about anything except their own agenda. Or perhaps this person is failing to communicate with clarity and confidence. Or perhaps this person just hasn’t been able to figure out how to get things done in your organization.

All of these examples come down to someone who is struggling with the interpersonal aspects of leadership: among the most difficult and yet crucial things to address.

  • How do you help this person turn things around so that everyone is working together and at their best for a common good?

  • How do you address the problem skillfully, especially when you believe this person is so strong in so many other ways?

This article offers some guidance based on more than 15 years of executive coaching and leadership development.

Why It’s a Tall Order to Deliver Certain Feedback

In the ideal world, as this person’s boss, you would provide feedback as soon as you became aware of the issue. After all, if someone doesn’t know there’s a problem, he or she can’t fix it. And the longer a problematic pattern of relating to others goes unaddressed, the more effort and time it takes to reverse course—for everyone involved.

But even with good feedback skills and training under their belt, most leaders struggle with providing timely feedback when what isn’t working has to do with patterns of relating to others. There are a variety of reasons for this:


Executives are focused on other priorities and juggling a lot

They may not be witnessing much of the problem behavior directly. Interpersonal issues don’t usually draw attention until people are complaining … and by then, the behaviors and attitudes can be deeply entrenched, making change more difficult than if addressed early.


People issues are always complex, difficult to diagnose + solve

It’s much easier to see and address competency related problems such as when someone misses a deadline, makes a high profile mistake or fails to deliver on measurable goals.

Many executives attempt to wait until they have a complete picture and solution in mind, but this wastes precious time. Time that could have been used to change the behavior before every bridge was burnt or faith in the leader lost.


Having a direct and honest conversation about someone’s interpersonal skills is a supremely difficult conversation

It’s very personal. Receiving feedback is an emotional process; one that may cause feelings of embarrassment, shame and anger. Out of a drive to preserve the relationship and motivation, many leaders will put off having a feedback conversation and hope the person will figure out the problem on their own.

But in all cases, the sooner an effective feedback conversation takes place, the better it will be for everyone. If you find yourself avoiding a feedback conversation that you know needs to happen, realize that this is a very common problem. It may be time to bring in an executive coach to help.

Shared Feedback Model

S | Establish a Shared Intent

Create safety in the conversation by establishing a mutual or shared goal for giving the feedback.

“I care a lot about your success here.”

H | Provide context of what Happened

When/where did this happen? Who was involved?

“When Kate was sharing her perspectives on the strategy in the meeting today …”

A | Describe specific Actions

Recount the specific behavior that was witnessed with directness and openness.

“You jumped in, talked over her, and re-iterated your point of view.”

R | Explain Results

How did the actions affect others, goals, you?

“We didn’t get a chance to hear Kate’s thoughts and she felt disrespected.”

E | Engage in dialogue

What is the perspective of the person who is receiving the feedback?

“How do you see this?”

D | Discuss ideas for improvement or desired outcomes

What is expected and what are ideas for improvement?

“What ideas do you have to address this? I can commit to letting you know in the moment the next time this happens. What’s our plan going forward?”

Model | NextStep Partners

Executive Jedi Move: Notice/Acknowledge/Take Action

Whenever you get a sense that something isn’t going well in relationships—either in your own career or with one of your direct reports, the most important thing you can do is to pay attention. Take notice of the behavior and/or the complaints.

Writing out a short script based on the SHARED feedback model can help prepare you for the conversation. You will be setting up the person for the chance of success as soon as you acknowledge there’s a problem rather than months later when interpersonal patterns are entrenched.

If you are reluctant to address the issue directly and keep putting off a conversation, it’s important to acknowledge that. It may be time to bring in a seasoned coach to help get things on the table skillfully. Offering direct, honest feedback is the bread and butter of what I do every day.

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Is it time we talk?

If you or someone on your team is struggling with interpersonal aspects of leadership, I can help! Here are a few places to start:

And if you’d like to take the old school route, just give me a call at 415.991.5177. Looking forward to hearing from you.

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Categories
Leadership

Leader of the Year

Leader of the Year

With the year drawing to an end, I wanted to close the loop by sharing an example of someone who showed themselves worthy of consideration as leader of the year. By highlighting this not widely known leader, it may give you ideas for new directions to take your leadership in the new year.

How a leader of the year stands out.

John Evans was an exceptional Canadian leader who died in February of 2015 at the age of 85. I want to highlight not what he did in this year particularly, but his leadership over his lifetime. His obituary from the Toronto Star serves as an excellent window into his revolutionary contributions and visionary approach.

When he was only 35, Evans was asked to start a new medical school at McMaster University in Canada and rather than replicating the other schools around the country, he created an entirely new model. Instead of having students learn anatomy by rote, he introduced them to real patients in their first semester and had them research diagnosis and treatment.

The “McMaster model” is now hailed as one of the greatest innovations in medicine and widely imitated around the world.

Evans brought this visionary approach to all of the organizations he led, including Canadian biotech pioneer Allelix, the University of Toronto and the Rockefeller Foundation. He also founded MaRS, an innovation hub in Toronto.

He was a model of what Jim Collins calls a Level 5 Leader. They have vision, creativity, humility, an ability to collaborate and can build organizations that outlive them. As former University of Toronto President, John Prichard said about John Evans, “He spent his entire life serving, using his abundant talent to make the world better.”

What is so inspiring about this leader?

John Evans was my uncle. He showed me that it’s possible for a leader to make contributions to entirely different types of organizations and sectors (he advocated changing jobs every seven years!). Most significantly I will always remember the warm way in which he connected with people and was able to inspire others to serve a bigger purpose. He was an empathetic and visionary leader who demonstrated the power of bringing a clear vision, curiosity, kindness and a sense of humor to his work.

When working with CEO’s and other executive level clients who are seeking breakthroughs for their organizations, I often call John to mind as a model of what’s possible and how he measures up to be a leader of the year. I am grateful to have loved and been loved by such a great human being, and I miss him.

Learn more about John Evans and his leadership.

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Categories
Executive Coaching

On Selecting a Great Executive Coach

Executive coaching can create profound breakthroughs and transformation. But before you can achieve these attractive benefits, you’ll have to answer some important questions, including:

  • How do you select the coach that will allow for the best outcome?
  • What makes a great executive coach?
  • What are the common misconceptions?

Corcoran Leadership Founder, Heather Corcoran, recently sat down with good friend and former colleague, Linda Furness, who is one of three internal executive coaches at Google.

Part of Linda’s role is to interview external executive coaches and facilitate good matches with Google employees. The two longtime coaches discussed the ins-and-outs of selecting a great executive coach.

INTERVIEW | How to select a Leadership Coach

In this conversation, Heather and Linda cover:

  • Qualities of great coaches
  • How to evaluate fit
  • Common misconceptions
  • When to choose an Internal vs. External Coach
  • Potential outcomes

HEATHER CORCORAN | Your career path has been one with a lot of rich experiences—a law degree from Stanford, an HR leadership role at Financial Engines, a start-up success story, a Partnership role at Next Step Partners, and in the last year, a new role as one of three internal Executive Coaches at Google. What led you to coaching and to Google?

LINDA FURNESS | I think the whole first half of my career was about finding my way to coaching, even though I didn’t know it at the time. It seems circuitous, but while I was in HR, I discovered that the part of the job I really loved most was helping people to grow into their best, most capable and expansive selves.

That led me to coaching, and as soon as I started coach training I knew I’d found the work I wanted to do. I find it completely engaging, and it gives me unlimited opportunities to learn and grow myself.

Coming to Google was a tough decision—I loved being a part of Next Step Partners! But I was curious about what it would be like to be an internal coach. I was also interested in the work around wellbeing and mindfulness being done at Google. After six or seven years with NSP, I wanted to stretch myself in new ways.

HEATHER CORCORAN | What was it about the coaching training that resonated with you so much?

LINDA FURNESS | I think what it comes down to is that coaching lets me use all of my strengths. I’m good at connecting to people and seeing patterns and possibilities. I love helping people create clarity out of confusion. I’ve always been interested in having conversations about the things that really matter to people, and I love discovering how people think. All of that is what coaching is about.

HEATHER CORCORAN | From one coach to another, that’s a really good assessment of your strengths.

What Makes a Great Executive Coach?

HEATHER CORCORAN | Since joining Google, you have interviewed a lot of executive coaches. Given your experience, what separates the good from the great coaches?

LINDA FURNESS | This is interesting. I think really strong coaches have an overarching framework or perspective that they use to think about development and learning, but they are not wedded to it. It’s as if they have a really good map and they get to know it really well, so they are comfortable going off the map when it makes sense, because they know they will still have a good idea of where they are and which way to go. So strong coaches know and are able to use a lot of different approaches or models, all in service of what the particular client needs right now.

I also have come to appreciate even more deeply the impact of the coach’s own presence, and how much happens through the power of the relationship itself. So coaches who do their own work; are reflective and engaged in learning and growing and risk-taking themselves; and who can openly bring all of that to the coaching engagement, will be stronger coaches.

And, there is no substitute for experience. Coaches who have been doing this a long time, who coach full-time, who have a depth of experience: it all makes a big difference. Seasoned coaches tend to have a clearer point of view and a lot of comfort with being flexible. There’s not a lot they haven’t dealt with before.

HEATHER CORCORAN | So, what’s your map?

LINDA FURNESS | Good question! In my own coaching, I use a developmental lens, meaning no matter what issue you’re presenting, I’m looking for opportunities to create significant growth as well as to move forward on your goal. I’ve been influenced a lot by Bob Kegan and Lisa Lahey and their work on Immunity to Change, as well as the work of Jennifer Garvey Berger which is about applying developmental theory in coaching.

Lately, I’m very interested in the power of the relationship between coach and client. At its best, it serves as both a model for connecting and a sandbox for trying out new approaches. How are you showing up? How are you connecting? In the coaching relationship itself, we’re able to see and change these things.

How to Choose a Coach.

HEATHER CORCORAN | What advice would you give to leaders to help them choose a coach who would be a good fit and a great coach?

LINDA FURNESS | In addition to general screening for good training and experience, I would ask them questions to think about after they have an initial conversation or fit meeting: Do you trust this person, and feel safe with them? Did they meet your energy and push you to think about something you wouldn’t have thought about on your own? Do you want to talk to them again? The answers to all of those questions should be yes.

HEATHER CORCORAN | What are misconceptions about fit that leaders often have?

LINDA FURNESS | I think one common misconception is that a coach needs experience in a situation similar to your own (industry, level, etc.) to be effective. That is probably true for mentoring, but not for coaching.

Another misconception is that you should choose a coach with a style similar to your own. A coach with a different style can be very effective at helping you see things in a new way—and that’s one of the key points of coaching. To see things differently so that you can perform differently.

And you need to be careful about choosing a coach solely on the basis of liking their personality. Does the coach match you in terms of strength, energy, intellect, etc.? Do you feel comfortable opening up with this person? Does this person push you to think in new and different ways? That’s what’s most important, not personality.

HEATHER CORCORAN | This is so true! When matching clients with a coach, I often see a clear fit. But sometimes the coach who is best suited to address a client’s goals isn’t the person the client would be most charmed by. In those cases, “liking” one coach’s personality over another can actually distract you from your goal. I want to know more about what you mean by “how a coach matches you…”

LINDA FURNESS | Clients need to feel like their coach is a peer. A strong coach will adapt client-by-client and display a range of energy and styles. If you are very cerebral, you’ll likely need to see that a coach is able to meet your intellect or you won’t trust him or her. If you are a more anxious personality, you need that same coach to create a safe place immediately, not come out of the gates engaging in intellectual sparring. Same coach, different matching.

HEATHER CORCORAN | The executive coach has to match the client while finding opportunities to stretch and grow capacities in a new direction.

LINDA FURNESS | Exactly! And strong coaches are able to pull that off. As we both know, it’s not easy.

HEATHER CORCORAN | When does an internal coach, or for leaders at smaller companies their HR Business Partner and/or Manager, make more sense than an external coach?

LINDA FURNESS | An internal coach may make more sense when there is a particularly confidential or sensitive situation, or one in which an understanding of the organizational culture or context might be helpful. For example, coaching someone who is transitioning into an organization, or someone who is trying to learn how to get better at navigating organizational dynamics.

Internal coaches can also be helpful when there is a need for someone who can step in immediately, and an internal coach can be more cost effective when the need is expected to be longer term.

In general, it may also make more sense to work with an HR Business Partner or Manager when the need is more about building skills than transformational growth.


What to Ask Yourself When Looking for a Coach.

HEATHER CORCORAN | Flipping this, what should leaders be asking themselves when determining whether a coach is a good fit?

LINDA FURNESS | The first question to ask is, “What do I want to change?” That clarity is important.

Generally speaking, there are two types of strong executive coaches: utility players who are good for a lot of people and have a lot of tools and experience. These coaches can help you develop in a variety of directions and they are a great choice for most people.

There are also specialists with deep expertise in Emotional Intelligence or Mindfulness or Conflict Management, etc. So, for example, if you need help with self-management because you have a temper, it might be helpful for you to work with someone with a specialty in Mindfulness.

No matter what coach you choose, it’s important that you have the motivation to learn, change or grow in some way as well as the organizational support for that shift. You also need to have the ability to devote some time and thought to the process. Proven ability to learn and grow is important, too.

How Fit with a Coach Affects Outcomes.

HEATHER CORCORAN | What is the cost of a bad fit?

LINDA FURNESS | At worst, the coaching is ineffective and the leader—or others—becomes convinced that coaching is useless or that he or she can’t change. Short of that, it wastes everyone’s time and energy and delays the needed changes.

HEATHER CORCORAN | Right, and a strong coach also needs to be able to set reasonable expectations for outcomes. Both for the client and the stakeholders.

LINDA FURNESS | That’s true. Some big changes can be made quickly—especially skill-based, technical changes. Developmental changes take more time, especially when they involve internal seismic shifts. A strong coach will address reasonable milestones.

HEATHER CORCORAN | What is the return of a good fit?

LINDA FURNESS | Nirvana! Seriously, that’s asking what is the possible return on coaching, and that’s a tough question to answer quantitatively. Anecdotally, we’ve both seen people make enormous shifts with the support of a great coach at the right moment. It can be quite literally transformative, both personally and professionally. Being an internal coach, I now get to see the payoff of that over time, which is very rewarding.

HEATHER CORCORAN | Since joining Google, what is one thing you have learned about executive coaching?

LINDA FURNESS | I’ve come to see even more clearly how much impact the coach has on whether or not the coaching creates transformation. For example, I’ve become very mindful of getting enough downtime and space myself, because it makes a big difference in how I show up in my coaching sessions.

It is exciting and motivating, and also makes me very aware of all the room I have to grow into!

Can we talk?

Interested in finding the right executive coach for your challenge? Here are a few places to start:

And if you’d like to take the old school route, just give me a call at 415.991.5177. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Let's Connect
Categories
Change Leadership Development

Immunity to Change: Why I Love This Approach

Immunity to Change Book

Many leaders I’ve encountered have something about his or her behavior or communication that they want to change but are having a hard time doing it. I often draw upon the Immunity to Change method with my clients because it’s the most effective process I know to address someone’s internal barriers to self-improvement. This process is exciting because it makes a difference quickly and was borne out of solid research by a couple of leading lights at Harvard.

Real Change is Hard

If you’ve been newly promoted to a leadership position, you might be realizing that you need to delegate better. Perhaps you’re the CEO and you know that your “large and in charge” communication style is alienating people. Maybe you’re an executive who has been getting feedback in reviews over the past few years that you need to speak up more in meetings with your peers.

If you’re like most of the leaders with whom I work, you’ve made sincere commitments to change: you’ve participated in training programs, invested in books, outlined self-improvement plans, and set accountability measures. Maybe you can get things to shift for a little while, but eventually you return to your habitual ways of relating, working and thinking.

What’s going on here? Is it a lack of willpower? Are you dealing with a fundamental flaw that can’t be changed?

What’s Immunity to Change?

Harvard University Researchers Robert Kegan and Lisa Lahey set out to unravel this mystery. They point to a study that found that when doctors tell heart patients that they will die if they don’t change their habits, only one in seven will follow through successfully. If change is elusive for people even when faced with matters of life and death, Kegan and Lahey concluded that desire and motivation alone can’t be enough to change the status quo.

Add Immunity to Change to your library

They became curious about what lies behind each of our habitual behaviors and mindsets. Instead of writing off any particular habit as “bad,” Kegan and Lahey looked to see what good purpose the habit might actually be serving.

If you know that you are facing burnout and really want to be a better delegator, but continue your habit of taking control and doing things yourself, you must have a pretty good reason.

Perhaps you are afraid that things will devolve into chaos. Perhaps you grew up in a world where you were instilled with the belief that delegating work to others makes you lazy. Maybe your identity is wrapped up in being seen as the creative genius who produces great work.

Beliefs and Habits

Kegan and Lahey discovered that behind each of our habits is a strongly held belief that not only keeps us in our groove, but also fights any change that threatens the status quo. This resistance is so strong, so adaptive, and so systemic that Kegan and Lahey liken it to a finely tuned immune system.

How Immunity to Change Works

If I fundamentally believe that my value lies in being an expert, I’m going to be very invested in asserting my views and being right. I’m going to defend my expert status at all costs.

Listening and accepting influence will actually undermine what I consider my core value. I’ll believe that no amount of investment in skill development is going to make me a better listener.

Even a strong desire and motivation to be a better leader can’t compete with the deeply seated belief that my value lies in being an expert.


We’re dealing with an Immunity to Change that first needs to be unearthed for real and lasting improvement to be possible.

Overcoming Immunity to Change

Kegan and Lahey developed an Immunity to Change methodology that I use with clients both in one-on-one coaching sessions and in group workshops as part of a team or leadership development program. The objective is to pinpoint and address whatever beliefs and assumptions are blocking clients from the changes they want to make.

Creating an Immunity to Change Map is a simple way to bring to light the personal barriers to change. It starts by outlining the client’s commitment to an improvement goal. Then it sketches out the things that he or she is either doing or not doing that prevent progress towards the achievement goal. The Map then identifies competing commitments, as well as the big underlying assumptions behind those competing commitments.

The Value of an Immunity to Change Map

In the Map, what I find is that the client is operating with one foot on the gas pedal—the improvement goal—and the other foot on the brake. Your competing commitments and big assumptions that keep your foot on the brake are typically unconscious. If you don’t map them out, you can’t address them to move forward.

The Immunity to Change Map is powerful; completing one Map typically not only provides helpful insights but can often dismantle assumptions that are holding you back.

After the Map, there are as many as nine different steps in the methodology to help overturn the assumptions. Typically this takes place over the course of a six-month coaching engagement. I may not use all nine steps, but I customize the approach based on the individual and goal.

When Immunity to Change is Most Useful

The Immunity to Change process is most useful for the thornier and more difficult self-improvement goals. Perhaps your role requirements or business context have changed and “what got you here can’t get you there.” Or perhaps the same issue keeps showing up on your performance reviews and you haven’t been able to crack it.

Common leadership improvement goals that the Immunity to Change process addresses include:

  • Delegation
  • Communication (speaking clearly/succinctly)
  • Engaging in conflict constructively
  • Speaking up with peers or executives
  • Listening
  • Prioritizing and creating focus
  • Building trust and relationships
  • Developing others
  • Work/life balance
  • Collaboration

Start Here with Immunity to Change

The place to start is defining a good improvement goal. It should be focused and important. What’s the one thing you could change that would have a significant impact on your performance? It also has to be really motivating. The truth is that the Immunity to Change process is going to take you out of your safety zone a bit, so you need to believe that the result will be worthwhile.

While the Immunity to Change method is effective and fast, it’s difficult to do this work on your own. We can’t see our own blind spots and so much of what drives an individual’s Immunity to Change is unconscious and hidden beliefs.

Do you have an Immunity to Change?

As someone who has gone through the process myself and as a coach who uses it with my clients, my best advice is to order the Immunity to Change book and engage a certified Immunity to Change coach.



Here are a few more helpful resources:

And if you’d like to take the old school route, just give me a call at 415.991.5177. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Let's Connect
Categories
Change Executive Coaching

How a Systems Approach to Coaching Yields a Change Strategy

Growth model of Leadership Coaching

Executive Coaching develops the ability of leaders to make a greater impact in their organizations. I determine a coaching program’s focus by what the leader and the people they work with believe will make the biggest, most positive difference.

Success in any coaching engagement depends on two things: the capacity of an executive to influence the system within which he or she works; and the potential for that system to be influenced.

A systemic approach to change.

Coaching often places too much emphasis on the first part of this equation, the executive. My systems approach to coaching considers both elements, and I assume that all parts of the organization contribute to an individual’s success within it. In this approach, I work with the executive to create a development plan that addresses questions that pertain to the system:

  • Do relationships need to be improved? What can the executive do to improve his relationships, and what help is required from others
  • Is a new organizational structure needed? How can the executive influence such change, and what support is needed from the organization to effect this change?
  • Do the executive’s team members need to develop new skills? How can she assist them, and what other help might she need?
  • What are the incentives for change? How does the executive view change, and how does the organization reward change—through promotion, bonuses, etc.?

I consider these to be systemic issues because I understand that multiple factors aside from the executive’s own motivation and skill contribute to his ability to drive business and get results.

I know that lasting change occurs only when the executive and the organization work together to achieve the desired outcome. Ted’s situation illustrated below, demonstrates how this approach can work.*

When the exec and the org work together, things change.

Ted was an effective executive with a long history at a successful organization. He was responsible for teams on the East and West Coasts, and he brought to his work a deep knowledge base, strong technical skills, and motivation to develop as a leader. The new president of the organization had confidence in Ted, and he wanted to invest in building Ted’s leadership and management skills. He also wanted to make changes in the business in response to shifting client needs and expectations, and he needed Ted to grow in some areas to make this happen.

In a 360° feedback session, I identified Ted’s communication style and the management of his direct reports, particularly on the East Coast, as the main areas of focus for the coaching program. But I also recognized that the organization needed to work with him to effect lasting change. It wasn’t just Ted’s skills that needed attention. The organization needed to make some structural changes that would facilitate communication between Ted and his direct reports. Both Ted and his organization needed to influence change for performance to improve.

For Ted’s part, he influenced change by improving his communication and coaching skills: he gave his direct reports more positive feedback, addressed performance issues quickly, and held them more accountable to their commitments. He also experimented with technology—webcams and Googlechat—to be in more frequent contact with his East Coast team, so that he could spend more time mentoring and coaching.

The president of the company influenced change when he clarified the roles and responsibilities within reporting relationships. He also eliminated a redundant management role on the East Coast that had hampered communication, and he supported Ted’s decision to spend more time in the East Coast office, where he could have more in-person contact with his team. Ted’s direct reports also participated in the change effort as a result of their willingness to discuss their performance with Ted and to work with him to improve.

At the end of six months, the results were clear. Ted felt much more effective in communicating with and managing his direct reports, and their performances had improved. With greater openness and collaboration among the team members, and between the East and West Coast offices, Ted was able to bring their work to a higher level.

The president of the company recognized that Ted was now operating at a new level himself and started to involve him in more strategic projects external to the organization.

Change done right

Ted’s case is a good example of how my systems approach to coaching works. Ted’s situation improved because he was willing to examine his practices and influence change and because his organization was willing to make changes of its own.



*Names and some details have been changed.

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