Aspiration – what do I want?

Step one is to get clarity about what you really, really want. For coaching to make a difference, there needs to be a gap between where you (and your team) are at, and where you aspire to be. You may have ‘clarity’ about what this looks like or you may need to gather information about the performance gap. 360-degree and team performance assessments are invaluable in this space, as is a soundboard.

Authenticity – who am I?

Simply put, authenticity is about ‘being yourself’. There is a cargo of conditioning that has shaped how you show up at this moment in time. Becoming the best version of yourself begins with knowing yourself: Your strengths, blind spots, drivers and values; intuiting what feels right for you and backing yourself to lead from that place. Personality profiling tools can be really useful in building awareness.

Alignment – what’s right for me?

Alignment is saying ‘yes’ to those things that align to your values, passions and aspirations and saying ‘no’ to anything that is not a whole-bodied, whole-hearted “hell yeah”. This is different from avoiding the things that scare you and will grow you. It’s about playing to the beat of your own drum and oftentimes, it’s about ‘playing bigger’. If you’re someone who gets stuck in decision-making, it can be useful to explore why that is and how to most effectively choose options.

Awareness – why do I do what I do? What’s really going on?

On one level, awareness is being present to the conversations and cues from people and the environment and noticing how you impact others. At a deeper level, awareness is about realising that you are not your thoughts alone. Your thoughts are programmed from your conditioning – the environment and experiences you’ve been exposed to. As you grow in conscious awareness, you free yourself from old paradigms and open your mind to unlimited possibilities and freedom of choice. This is when your true potential really awakens.

Acceptance – how do I minimise my own suffering?

Acceptance is non-resistance to what is happening in any given moment. It does not mean staying stuck with what is happening but accepting that what is arising in the here and now is a result of the past, which you cannot change. Cultivating a resilient mindset, “it is what it is”, mitigates reactivity, switches on ‘executive brain functioning’ and puts you in the executive leadership seat of working out how to influence the situation for the better.

Adjustment – how can I grow?

Adjustment is about having ‘the courage to change the things that you can’. It’s about taking radical responsibility for what is happening around you, the part you played in it, learning from it and taking action. These micro adjustments add up to significant leadership impact over time.

Assistance – who can support me to get there faster?

Seeking out support is a no-brainer if you aspire to accelerate your potential. For leaders this is not always easy, because the expectation to ‘know it all’ amplifies as you climb the executive career ladder. It seems counter-intuitive, but leaders who are willing to be vulnerable are widely known to be better at creating a culture of trust and followship. This means being honest and seeking out support when you don’t know the answer. Leaders do not become great in isolation. It is easier, faster and often more joyful, in partnership.