IN THE KNOW —
Leadership Resilience and Peak Performance In this time of disruption, one of the hottest topics of the moment is resilience in leadership. Many business owners and senior leaders are struggling to cope with frustrations, complications and uncertainty. There has never been a more important time for leaders to not only draw on resilience themselves but to also develop techniques in their peak performance coaching meetings. PEAK PERFORMANCE COACHING While we have never experienced lockdown conditions before, the world has nonetheless experienced serious economic crises in the past. I have had the honour of leading teams through some of these previous events and have developed the following seven key strategies to enable business owners and leaders to develop resilience and use this trait to coach others to peak performance: 1. Be self-confident Having a positive outlook of self, the business and the marketplace is critical to confronting and managing fear and anxiety. This may mean growing that self-confidence by practicing and preparing for team meetings well in advance so you feel confident before you start running them. 2. Keep your eye on the big picture Optimists are generally better able to see the bigger picture than pessimists. They are more likely to see the good and bad events of life as temporary rather than permanent. They take hold of their responsibilities and keep others accountable without assigning blame. One way to keep the team optimistic is to start meetings with the sharing of “good news stories”. 3. Learn to manage strong feelings This requires being able to act without impulse or respond out of emotion. It also encompasses the ability to put emotions aside when clear thinking and action are required. Being able to use thinking as a way of managing one’s emotions is a key component of this skill. This is important when running or managing meetings. Make meetings about everyone else rather than your ego or strong feelings. 4. Take care of yourself Do not forget to look after your mental health and wellbeing through diet, exercise and taking care of your financial health. Make goals and a plan for physical and financial health. Be an inspiration to your team. Lead from the front. 5. Make realistic plans and take action to carry them out Being able to see what is, rather than how you would like things to be, is a part of this skill. Be proactive rather than reactive. Be assertive rather than passive or aggressive. 6. Find purpose and meaning Encourage your team to bring stories to meetings that demonstrate how they are bringing your organisational values to life. Finish up with a core value story of your own.
FEEDBACK LOOP Peak Performance Coaching Feedback Loop LEARNS
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7. Communicate well EXECUTIVE Being able to communicate well with others a great way to COACHINGis & CONSULTING develop and demonstrate resilience. This includes listening and problem-solving skills and the use of techniques such as. WIN, LEARN, CHANGE. Ask questions such as: • What were the WINS from the way we ran remote meetings during the COVID-19 experience? • What did we LEARN about our team from the COVID-19 experience? • From what we have learnt, what would we CHANGE going forward so we have better outcomes? In summary, I recommend the following Peak Performance Meeting framework: • Encourage good news stories • Discuss agreed actions from the last team meeting • Ask Win, Learn, Change questions • Agree on actions for the week ahead • Share core values stories For other examples and a downloadable Team Meeting and WIN, LEARN, CHANGE Template please go to https://excc.co.nz/nzcb-resources/ Jason Dinan –Jason is the Founder and Principal of Executive Coaching and Consulting and has 27 years of leadership experience developing high performing teams in 23 countries. He has guided various leading home builders in NZ and Australia to double and some to triple sales in under 12 months.
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