Digging Deeper: Rethinking who we are when we lead

Digging Deeper: Rethinking who we are when we lead

Unlimited Potential has teamed up with Yellow Boots Leadership to introduce the Deliberate Shift Coaching Program. The article below is from an interview with Ottawa writer Kaarina Stiff.

It's About Leadership

Deliberate Shift has launched an innovative new leadership coaching program for people who want to think creatively about how they lead.

Deliberate Shift co-founder Ellen Melis says this program digs deeper than other coaching programs.

“It’s a different way of making leadership development come to life,” says Melis. “Fundamentally, it’s about bringing people to a different place.”

The program includes an intensive three-day workshop, followed by one-on-one coaching, group support calls, and a community of practice with other leaders.

“This is not just a workshop—it’s a leadership development program that is for people who say ‘I want to lead differently’,” Melis continues. “It’s about deliberate leadership that engages people, going from telling people what to do to getting the best out of them.”

Beyond Coaching Skills

Both Melis and co-founder Tammy McLennan are certified executive coaches. They created Deliberate Shift to fill a need they saw in the market for a program that goes beyond basic coaching skills. It combines traditional skills building, like how to listen effectively and ask better questions, with a heavy emphasis on self-awareness that creates space for people to think about how they want to “show up” as a leader.

“A big passion for me is reducing the tension between work and life,” says McLennan. “You can’t separate who you are outside of work from who you are at work.”

Most leaders are challenged to find time to explore these thoughts in a busy work environment that’s full of back-to-back meetings. Through the three-day workshop, the program guides people to think deeply about who they are as leaders, and to examine how they can lead more deliberately, based on what drives them to do their best work.

“We take time with people so they can reflect,” says McLennan. “We work with people to help them figure out who they are as a leader, how they show up, and how they want to show up as a leader—we create the space for all of that to happen.”

Integration with LEADS

The program has a unique link to the LEADS leadership framework, which is used extensively in the healthcare sector and promotes a holistic view of what it means to lead. Consistent with LEADS, the Deliberate Shift Coaching program includes a follow-up 360-degree feedback process, which helps participants broaden their understanding of the impact their leadership approach has on others.

The Deliberate Shift Coaching Program is best suited to individuals who are ready to think hard about the changes they can make, and want to have more deliberate conversations with the people they work with. It’s an excellent way for whole groups or organizations to bring about a culture shift because it gives people a common framework and a common language to work from, which builds trust across the entire team.

“This is really perfect for organizations that are committed to creating a more engaging culture with individuals who are prepared to do the hard work,” says Melis.

Beyond doing - It's about showing up differently

A key quality that sets this program apart from other leadership offerings is the follow-up work that continues after the workshop is over. Melis and McLennan call it “a leadership shift that sticks”, because they designed the program to be practical and long lasting.

“We give a lot of time in the workshop and in the coaching to look at where you are now and where you want to be, and then identifying the path that’s going to take you there and help you stay there,” says Melis.

The impact of a program like this is profound for people who embrace it, McLennan adds, because it introduces the value of slowing down and preparing for deliberate conversations in a way that they didn’t think of before.

“People have described that shift as ‘life-changing’ once they gain these new insights” says McLennan. “It’s so powerful to be able to have real conversations about things that matter and see how quickly you feel connected to other people when you do that.”

Melis and McLennan are also excited to be doing this together.

“When we work together, we play off each other’s creativity and we do our best work,” Melis says. “That’s one of the reasons I’m so excited about this — this really is our best work. It’s fresh, it’s different, it’s fun — and it really makes a difference.”

Register here.

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Ellen Melis
06 June 2016
Leadership Training
Unlimited Potential has teamed up with Yellow Boots Leadership to introduce the Deliberate Shift Coaching Program. The article below is from an interview with Ottawa writer Kaarina Stiff. It's About Leadership Deliberate Shift has launched an innovative new leadership coaching program for people who want to think creatively about how they lead...

A Leadership Shift that Sticks  

 

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