Welcome to the sixth edition of Cadence Catch-Up.
This month, I conclude my series of coaching rules inspired by the Netflix series “The Playbook”. For those unfamiliar with the series, five leading sports coaches share their rules for successful performance. I have selected one from each coach and interpreted it through a business lens, to give you the best possible preparation as you approach your own career coaching engagement.
Based on interactivity, football coach Jose Mourinho’s “The Train Doesn’t Stop Twice” and basketball coach Dawn Staley’s “24-Hour Rule” have had the most impact. Maybe it’s the aura of Mourinho, perhaps it’s just the mystery sitting behind each rule? I certainly felt in writing this series that the sentence “We sit back and wait for the next train, when the train that has a seat ready for us departs – sadly occupied by somebody else” as the most impactful.
If there is a leadership issue you’d like to see addressed in future editions, just let me know.
Remember, feedback is a gift, so reach out if you have something to say.
Hope you enjoy this edition.
COACHING RULE #3: THE TRAIN DOESN’T STOP TWICE
Imposter syndrome is just a label for another form of performance anxiety. It is completely normal, and usually a great predictor of success.
COACHING RULE #4: YOUR GREATEST WEAKNESS CAN BECOME YOUR GREATEST STRENGTH
Understanding our latent personality archetype, or the one you are least likely to relate to, can be extremely powerful – especially when faced with adversity.
COACHING RULE #5: THE 24-HOUR RULE
The practice known as self-leadership guides our thoughts toward constructive reflection, which in turn builds task-specific self-confidence. But true reflective practice only occurs once you’ve created the headspace to REFLECT / LEARN / PLAN /ACT.
Wrapping this series up, here are all five coaching rules. Check out Cadence Catch-Up #5 for more information on Coaching Rules #1 and #2.
ALSO THIS MONTH……THE INFINITE GAME
I was speaking with an NGO last week and not surprisingly, we spoke about its mission, and how it will never be “done”. There will always be a need for the services it provides, but the challenges in providing those services will not reduce – in fact, they are likely to increase.
This discussion got me thinking again about Simon Sinek’s book The Infinite Game from 2019 (remember those days?). The basic theme he explores in the book is that for many organisations (both profit and for purpose, but mostly for profit) they measure success or wins based on a set of rules over a finite period – for example, how many sales did we make this quarter, how profitable were we, did we beat our competitors, and so on. But in the infinite game, we stop thinking about who wins and who’s best and think about building organisations strong and healthy enough to survive and remain in the game. It’s a long-term play over a short-term one.
NGO’s by their nature need to think this way. The challenge the for-profit sector faces is to look beyond the league tables and the current reporting period and help shape the game so it remains relevant. It was therefore pleasing to see the CEO of CSL Limited, Paul Perreault quoted at the company’s recent profit announcement, saying “If I was worried about fiscal year 2023 in terms of delivering on what we’re going to do, then I shouldn’t be sitting in this chair….I have to think about it 10 years from now because nobody else is”.
Like most of Sinek’s work, The Infinite Game is highly recommended.
ABOUT LEWIS
Cadence Leadership Advisory is a leadership development business specialising in coaching people, team leadership and development, strategy review and organisational culture.
Its Founder, Lewis Williams, has over 25 years of leadership experience gained through senior roles at NAB, HSBC and Bendigo and Adelaide Bank. A Graduate of AGSM@UNSW, a Graduate Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD), and an Approved Advisor with Advisory Board Centre, he instigated and drove development of the 2021 paper “Organisational Culture: Beyond the Intangible” with other alumni of the AICD. He is also an accredited CultureTalk practitioner, a training and development platform that activates the framework of personality archetypes for the growth of leaders, teams, brands and cultures.
FOUNDER: Lewis Williams
EMAIL: lewis@cadenceleadershipadvisory.com.au
MOBILE: 61 (0) 477 371 665
LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lewis-williams- cadenceleadershipadvisory/
