Leadership with passion and purpose during Covid-19 and beyond

The impact and effects of Covid19 mean that leaders are now operating in environments and under conditions that very few -if any- of us would have forecasted 2 years ago. Coaching has been embraced by many leaders in the world to allow proper adaptation to this unprecedented situation.

ICF defines coaching as partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential. The process of coaching often unlocks previously untapped sources of imagination, productivity and leadership.

We all have goals we want to reach, challenges we’re striving to overcome and times when we feel stuck. Partnering with an ICF coach can change your life, setting you on a path to greater personal and professional fulfillment.

Martin Braddock, an ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC) from UAE shares the following leadership tips:

“In coaching sessions, clients have asked me: “ What do you expect from the future business environment and how can I prepare for it?” Rather than take the easy option and counter with: “Well, what do you think you should be doing and how can you prepare for the ‘New World’, I decided to have a go at answering the question myself. I responded (like a sharpened arrow) with: “I don’t know”. To recover a small amount of professional pride, I added “and if anybody tells you that they do know the answer to both of those questions, I’d be very sceptical about their assertions”.

Martin suggests an unusual ‘role-model’ which hopefully will help you in your leadership. In literature and legend, the Salamander is associated with being unharmed by fire.

1. Surviving the Fire could be interpreted as being able to ‘survive’ major disappointments or setbacks and a leaders’ ability to pick him/herself up from a major set- back and push-on with renewed vigour and determination.

2. Re-generating Body Parts could be akin to being able to re-positioning or refresh your thinking and approach to a challenge.

3. Permeable Skin. Salamander skin is thin, permeable to water, serving as a respiratory membrane, with outer layers that renew periodically through a skin shedding process. How ‘permeable’ or ‘open’ are you to absorbing new ideas? Perhaps ‘re-inventing’ your existing business proposition, to be agile and innovative.

4. Protection from Infections. Glands in their skin discharge mucus which helps protect against bacterial infections, which also makes them slippery and more difficult for predators to catch. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have qualities that would resist ‘negative’ infection from negative attitudes, or thoughts that can drain your energy?

5. A ‘Middle’ Ear. Salamanders have a system in the middle ear, able to detect low-frequency vibrations which warns them of an approaching predator. What a great quality to have if you can detect a ‘predator’ or potential collaborator from a distance and take the appropriate action’

ICF has launched an online platform offering thought-led articles on coaching and leadership at icf-events.org/articles/. Feel free to read Martin’s full article there.

Want to know more about success stories about leadership coaching and coaching in organizations in the Middle East? Sign up for the ICF Middle East Prism Award free online ceremony on 29th September at 7.30 pm Dubai time. 

The International Coaching Federation (ICF) is the world’s largest organization leading the global advancement of the coaching profession and fostering coaching’s role as an integral part of a thriving society. Founded in 1995, its 40,000-plus members located in more than 145 countries and territories work toward common goals of enhancing awareness of coaching and upholding the integrity of the profession through lifelong learning and upholding the highest ethical standards. Through the work of its six unique family organizations, ICF empowers professional coaches, coaching clients, organizations, communities and the world through coaching. Visit coachingfederation.org for more information.