Tag: Executive Coaching

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2023: A Year in Leadership – Reflections and Learnings

Heraclitus, an ancient Greek philosopher, once said, “Out of every one hundred men, ten shouldn’t even be there, eighty are just targets, nine are the real fighters…Ah, but the one, one is a warrior.”

This last year I have been very fortunate to support so many of these “warriors”…..the professional leaders charged with the future success of their organisations.

The clarity of a full year of experiences often comes only with some distance. In the thick of the daily grind, time rushes by, filled with daily challenges and tasks. As my 19th year of self employment year ends, an extended break creates that valuable opportunity to pause and reflect.

At Pivot & Pace, we’ve had a dynamic year, providing comprehensive support to diverse & market leading companies. Our focus has remained on helping these organisations to define, adapt, and implement their strategies in the face of ongoing market fluctuations, change and disruption. We’ve seen our Executive and Operational Leader Programmes thrive, catering to the evolving needs of our clients. Our commitment to enhancing governance and succession planning has been ongoing.

In terms of expansion, we’ve broadened our horizons to Auckland and Queenstown, not just with a presence but also in strategic alliances. These partnerships, formed with academic, professional, and commercial entities, are guided by a crucial question: “How do we appear where our future clients are?” This philosophy has streamlined our approach to building trusted relationships and facilitating high value niche services alongside like minded partners.

The year wasn’t without its challenges, marked by highs and lows that are part and parcel of navigating a growing business in a competitive industry. Leadership, to me, is a never-ending journey of personal growth, a constant balance of self-awareness, decision-making, professional judgement and learning to thrive in ambiguity.

As a tradition, I like to reflect on my leadership roles – as Managing Partner, Board Chair, director, father, coach, and strategist – and to identify my key learnings. Here are my significant ones from 2023, in no particular order:

  1. Competition happens at the bottom. Those leading any industry are collaborating together. This year we have focussed on continuing to build on & formalise our strong strategic partnerships. When there is trust, alignment of shared values and mutual respect, this is a game changer in terms of making an impact to clients. Strategic partnerships take time, focused effort, resources and most critically they require the exchange of genuine value & goodwill between all parties involved.
  2. To have a diverse team you need to set them up to succeed. We all know the benefits of having diverse thinkers at the table (different cultures, ages, genders, experiences, education, industry expertise) but in order for them to make an impact and thrive some real consideration is needed to ensure the structures, behaviours and norms evolve to leverage this impact. Too often those who bring much needed different thinking don’t stay because they feel they don’t fit and can’t make an impact. If nothing changes, nothing changes.
  3. Giving time to help others has been some of my most fulfilling work in 2023. Each year I give back to others through some unpaid work. I have coached startup entrepreneurs, emerging directors, post graduate students and others who have who have simply needed a bit of support just to help them through a tough spot. I have personally learnt a lot from these people and they have helped me to explore different thinking and to be more empathetic. The giving works both ways!
  4. “The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding”. Often we gravitate to the work we know, love and get energy from by default. But innovative thinking and the exploration & development of new ideas gets parked simply because of the energy needed and the time to prioritise it. This year I have been encouraged by several mentors to take reflection, listening, curiosity and questioning to another level. This has allowed better insights and has helped me to prioritise what I should be doing for future success.
  5. Real talent is exceptionally hard to find. Our business thrives on talented individuals who are all rounders – they can navigate complex client relationships and deliver strategic insights with impact. Identifying and nurturing such talent remains a key focus & challenge as we move into 2024.
  6. The “sandwich” generation is tricky. 2023 was such a full one year professionally and also personally. Juggling professional demands with personal responsibilities in a year filled with significant family milestones, young children and elderly parents challenges, has been a leadership learning curve in itself.
Our Purpose: “To make an Intentional Impact”

My own key personal achievements this year include:

  1. Wrote the content of a masters level ‘self leadership” paper. This is one of the papers on the University of Canterbury Online Post Graduate Diploma of Strategic Leadership and was a good challenge.
  2. Presented a University of Canterbury MBA & Executive Education Masterclass.
  3. In November 0f 2023 I completed the Institute of Directors “Advanced Directors” Course in Wellington. This was an amazing leadership course alongside a cohort of very experienced directors and with input from some of New Zealand’s most prominent professional directors. I learnt a vast amount about governance, myself and how to navigate complexity and ambiguity in the board room and CEO environment.
  4. Building (with help) a wooden fence around the garden. Sounds simple but over 6 days, 54 post holes (Concreted) with gates and wooden railings this was one of my most satisfying achievements of 2023.
  5. Spoke as the guest speaker at my hometown civic ANZAC service. In fact undertook a number of keynotes and panel events throughout 2023.
  6. Organised a joint 80th birthday party to celebrate both of my parents in November. This was a such a fun experience with 90 family and friends.
  7. Attended my brothers wedding in April which was an awesome farm & family celebration.
  8. Attended the 35th anniversary weekend of my Army Officer Graduating class. This was a great reconnection with good friends who undertook 12 months of leadership training together in a challenging environment.

Some key measured personal metrics of 2023:

  • Facilitated 47 strategic planning sessions.
  • Conducted 218 one on one executive coaching sessions.
  • Attended 60 board meetings as in my capacity as a director (Chairing 28 of them).
  • Advised 14 Boards of Directors.
  • Worked with 19 different Executive Leadership Teams.
  • Consulted to 32 different organisations internationally.
  • Attended 36 networking events.
  • Completed 5 CEO annual appraisals and reviews.
  • Led 20 customised leadership workshops.
  • Travelled on 73 flights, including international.
  • Completed an Oxford University Masterclass and the Advanced Directors Course.
  • Took 8 weeks of annual leave to recharge.
  • 17th year of marriage, 19th year of self employment.
  • 3 healthy children who are all growing, exploring, learning and active.
  • Contracted a clever virtual EA to support my practice.
  • Read 56 books (business and biography).
  • Maintained over the 12 months an average of 7 hours 37 minutes of sleep per night, 30 minutes of exercise each day, and daily average steps of 8625 (7.1km).

2023 was a busy and fulfilling year, one I look back on a think – that was hard but a lot happened! It was a year of post covid normalisation (a new normal), one of constant hustle and one that required a lot of energy.

Luke, Greg, Me: Dec 23

I love what I do and the people I get to share our mission with. I want to acknowledge my business partner Greg Allnutt, MNZM for his endless hard work, laser focus and professional expertise. Complementary skills allow both of us to play to our strengths and this is definitely the leadership & implementation (Combat) multiplier that drives our business success. I also want to thank our team and our independent directors at Pivot and Pace for their hard work and the positive impact they have each day.

To our strategic partners and our valued clients. Thank you, thank you for the opportunity to work with you and to be a small part of your business and leadership success. John Spence, our strategic partner in the USA – you rock!

We have big plans and some great initiatives planned for 2024 and I look forward to starting that journey soon…..maybe after another week or two recharging.

What are your reflections of 2023? What did you learn? What did you achieve?

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Staying on Track: Leaders are Adapting Fast

There has never been a more exciting time to be leading people in business, in fact leading people in any organisation. 2020 has delivered more change in the last 7 months than we’ve seen in the last decade and there will a lot more to follow. Although most of the change is being driven by the global pandemic, most of the resulting trends are not new ones……they have simply been brought forward a number of years.

This has created a massive wave of change & combined with the other impacts on the economy (caused by close downs, stay at home orders, restrictions on travel & limited physical access to markets) is changing the way we execute business. Leaders are adapting in order to win in this new environment.

“We are in a flexible period of humanity”

I work as part of a Christchurch based team that works alongside prominent and experienced leaders of mainly New Zealand companies but also some Australian & US businesses. Many of those based in New Zealand are exporting globally &/or operating nationally. My own clients range across the agribusiness, science, manufacturing, health, processing, technology, education & both civil & vertical construction. I work mainly with Boards of Directors, CEO’s and their Executive teams. Most are established businesses with revenues ranging from $10m – $500m. We also support New Zealand Trade & Enterprise clients for expansion and Tourism NZ clients seeking to pivot their businesses.

Across the experienced leaders I work regularly with here are the trends;

  • There is an interesting tension between the need to survive as an organisation & the opportunity to thrive. Moral courage is increasingly important. There is a need to do the right thing, in line with the purpose and values of the organisation, at a time when there are also a lot of business continuity decisions.
  • Most CEO’s are cautiously optimistic about the immediate future but are concerned about the medium term (12 – 24 months). Many are asking “what does the latter part of 2021 look like?” & are actively seeking to make some assumptions as a basis for continued contingency planning.
  • There is more empathy & connectedness with employees & clients. That human connection is critical because leadership is a team sport. Many employees are facing challenges with family ie child care, spouses losing jobs, mental well being. There has been a need for more pastural care, more access to counselling & support services. This has made restructuring even more challenging than before as leaders balance the human capital needs with the businesses survival needs. Retaining clients has never been more critical.
  • There is a much lower tolerance of those who are non performers. Poor performance is being addressed very quickly. On the flip side those that are being hired are bringing a different set of skills, often more experience and higher levels of expertise & diversity. In many cases the skillsets within the staff are changing to meet the need of the new environment. In some cases new hires cover multiple disciplines.
  • Leaders are actively seeking peer groups, individual coaching and access to information about how others are dealing with similar issues. We have never seen more individuals seek leadership coaching from our company. One such General Manager summed it up when he said “I’ve been winging it for years but I don’t think I can do that any more. I need to get better as a leader to support change and to support my team.” Some seek coaching to ensure they deliver within their role and in doing so provide security for their ongoing future employment.
  • Bigger, bolder decisions are bing made faster. There is streamlining of structures, clarity on the composition of teams & overall there is more contingency planning.
  • Leaders are much more conscious of the things they need to do to remain effective & reduce stress. There is more emphasis on taking time off to rest, to be with family, to relax & many seek to have fun.
  • Many are too inwardly focussed and know they need prioritise time to look out into the market to scan for risk & opportunity. This can be challenging because there is less trust & confidence in the mainstream media. Many to validate what they are seeing in the media.
  • Business and leader succession is a big issue. Many of those in the latter stages of their careers are asking whether they have the energy or the skills to lead through a number of years of change and economic uncertainty. This is leading to some life changing decisions, a focus on more effective governance &/or the desire to exit.

“By all means run with the wildebeest but remember it is important to pause & look back occasionally to remind yourself what you are running from”

  • There is a huge awakening about the importance of having skilled people leaders in place. Leaders lead people while managers manage things or resources. The skills of the “generalist” leader have never been more highly valued & there is more investment in coaching, training, leader & team development.

These are both challenging and exciting times and as with any change there is a lot of opportunity presenting to those leaders and organisations who are reflecting, planning and who remain agile enough to take advantage of them.

What are you seeing in your leadership role?

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Our Philosophy on Executive Leadership Coaching

A short video with Top 50 Global Leadership Expert John Spence on how we each approach Executive Leadership Coaching. There are many approaches to coaching but without doubt if you get the right fit the impact it makes to your effectiveness as a leader is significant. John has been coaching for many years and his approach, although similar, is different to mine.

I learnt through my career as an Army Officer the importance of coaching, mentoring and guiding and was lucky enough to have some very good leaders invest their time with me. Years of practical leadership followed by some post graduate study at Cornell University in the High Performance Leadership space allowed us to develop our framework that we use to work with many to the top CEO’s, Sports leaders and emerging leaders in New Zealand, Australia and the USA.

Check out this short video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRQN7-WH8Kw&t=2s

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Leadership Lessons from 200 CEO’s: 2017

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Annually since 2013 I have surveyed over 200 CEO’s across the USA, Australia and New Zealand to seek feedback on two key questions relating to what they have learnt and what challenges they feel they face over the coming 12 months. As you can imagine it creates a huge amount of information which takes some time to distil down to the key patterns that show up across all the replies. It is also a very interesting document to read because these busy business leaders have taken the time to reflect and answer the questions.

The trend over the last five years has been the impact of constant change, the challenge of developing teams who can perform in change and who have the resilience to perform under pressure. There is much more awareness of the importance of a good culture of engagement and the need for governance, mentors and coaches to stay ahead of the crowd (competitors). I do note that the CEO’s surveyed are leading high performance companies that perform year on year despite market conditions and competitor moves so they are adaptable and already good at execution.

Question 1: What are the three biggest leadership lessons you have learnt in 2017?

  1. Disruption affects all businesses. Change is constant and getting faster and regardless of what industry you are in technology change with have a significant impact on how you lead. Developing change leadership skills is critical.
  2. Behaviours make a big impact as you develop a team. Take the time to define the values, team behaviours (& expectations) so you can expect and demand more of your people. It also provides consistency and builds culture of trust through clarity and communication.
  3. As the CEO I cannot be indispensable. I have to allow others to step up and lead in order to develop future leaders and successors.

Question 2: What are the three biggest challenges you will face as a leader in 2018?

  1. Developing depth in my team to reduce risk and workload i.e. Talent/bench strength both in the senior management team and across other key leaders (Succession, coaching, training).
  2. Implementing good/effective governance and trusted external mentors, advisors & specialists to cover my blind spots and those of our company.
  3. Velocity of execution. Getting the important things done that will ensure the future success of the business, whilst maintaining annual growth and the complexity of the day to day churn of the business.

You can see the results of last years survey here.

You can look back over a summary of the last five surveys here.

I thank all those CEO’s who took the time to reflect and provide feedback.

Kendall

Grit = High Performance Leadership

www.kendalllangston.com

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2 Mins: Leader Communication & Conflict

As a leader communication is a core competency you need to have. Likewise healthy conflict is good as a team collaborates, norms, storms and performs. Ideas are challenged and new ways are discussed. This short clip with John Spence discusses the topic. How do you approach it?

https://youtu.be/5tao57aWqQA

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Leadership: The Science of Personality

Leadership is a key predictor of success and the impact leaders have on a group is not only significant but extremely consistent. Leadership is a “Group resource” and groups that are seeking to get ahead tend to want to have the best leaders in place to ensure that outcome. Personality plays a big part and I am often asked questions such as “Are leaders born or made”, “Do leaders have to be charismatic and inspiring to be successful.”

This video from Hogan Assessments is a very good resource and it answers many interesting questions as it explores the science behind personality and the impact this has on leaders. We use Hogan Assessments to support clients on our Executive Leadership Program and really value their research and expertise.