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1. What kind
of results should my organization expect to see if leaders from
my organization engage in Integral Executive Coaching with Positive
Impact, LLC?
The primary benefit your organization will experience is the
generation of more effective leaders. This will occur because
participants in the program will be supported to become more
reflective, expanding their capacities to deal proactively in
creating positive change. Participants will be given opportunities
to deepen their capacity to inquire, and thus, be open to a
wider range of possibilities so the actions they take will be
more successful.
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They will develop practices that will
support them in being more present, not only to the authentic leader
within themselves, but also in their interactions with their people,
opening greater opportunities for deeper dialogue, greater trust,
learning and creativity.
Perhaps most importantly, they will become more effective leaders
because they will be supported to develop a more balanced, integrated
life. This will support them to function as whole human "beings"
rather than as fragmented human "doings" so the workplaces
they create and support will generate more powerful, conscious leaders!
2. What kind of changes I expect to see in my life by entering a coaching
relationship with Positive Impact, LLC?
It has been our experience that as one engages in an integral coaching
program with us, the following outcomes can be generated in life and
leadership:
- A reduction in stress and
fatigue
- An
increased capacity to be present with others
-
An ability to listen in a way people feel
respected and heard
-
A deeper capacity to "live the questions
- A deeper sense of compassion for others and/or
oneself
- A greater sense of authenticity and wholeness
- A reduction in the amount of judgment towards
oneself and others
- A greater sense of trust and reliance on one's
intuition
- An expansion of one's creative and generative
nature
- An enhanced capacity to challenge the "disconnects"
between values and behaviors
- A heightened commitment and capacity to live a
more balanced life
- A greater sense of detachment from outcomes when
things don't go as planned
- The capacity to be more open in the midst of conflict
and less defensive
- A more expansive worldview and ability to see
and act on possibilities
- An enhanced capacity to see change as an ally
rather than as something to be controlled
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3. What is your approach to this work
and to coaching in general?
The work of Positive Impact, LLC focuses on integrating the "being"
aspects of leadership with one's whole life, on "being"
a leader as well as "doing" leadership. In this work, the
focus is on leading from the inside out to support sustainable change
and transformation in individuals and systems, rather than on teaching
and adapting "flavor of the month" leadership behaviors.
We work with our clients to discover they can be more healthy, whole
and authentic in life and leadership, as well as exploring what specific
practices and actions they need to undertake to become effective,
appreciative leaders.
Our commitment is to be present with our clients where they are, using
current life and work issues as fodder for the coaching process itself.
Our coaching work encourages inquiry and reflection prior to action
and action as the basis for inquiry and reflection, creating an ongoing
reflective, conscious loop of learning for the client. We strive to
create the conditions for learning that support the integration of
body, mind, heart and spirit so that the actions the client takes
in his or her life and leadership emerge from a place of true wisdom,
compassion and power. This way of being in the world results in greater
joy and meaning in life and work and in greater effectiveness as a
leader.
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4. What is integral leadership?
We contend there are four key aspects
of leadership: the physical (the
performance of leadership), the mental
(the cognition and intellectual construction of leadership)
the emotional (our feelings
about leadership and how they are expressed) and the
spiritual (the intuitive, reflective, "being"
aspect of leadership). A leader who is well integrated examines and
is conscious of all four aspects of his/her leadership and all four
aspects work in tandem with one another as an integrated system, resulting
in the alignment between who one is and what one does. Unfortunately,
many leaders are not encouraged to recognize the spiritual dimensions
of leadership, the "knower" inside each one of us that possesses
a tremendous "guidance system" to help us discover the potential
and achieve the results we seek to manifest. Our coaching work helps
bring this spiritual aspect of leadership into greater awareness and
action in work and life, while at the same time, helping our clients
deepen their capacities in the other three areas (physical, mental
and emotional) that are key to the creation of a balanced, integrated
leader.
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5. What are your qualifications?
Over the past twenty years, I have served in leadership roles both
within organizations and as a consultant and coach with leaders in
a wide variety of organizations in
an external role. Through these combined experiences, I have a deep
appreciation of the challenges of becoming a conscious leader. In
addition to my life experience coaching hundreds of leaders in numerous
organizations, I have also completed a yearlong professional coaching
training course and have been certified as an Integral Coach. I have
devoted the past seven years to doctoral studies with a focus in learning
and change in human systems. My dissertation research is focused on
exploring the impact of developing appreciative leaders in facilitating
transformational change in individuals and organizations. I am also
trained as a Spiritual Director.
More important than formal training, however, is the wisdom I've gained
during the past fifteen years of my own journey of conscious leadership,
which provides me with the insight, empathy and experience to walk
the path with others. The work offered through Positive Impact, LLC
is an outgrowth of my experiences coaching leaders over the years
combined with my commitment to helping people who have chosen to embark
on a journey of conscious living, while at the same time, seeking
to integrate what they learn on that journey as an active participant
and leader in their work in the world.
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6. What led you to do this work?
Over the years in my coaching and consulting practice, the question,
"Is this all there is?"
has been raised by many of the clients I've served. Time and time
again, I've found myself engaged in conversations about issues of
meaning with leaders in organizations, regardless of the reason I
was ostensibly there.
One of my coaching clients, a Vice President for a sales and service
organization said, "I talk to you about things I've never talked
to anyone about before. I trust you implicitly, not just with my people,
but also with the things that truly make a difference in my life."
As she spoke, I realized what had been created was a bond of sacred
trust.
I've had other clients like her who have shared how they benefited
from having a coach who supported them in creating a better world
wherever they could; in their lives, in their families, in their relationships,
in the organizations they led and managed, while at the same time,
supporting them on their life's journey as they sought to integrate
what they learned with their leadership in the world. I am committed
to this work because it works!
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7. How does the coaching process work?
We begin the process with an initial conversation to clarify your
hopes and aspirations for coaching, to mutually assess whether there
is a good "fit" between client and coach, and to determine
your readiness and commitment to the coaching process. Following this
conversation, should we elect to move forward, you will be provided
with a proposal for a coaching program designed to meet your specific
needs. Typically, we meet by phone a couple of times per month, and
if possible, have a longer face-to-face session one to two times per
month. You will be given practices to do and reading to reflect on
between coaching sessions. We have other tools available should you
choose to avail yourself of them, including various assessments, learning
groups, and workshops we offer. We will discuss your needs and create
a program tailored specifically to meet them.
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8. What do you mean by "developing
capacities" when you speak about the work of Positive Impact,
LLC?
Training and coaching often focus on developing functional skills,
the "how to's" of performing certain actions, reaching certain
goals or dealing with specific instances or situations one might encounter.
Though these are important dimensions of leadership, when we talk
about developing capacities, we refer to developing the ability to
deal with numerous instances or situations one may confront in life
and leadership he or she may not have encountered before. A good analogy
might be to contrast the skill of being able to speak German as a
native English speaker from the capacity to learn and master many
languages different from one's native tongue. Our belief is that developing
capacity is different from acquiring skills. Though skills are important,
expanding one's capacities is what is needed to support dynamic, sustainable
change and transformation.
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9. What kind of commitment is required?
Your primary commitments to the coaching process will be time and
energy. The actual time commitment for the coaching process itself
will vary, depending on your needs. For most people, it is a commitment
of two to six hours per month of actual contact time with your coach.
In addition, we recommend a few hours per week be devoted to practices,
inquiry and reflection. For most people, the time commitment to the
entire coaching process will range from eight to twenty hours per
month.
The second commitment you will need to make is a commitment of energy.
This will be energy devoted to the practices you elect to take on
as a result of our sessions together and energy devoted to reflection
on your learning. Finally, and most importantly, will be the energy
required to create the kinds of positive changes you desire to manifest
in your life.
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10. What do you mean when you say this
will give me an appreciation of the dynamic between "doing"
and "being?"
Western culture, and especially corporate America, is driven by achievement
and accomplishment, often to the exclusion of allowing ourselves the
time to reflect and appreciate how we got there. This often creates
a frenetic and fragmented sense of being in the world that robs us
of joy and meaning. It has been our experience that most leaders know
how to produce and achieve or they wouldn't be in leadership positions.
However, what many leaders haven't developed well is the capacity
to produce and accomplish with a greater sense of ease and balance,
which we have experienced emerges from developing a greater capacity
to learn how to "be." In this work, we support leaders in
discovering and developing the "being" aspects of their
lives so it can be more fully integrated into their work and leadership,
resulting in a deeper sense of meaning, satisfaction, effectiveness
and fulfillment.
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