Executive Coaching | Leading In VUCA

One To One Executive Coaching

Lead with Clarity And Impact: Unleash Your Full Potential Through Inner Work

Leaders, especially senior ones, need to journey through this inner development curriculum via the processes of "growing up”, "waking up”, "cleaning up” and "showing up" because the traditional heroic leadership model no

longer works effectively in today's VUCA world. Here's

a breakdown of why each process is crucial and why it should inform the executive coaching agenda.

GROWING Up

Traditional leaders often rely on a "hero" mentality: They believe they need to have all the answers and solve problems single-handedly. This approach is unsustainable in a VUCA world where problems are often "wicked" (lacking clear-cut solutions).

Growing up involves developing new capacities: Developing a growth mindset, enhancing one’s meaning making, developing a pluralistic worldview, sitting with the anxiety which comes with uncertainty and transcending one’s ego to be in service to others, rather than striving for the self.

cleaning Up

Cleaning up involves addressing defence mechanisms: These are ingrained patterns of thoughts, feelings and unconscious reactions that may have kept leaders feeling safe in the past, but now limit their effectiveness. Examples include micromanagement or being overly impacted by fears of vulnerability, rejection and/or failure.

Cleaning up involves befriending our inner critics: This will avoid feelings of being an impostor when inevitable setbacks occur. Consequently leaders become more resilient, show up more consistently which builds trusting relationships and are far less likely to burn-out.

Waking Up

Waking Up Externally: Most leaders are unaware of the VUCA landscape they lead across and the myriad of wicked problems which impact them. Consequently, they will be leading from a position of being systemically blind to the impact that VUCA’s shearing forces, having not woken up to see them.

Waking up involves developing a hugely deeper self-awareness: The holy grail of leadership is the capacity to demonstrate a personal presence, which is only accessible to us once we become aware of and wake up to our own consciousness and its contents in the present moment.

SHowing UP

Modelling the way for others: Leaders need to developing resilience to withstand the inevitable knock backs which occur within a VUCA environment and can show up in a way where they can demonstrate an equanimity, a compassion for others and wisdom to know what they can and cannot influence.

Showing up authentically: This means leading with integrity, self-awareness and a genuine desire to be radically honest and real. It fosters trust, psychological safety and a more collaborative leadership style.

Equips leaders to thrive and serve: Leaders show up with new perspectives, capacities and mindset that they need to navigate the complexities of a VUCA world and to lead effectively.