Work - Good People Have CAUSE.
Hello and thank you for reading this.
Every Thursday I will write something on the rotating topics of my four ‘life pillars; work, rest, play and sustenance.
Today it’s time to write my second post on the topic of ‘work’.
I’m using these journal posts as a way of exploring and conceptualising what I’ve seen and known to be true in my work as a coach, leader and business owner for the past 25 years. So that I can convey them and hopefully help others to be the ‘waves of positive change’ that we need and support others, within their leadership, to be so too.
Last time I wrote about what I do; helping good people lead great things, and today I’m gonna develop the thoughts further and talk about what I see as the consistent elements amongst those good people I work with who get ‘great stuff’ done.
Good People and Cause
When I boil it down, it’s clear to me that the good people I work with, the most successful in leading great things, have 5 main facets; these are 1. Conscience informed 2. Action Orientation 3. Underpinning Values 4. Societal Focus and 5. Equitable Mind frames
1. Conscience Informed
I thrive on working with people who really care about what they do and the difference they make. And get stuff done as a result. This care is often informed by their own experience, lived experiences of those close to them, or they are so incensed by an injustice they see others face, or a ‘justice’ they see some people receive (but not others) that they cannot help but feel action is needed - even if they haven’t yet found a way to lean into it.
In my work as a coach, a key part of my role is to help people acknowledge the difference they want to make ‘in role’ and more widely. In some circumstances this involves acknowledging where that comes from in order to solidify its importance to them and others. The ‘solidity’, can then be used as a driving force for our work together as well as determined, focused and consistent actions to deliver change over many years.
An example of how this has shown itself in a coaching assignment is a ‘head of’ that I have worked with in the last few years who had a ‘comprehensive education’ and noticed how hard it was for both them, and colleagues from a similar background to ‘get on’ and influence the ‘old boys brigade’. This resulted in us creating an ‘influencing strategy’ which created influence, recognition and advocacy. In turn, the coachee is now helping their reports, from similar backgrounds, to lean into the same.
Question: What have you seen or experienced in your life and in the lives of those close to you that you really feels needs addressing and how could you influence that from your position?
2. Action orientation
I thrive on working with people who ultimately have a desire to get things done. Like me, they are happy to talk about what needs to be done as well as formulate a clear strategy but their desire to deliver ‘now’, can sometimes take way from the discipline needed to play the political game and bring others with you as you ‘navigate the journey’.
Helping a coachee define the deliberate actions which need to be consistently actioned is incredibly important. So often people are acting, with good intent, but all to often it isn’t ‘making the boat go faster’ or ‘in the desired direction’. Creating a plan that others can visualise, resourcing the development and the support people need, whilst finding ways to maintain patience and commitment as well getting ‘everyone on the bus’ is of paramount importance.
An example of how this has shown itself in a coaching assignment is with a Director I worked with last year who needed to move into a role of orchestration. Her leadership team had been ‘holding back’ a programme of change for a number of years needed to learn to lean into motivators, acknowledge ‘the game’ which needed to be played. I also worked with the coachee to pause and address limiting beliefs and fears within the leadership group. This made a significant difference to all concerned and some of the most determined and focused leadership work I have seen a coachee deliver.
Question: What resources and expertise do you have at your disposal, and within you, that could be used to deliver positive action in the areas you see needing to be addressed?
3. Underpinning Values
I thrive on working with people who have a string moral and ethical compass. Having a baseline of values to be upheld and ideally not ‘crossed’, enables you to make better decisions, to prioritise where you place your energy and ‘stand up for yourself’ and the cause much more effectively. The most effective leaders I work with, either have this or find it through the work we do.
As a coach a key element of my role is to help a coachee determine a clear set of values; enabling the coachee challenge their own decisions and lean into those of others. helping a coachee define their values, or that of the team, enable all to take brave action, which might rub up against a groups values, in the short term, whilst delivering on those values, in the long term. When you are values driven, you sometimes miss the need to act for a longer term outcome and get impatient missing out on the foundation that methodically challenging the status quo can bring.
An example of how this has shown itself in a coaching assignment is with a new to role MD who wanted to add significant value to the organisations they were going to lead. Making the right ‘name for themselves’ and their organisation would be imperative and having identified their values, and what they wanted to be known for, they were able to ‘set out their stall’ from the off. This exercise also enabled them to reflect upon decisions made, plan decisions more effectively and change strategies when needed, whilst also continuing to act in a way congruent with theirs and the organisations agreed values and behaviours.
Question: What are the values you hold and those around you hold and how could these be fulfilled by addressing the changes you see we need in this world of ours?
4. Societal Focus
I thrive on working with people who have what I call Societal Focus. What this means for me, is that they can at least unconsciously connect the work they do and the change they want to make to everyone in ‘their’ society i.e. their team and organisation and explain this to those around them. The real growth, through coaching comes in being able to consciously do this across their organisation developing a string foundation for sector wide and cross sector influence.
As a coach, it’s my role to help my clients work out how to make a difference to the ‘society’ around them and then ripple that effect outwards to influence, if they wish, the ‘circle’ outside of that one, and then ‘the next’ and ‘the next’. When you prove ‘it’ works ‘here’, you are then in a position to show it could work ‘there’ too.
An example of how this has shown itself in a coaching assignment is a Director whom I have been working with for the past 2.5 years. Working in the comms sector, they were determined to move into the area of leading sustainability to have a much wider societal and environmental impact. In our work together, we have used this wider sense of purpose to challenge and support the, to achieve role change and career progression, influence internal and external stakeholders and are they are now leading sustainability strategy and goals for there organisation, as well as having taken upon the chair role of an international charity.
Question: What other societal challenges could you address by addressing the changes you wish to seek and which regulatory bodies and organisations could you align with to help ‘join up’ action?
5. Equitable Mind Frames
I thrive on working with people who believe in equality and the benefits and fairness of diverse teams. In particular, I am keen to develop working with those who recognise that there is much truth in the saying that “There is nothing more unequal than the equal treatment of unequal people”. Many in life have a different starting point and have to overcome challenges and a lack of opportunities that those in the ‘upper echelons’ of leadership and management, more often than not, haven’t had to.
As a coach, I see my developing role to help more coachees to influence not only their organisations, but also their sectors and national governing bodies to recognise the unfairness and unequivocal loss that is seen when we don’t utilise and include diverse skills, experiences and differences within our workforce and society. This is perhaps my own greatest growth opportunity and is why I have agreed to mentor for the fabulous 93percent club who are determined to “dismantle the class inequality that exists in Britain today through the power of community” which is just one facet of the equality and diversity imbalance we need to ‘rebalance”.
An example of how this has shown itself in a coaching assignment is with a number of female leaders I have worked with whom have had to challenge the status quo, their own ‘imposter syndrome’, whilst helping them play and succeed at winning the ‘highly male driven, ego game’. Not because that’s what should have to happen; but instead because that’s how you get into a position to influence and change the game itself. As a man who can be ‘sensitive’, ‘empathetic’, ‘speak from the heart’ and care about more than the outcome - I know what it is to ‘not be heard’, to a lesser degree than many, but I would like to create space for that value to surface.
Question: What support do those from differing background and starting points in life need to help them be able to support and deliver the change you wish to deliver and how can you and those ‘with’ you help make that possible?
Why do I care?
Some of you might be wondering why I care so much, many of you already know, but if this is your first Stefan Powell blog post I’ll give a very high level indication.
Conscience informed - I was born to two working class parents, I know what it was to be bullied for being poor, being academic and arty, and ‘fat’ and I know what it is to feel completely out of your depth when meeting publicly schooled students and peers 9as well as meet and know some awesome ones too). I also know what it is to lift myself up out of that start and to study law, become a leader and have the opportunity to not only succeed in corporate world but then to succeed is the terribly unjust small business world.
Action orientation - I like getting stuff done, but I was blessed to be mentored by a boss who insisted I created a plan, my process to success and won them over before I was let loose with a team each year, and each quarter. I delivered repeatedly, but like a carpenter or tailor I would prefer to measure twice and cut once than have to start again - I dont like disappointing people and I like winning.
Underpinning Values - As I have got older, had experience of many sectors and now find myself as the father of 4 children - I have really had to question whats important to me and where I add value, based upon my values. Refining them the P.E.O.P.L.E values this year has really helped me focus and filter whats important to me.
Societal Focus - Leaving the world of banking, having the opportunity to see how poor mental health provision can be, as well as founding a coffee house/community hub in our village of Freshwater has really held a mirror up to me of who I was, what I became and just how ‘lucky’ I have been to have the experiences I have had and how important the ability to advocate for oneself is. When you tie this with a recognition of systems change really being the answer, I am determined to add value here, as well as on the climate change front, leaving a safer and healthier planet for my children and yours.
It’s also why I following up on my desire to join local island based initiatives, determined to maintain a healthy biosphere, acting as a beacon and educator for ecology informed strategy.
5. Equitable Mind Frames
Highly connected to my conscience; I simply recognise that many in life have less opportunity and self expectation than others. As I’ve got older and worked in our community more; I have become aware of just how much I have been blessed with and what values, beliefs and support I did have around me. I’ve become more aware too of how much of a difference that ‘start’ has made in enabling me to lean into the challenges of life and the opportunities presented to me; even if not always in the most productive of ways. And I want to do more to give everyone a chance; because the solution isn’t coming from the status quo.
Next time
Next time, I would like to talk about the ‘great things’ my coachees lead and how, as a coach, I help my coachees identify what ‘their great thing is’ as well as take their first steps towards realising it.
Ideally, I will begin to talk through key challenges and strategies we use to address them each month.
A fundamental element of sharing this ‘stuff’ with you, will be to create some definition of leadership and to share some best practices from worked examples from my leadership and coaching experience and i’m under no illusions that using that experience to lead as well as coach is a different ‘kettle of fish’ to writing about it.
Thanks you for baring with me as I find my writing voice.
Summary Questions
I’m looking forward to this journey.
For now, I’d like to leave you with these 5 questions; which i’d love to hear the answers to - if you are happy to send them over.
What is the great thing you are trying to lead?
Where does your desire to lead that great thing and make your difference come from?
What is the aim of your work and what do you need to consistently do on a daily and weekly basis to deliver that?
How does your work help those around you and how could it help people more widely than your ‘circle of current influence’?
What needs to happen to ensure that all can benefit from the work you are doing?
To quote the band Radiohead; the answers to these questions will make you “…Fitter happier. More productive”.
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I’ll continue this in 4 to 5 Thursdays time when I continue the topic of ‘Rest” in my Thursday Journal.
Book an inquisitive session with me to find out more about what I do and how I do it or run a challenge or thought you have passed me.
For now; thank you
I am…
An executive coach who specialises in helping good people lead great things.
Good people care about others, our planet and beauty. Great things are changes for the betterment of society and all that lives within an around it.
It sounds big and fun - it is.
I'm also an endurance racing cyclist and a go. getter.
You can read more about me and what I do; how I work here