Self-awareness, CPoP, and talking to yourself

From the Coaches

Alicia Perkins argues that knowing who they are and what they can (and can’t) offer their company is one of the best assets your clients can cultivate in Why Self-Awareness Equals a Higher Pay Grade.

Mitchell Levy shows that CPoP is where leaders should focus if they want to truly build a product that customers will love in The CPoP (Customer Point of Possibilities) Comes Before the Why.

Philip Liebman discusses communication, the importance of inspiration, and why leaders need to look externally to improve their leadership qualities in Who Do You Talk With About How You Lead? (Other Than Yourself).

Peter Stewart offers tips your clients can use to offer feedback that won’t be triggering to the people they’re trying to help in 4 Suggestions For Giving Brain-Friendly Feedback.

Dr. Rick Goodman tells leaders what they need to do to mentor other future leaders on their teams in How to Help Your Team Build Effective Leadership Skills.

Tugba Yanaz talks about visionary leadership and how developing it can help your clients outperform their competitors in Are You a Visionary Leader? Here are 12 Ways to Cultivate and Enhance Your Leadership Vision.

Coach Spotlight: Kenneth Berger

A video worth watching
Netflix's tennis documentary Break Point and Cody Townsend's ski mountaineering documentary The Fifty Project. These very different sports series both highlight the importance of finding peace internally vs. from external outcomes. Focusing on outcomes can seem natural: tennis is about winning matches, ski mountaineering is about summitting and skiing peaks, business is about growth and profit. But the people at the pinnacle of these disciplines show again and again that the secret to success and happiness is finding joy in the process—regardless of the outcome.

An activity worth doing
Find a hobby you love, ideally one that's active, outdoor, and social. It can be hard letting go of outcomes in our lives' main pursuits: work, family, health, etc. Sure, they're fulfilling, but the stakes feel terrifyingly high to get them right. I'll never be a pro at tennis or skiing, and that's part of why I love them: I can practice enjoying their simple pleasures without the pressure of having to perform.

A quote or saying worth repeating
Ask for what you want! It's so simple, but it's a principle I come back to again and again in my own life and with clients. Articulate what you want, take a stand for it by asking, and listen hard to the response so you can learn from it. Often we have 100 reasons why we can't or shouldn't ask, so the real work is working through that resistance to take a stand for your desires anyway.

A concept worth understanding
Acceptance: grappling with what's true right now instead of pretending otherwise. Often people think of acceptance as defeat: that it means they'll never get what they want. But acceptance is about the present, not the future—none of us know what the future will bring! That's why I don't like the advice "don't take no for an answer." Instead, accept the no and respect the boundary. That will help you build a better relationship, and hopefully get a yes when you ask next time around.

A question worth asking 
What if you stopped shielding others from the consequences of their actions? Often people fear Bad Things will happen if they stop. But natural consequences are just that: natural and inevitable. So what if you let your kid be late to school? Or gave your manager or report that feedback you've been afraid to share? You might be surprised how good it feels to simply let natural consequences flow.

Five recommendations by executive coach to startup leaders, Kenneth Berger

From the Operators & Investors

Arvid Kahl talks about how difficulties taking breaks can lead to mental health issues in Take a Break.

Holly Branson offers advice on how to make your start-up stand out among a crowd of other business opportunities in What makes a start-up stand out for investment?

Oh hey, what’s Heyday?

Heyday is an AI-powered thought partner that helps executive coaches be more present with clients. Modern coaches generate automatic session notes, detect patterns from client conversations, and write authentic thought leadership with help from Heyday.

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