For leaders who want to become even better!
MAKE AN APPOINTMENT with no obligation, of course
All leaders whom I coached, without a single exception, indicated after their coaching process that they should have done it much earlier. Why? Because the negative consequences of continuing in the old familiar way were many times greater than they had thought and the solutions often turned out to be very simple.
James CFO: ‘I was stuck in routines at work and thought it would become better later on. But that was not the case and before you know it, three years have passed.’
You only have to be able see it and I can help you with that. Every person has blind spots, so you do not see some things and certain behaviour and habits within yourself. Unfortunately, that is not always your best side.
And believe me: you are the boss at work so feedback often doesn’t work well because it is so sensitive. People, including leaders, often find it awkward to raise difficult issues with another person. This means that you often remain in the status quo yourself with your environment. And that can have unpleasant consequences.
Take a look below at the story of my client Peter, Chief Legal Officer.
• ‘I was stuck in a pattern of complex responsibilities, persistent time pressure, bustle and tension. I thought it’s just part of the game: ‘do not whine, it will pass. But it was not about to.
• As a leader, I noticed that I ended up in a sort of status quo. I turned in circles. In terms of behaviour, leadership style, in every respect. I became more distant, less motivating towards my team and I had less impact as a leader.
• This caused irritations and annoying stresses. Sometimes I heard myself saying the wrong things in a meeting or in a one on one. But by then the damage was already done.
• There were also tensions at home. Late home yet again, because I was busy with something important. Again, the kids are not taken to bed. Or, fortunately, once I was home on time, but then I caught myself working on the day’s emails while my partner went to a wine tasting.
• Apart from my partner at home, my body also started to protest. I had stress and work just became less fun and more of a burden. It was less pleasure. Sometimes I started to doubt myself.
• I missed a promotion, after years of hard work I did not reach my targets (for the first time). I remember driving back home for the Christmas holiday and wondering to myself: ’’’How can that be possible? That I work my fingers to the bone and will not succeed in what I want’’.’
I have coached hundreds of leaders at all levels (women and men) over the past 25 years, and it is truly my passion to help you become even better than you already are. I invite you to look at a few quotes from leaders who I advised on their leadership. I am pretty sure that you will recognize one or more of these statements below.
QUOTES FROM MY CLIENTS
• David CEO: ‘I notice that my team listens to me because I am the boss and less because I motivate/inspire them. That’s upsetting me. I want to have an impact because of what I am as a leader and not because I am the leader!’
• Dick CFO: ‘I think a lot in terms of turnover, profit, margins and performance, so that I do not really know when good is good enough. For myself and my team. This creates distance because I wrap myself up more and more in an armour.’
• Jaap COO: ‘When I look at my peers, who are absolute toppers, I sometimes think; ”I distinguish myself too little from the rest ”.’
• Annemieke Sales Director: ‘I am convinced that I find delegating difficult. I’ll take over the work myself, because then I know for sure that it is going well and I too often switch to control mode with my team. It irritates others, is not motivating and it also bothers me.’
• Bart VP R&D: ‘I fought fires at a high level. When I see that something has to be done, I get an irrepressible urge to solve it immediately.’
• Karlijn VP HR: ‘Reading a few books about leadership and attending a super course for a few weeks abroad are not enough for me to understand leadership and truly integrate permanently with myself. Because of this, I am not rising above the challenges of everyday life, but am always sucked in. Ultimately nothing has changed in me, and in my leadership.’
• Lydia CCO: ‘What will happen after this job? What is plan B?’
• Don VP Finance: ‘I sometimes feel quite lonely as a leader. I miss having a sparring partner.’
• Jack Senior HR manager: ‘I feel too much tension at work. I am often irritated or stressful and I am increasingly worried.’
• Dana CEO: ‘My partner says that my work is the priority in my life instead of a priority. I’m not there enough for my partner.’
You may think you’re the only one who does this. ‘Just take a deep breath and go on again.’ ‘Oh yes, it’s lonely at the top so this is a part of it’, flashes through your mind. In addition, you do not want to invest time and energy in a vague process with someone who does not know you and your responsibilities.
‘Should I be coached? It feels as if I’m a loser who gets stuck. Not so good.’
Is Roger Federer, the number 1 tennis player in the world, a loser? I think not, and he considers his coaching the very foundation of his enormous success.
Suppose you talk to someone who has a lot of experience with what you are currently experiencing. Someone who has worked as an executive for more than 20 years and someone who really understands leadership and the behaviour of leaders. No, not someone who has read the booklets, but the one who writes them. Actually, more of a partner than coach. No vague, unclear coaching that you, in your heart, dislike, but a partnership that will help you, in a decided upon length of time.
MAKE AN APPOINTMENT with no obligation, of course
Ron SVP HR: ‘During the first free introductory meeting, I immediately felt at ease. When Leo explained to me that there are 130,000 coaches in the Netherlands and how he distinguishes himself, I wanted to start immediately.’
- There are approximately 130,000 people in the Netherlands with the title of
coach. - According to estimates, there are about 6,000 coaches who have worked with leaders.
- Of these, about 1,000 are experienced in coaching in what I call ‘the Champions League’ of coaching: the coaching of executives.
- Of these, an estimated 200 have worked as leaders in this League, so that they understand better than anyone what leadership entails in practice and what you encounter as a leader.
- I think that there are fewer than 20 of them in the Netherlands who have been educated as therapists or psychologists and with this knowledge along with the experience above, can really help leaders sustainably.
The choice of what you want is up to you. In any case, I belong to the last category. I invite you for a free introductory meeting!
MAKE AN APPOINTMENT with no obligation, of course