San Francisco Bay Area Executive Coaching

In Search of Executive Wisdom

Executive Wisdom

I was recently working with one of my San Francisco Bay Area executive coaching clients – the president of a professional services firm. We talked about whether wisdom can be developed or learned.

My executive coaching client and I discussed how both knowledge and experience have influenced his ability to make wise decisions. I am coaching my client to reach deep within himself and tap into his wisdom and creativity.

"A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don't necessarily want to go but ought to be."  ~ Rosalynn Carter, former First Lady

Every person in an executive role aspires to be wise and is expected to exercise wisdom in their decisions. Unfortunately, far too often senior leaders are more concerned with meeting the numbers and fail to come close to being astute.

The question is, can wisdom be practiced as a leadership competency in today's incredibly complex environment of corporate governance? What are the consequences of ignoring it?

While volumes have been written about wisdom over the ages, from philosophers and theologians to psychologists, it remains hard to define. Everyone believes they know it when they see it, especially in retrospect, without being able to pinpoint how or why.

We crave wisdom and hope our decisions will be viewed that way. We strive for brilliant decision- making in business, career, and work situations, and even more so when it comes to family, community, and moral issues.

Defining Wisdom

The Oxford English Dictionary (1998) states that wisdom is "the capacity of judging rightly in matters relating to life and conduct; soundness of judgment in the choice between means and ends; sometimes less strictly, sound sense in practical affairs; opposite to folly." Thus there is a combination of judgment, decisions, and actions.

Robert J. Sternberg, the Dean of Arts and Sciences at Tufts University and a leading researcher of wisdom, sees it as the application of tacit knowledge in pursuing the goal of a common good. It requires a balance of intra-, inter-, and extra-personal interests and a balance of responses to environmental and global contexts over short and longer periods of time.

When leading others in organizations, matters of wisdom become complicated. Wisdom begins with consciousness of one's self and deepens with the awareness of the tension between the inner "I" and the outer world. In the case of executives, the outer world includes customers, suppliers, employees, the organization, financial profits, shareholders and the environment, often globally.

According to Sternberg (2005), "Effective leadership is, in large part, a function of creativity in generating ideas, analytical intelligence in evaluating the quality of these ideas, practical intelligence in implementing the ideas, and convincing others to value and follow the ideas, and wisdom to ensure that the decisions and their implementation are for the common good of all stakeholders."

Are you working in a professional services firm or other organization where executive coaches provide leadership development to grow emotionally intelligent leaders? Does your organization provide executive coaching for leaders who need to search for their executive wisdom? Wise leaders tap into their emotional intelligence and social intelligence skills to make good decisions.

One of the most powerful questions you can ask yourself is “Do I exercise wisdom in my deccisions?” Emotionally intelligent and socially intelligent organizations provide executive coaching as part of their peak performance leadership development program.

Working with a seasoned executive coach and leadership consultant trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-I, CPI 260 and Denison Culture Survey can help your search for executive wisdom. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence and social intelligence, and who inspires people to become fully engaged with the vision, mission and strategy of your company or law firm.

About Dr. Maynard Brusman

Dr. Maynard Brusman is a consulting psychologist, executive coach and trusted advisor to senior leadership teams. He is the president of Working Resources, a leadership consulting and executive coaching firm. We specialize in helping San Francisco Bay Area companies and law firms assess, select, coach, and retain emotionally intelligent leaders.  Maynard is a highly sought-after speaker and workshop leader. He facilitates leadership retreats in Northern California and Costa Rica. The Society for Advancement of Consulting (SAC) awarded Dr. Maynard Brusman "Board Approved" designations in the specialties of Executive Coaching and Leadership Development.

For more information, please go to http://www.workingresources.com, write to [email protected], or call 415-546-1252.

Subscribe to Working Resources Newsletter: http://www.workingresources.com
Visit Maynard's Blog: http://www.workingresourcesblog.com  

Connect with me on these Social Media sites.
http://twitter.com/drbrusman
http://www.facebook.com/maynardbrusman
http://www.linkedin.com/in/maynardbrusman
http://www.youtube.com/user/maynardbrusman

 

How to Reinvent Yourself in the Workplace - Time for a Change

Reinvent Yourself

I was recently working with one of my San Francisco Bay Area executive coaching clients. We talked about her desire to reinvent herself, and why she was doing it. She was energized and motivated to unleash her entrepreneurial spirit, and transform her work and life. She boldly began her journey starting fresh with a beginner’s mind.

She was conscious that job security in the corporate world has gone out the widow! Getting ahead in a shaky and unpredictable economy can mean engaging in a career make-over. She had some fear about change, but was open to explore new possibilities.

We are all trying to understand and cope with the enormous changes in our work and personal lives. Conscious career changers in these uncertain times are aware of the need for resilience, and reinventing themselves to thrive and flourish in the new economy. Today’s career changers need to be resilient and persevere by taking the next steps for a better future. Re-inventers can learn to refocus, get inspired and be creative to align their purpose and passion with the ever-changing needs of the marketplace.

You can develop the courage and self-confidence that the right actions will help you reach your goals. Success awaits those who remain optimistic and creatively pursue new and rewarding career directions.

Time for a Change

Modern times may require you to reinvent yourself. People and companies will have to shift their mindsets to stay competitive. You hear a lot about career changers these days. A number of 20-somethings or the so called Millenial Generation don't want to pay their dues.Why would they change careers that they just started? They want meaning right out of the box. A number of Baby Boomers want to continue working through their senior years and contribute more than they did at their corporate jobs. Many need to work to keep afloat financially.

The recession and possible double dip has meant that people across all age groups need to reinvent themselves. There is a sense of urgency. People feel like the corporate world is not the reliable choice that it used to be, and if you're working in an uncertain career, you may as well be working on your own.

How you reinvent yourself differs based on your individual circumstances. It depends on your motivation, and whether you want to do it to spend more time with your family, develop a hidden talent or to work on your own.

Many of my coaching clients are pleasantly surprised when they discover that they can transfer skills from one career to another. It takes a lot of motivation, courage, and some just-in time learning. It may be stressful in the beginning, but the stress usually lessens when they’re further down the learning curve and have had some success.

In my experience coaching people in transition, the one trait that sets apart people who make a career change is persistence. If people are persistent and patient, they can bounce back when they have setbacks. If you don't have that internal drive, reinventing yourself may be very difficult. None of them took the path of least resistance. They took the “path less traveled.”

You create your way out of any fear that may be holding you back. You can dream and create your own life worth living. In the world of work, it may be a job or career that is more meaningful, or a new business venture that enlivens your spirit. Is it time for a change?

Are you working in a professional services firm or other organization where executive coaches provide leadership development to grow emotionally intelligent leaders? Does your organization provide executive coaching for leaders who need to reinvent themselves? Conscious leaders tap into their emotional intelligence and social intelligence skills to create a more fulfilling future.

One of the most powerful questions you can ask yourself is “Do I have the confidence to reinvent myself and grow?” Emotionally intelligent and socially intelligent organizations provide executive coaching as part of their transformational peak performance leadership development program.

Working with a seasoned executive coach and leadership consultant trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-I, CPI 260 and the Myers Briggs Personality Inventory can help you reinvent yourself. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence and social intelligence, and who inspires people to become fully engaged with the vision, mission and strategy of your company or law firm.

About Dr. Maynard Brusman

Dr. Maynard Brusman is a consulting psychologist, executive coach and trusted advisor to senior leadership teams. He is the president of Working Resources, a leadership consulting and executive coaching firm. We specialize in helping San Francisco Bay Area companies and law firms assess, select, coach, and retain emotionally intelligent leaders.  Maynard is a highly sought-after speaker and workshop leader. He facilitates leadership retreats in Northern California and Costa Rica. The Society for Advancement of Consulting (SAC) awarded Dr. Maynard Brusman "Board Approved" designations in the specialties of Executive Coaching and Leadership Development.

For more information, please go to http://www.workingresources.com, write to [email protected], or call 415-546-1252.

Subscribe to Working Resources Newsletter: http://www.workingresources.com
Visit Maynard's Blog: http://www.workingresourcesblog.com  

Connect with me on these Social Media sites.
http://twitter.com/drbrusman
http://www.facebook.com/maynardbrusman
http://www.linkedin.com/in/maynardbrusman
http://www.youtube.com/user/maynardbrusman

 

7 Tips for Reinventing Your Career – Connect on Social Media

"The only way to predict the future is to create it" - Peter Drucker

Connect on Social Media

I was recently working with one of my San Francisco Bay Area executive coaching clients. We talked about his focusing on discovering a better sense of self including his core values and identity. He was energized and motivated to ignite his entrepreneurial spirit.

Most importantly we focused on his discovering a sense of purpose...what was truly important to him. He pondered on the following powerful questions. Who am I and what are my core values? What is most meaningful in my life? What am I trying to do with my life? Do I feel fulfilled in my life? Do I use my talents to the fullest extent? Am I realizing my dreams?

My career coaching client put the following tips on a Post-it attached to his computer monitor. The tips serve as a daily reminder to him that positively reinventing yourself can bring happiness and career fulfillment.

7 Tips for Career Reinvention

Like any new activity, reinvention requires practice. It may take a while for social media to become natural and habitual. Practice these seven tips to create reinvention habits:

1. Envision your best possible future. When you daydream about your future, you set yourself up for goal-directed behaviors. Having a vision for the future is reassuring when the going gets tough. Envisioning your best possible future helps you persevere and provides hope and energy.
2. Prioritize your passions. Close the door on what no longer motivates and energizes you. Create a mindset open to experimentation and possibility. You may stumble upon something terrific that fits your purpose and passion.
3. Plug-in and be proactive. Create an online presence. Reinvention today is digital. Even the Pope is on Twitter!
4. Be a connector. Connect on social media sites Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Google +. People love to share work opportunities with people they know, like and trust.
5. Take baby steps. In the Age of Disruption, we’re all continual learners. Embrace it.
6. Experiment by practicing. Learn by doing and taking massive action. Focus on success rather than perfection.
7. Take a Stand. Create the intention and a declaration of commitment to act with a specific “declared possibility” in order to move the possibility to reality.

Are you working in a professional services firm or other organization where executive coaches provide leadership development to grow emotionally intelligent leaders? Does your organization provide executive coaching and career development for leaders who need to reinvent themselves? Enlightened leaders tap into their emotional intelligence and social intelligence skills to create a more compelling future.

One of the most powerful questions you can ask yourself is “Do I have the confidence to reinvent myself and grow?” Emotionally intelligent and socially intelligent organizations provide executive coaching as part of their high performance leadership and career development programs.

Working with a seasoned executive coach and leadership consultant trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating assessments such as the Bar-On EQi-2.0 and the Myers-Briggs can help you reinvent yourself. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence and social intelligence and who thinks big.

About Dr. Maynard Brusman

Dr. Maynard Brusman is a consulting psychologist, executive coach and trusted advisor to senior leadership teams. He is the president of Working Resources, a leadership consulting and executive coaching firm. We specialize in helping San Francisco Bay Area companies and law firms assess, select, coach, and retain emotionally intelligent leaders.  Maynard is a highly sought-after speaker and workshop leader. He facilitates leadership retreats in Northern California and Costa Rica. The Society for Advancement of Consulting (SAC) awarded Dr. Maynard Brusman "Board Approved" designations in the specialties of Executive Coaching and Leadership Development.

For more information, please go to http://www.workingresources.com, write to [email protected], or call 415-546-1252.

Subscribe to Working Resources Newsletter: http://www.workingresources.com
Visit Maynard's Blog: http://www.workingresourcesblog.com  

Connect with me on these Social Media sites.
http://twitter.com/drbrusman
http://www.facebook.com/maynardbrusman
http://www.linkedin.com/in/maynardbrusman
http://www.youtube.com/user/maynardbrusman

 

 

How to Develop Character and Wisdom

Character and Wisdom

I was recently working with one of my San Francisco Bay Area executive coaching clients – the president of a professional services firm. We talked about how he could help company leaders develop character and wisdom.

My executive coaching client and I discussed how it is more important to focus on success and fulfillment than perfection. I am coaching my client to develop wisdom, virtue and true expertise.

Developing Character and Wisdom

You want to maintain the best path for your career, yet still support short- and long-term organizational goals. Knowing how to navigate these tough environments is crucial for any achiever who wants to ascend to the top ranks.

History requires leaders to find and do the right things, in the right way, against the right time frame. It requires them to develop the capacity for executive wisdom and the ability to deploy it. It requires that they both see and pursue the development of virtue in their own characters.

Leaders routinely face situations for which they have no rules to guide them and all too often for which they have little or no knowledge. In these circumstances, they are always anxious and face incredible pressures to behave badly because they more often do not know what they do not know. Almost nothing is more difficult, anxiety arousing, and humiliating than for a leader to admit that he or she does not know the right thing to do.

~ Richard R. Kilburg, Executive Wisdom: Coaching and the Emergence of Virtuous Leaders, APA, 2006

Developing wisdom, virtue and true expertise in any domain takes time, a determined spirit and the courage to ask for help. With the right coach, you can further your professional growth in spite of the risks and anxieties.

Are you working in a professional services firm or other organization where executive coaches provide leadership development to grow emotionally intelligent leaders? Does your organization provide executive coaching for high achiever leaders? Enlightened leaders tap into their emotional intelligence and social intelligence skills to develop character and wisdom.

One of the most powerful questions you can ask yourself is “Do I do the right things, in the right way, at the right time?” Emotionally intelligent and socially intelligent organizations provide executive coaching as part of their high performance leadership development program.

Working with a seasoned executive coach and leadership consultant trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-I, CPI 260 and Denison Culture Survey can help high achievers develop character and wisdom. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence and social intelligence, and who inspires people to become fully engaged with the vision, mission and strategy of your company or law firm.

About Dr. Maynard Brusman

Dr. Maynard Brusman is a consulting psychologist, executive coach and trusted advisor to senior leadership teams. He is the president of Working Resources, a leadership consulting and executive coaching firm. We specialize in helping San Francisco Bay Area companies and law firms assess, select, coach, and retain emotionally intelligent leaders.  Maynard is a highly sought-after speaker and workshop leader. He facilitates leadership retreats in Northern California and Costa Rica. The Society for Advancement of Consulting (SAC) awarded Dr. Maynard Brusman "Board Approved" designations in the specialties of Executive Coaching and Leadership Development.

For more information, please go to http://www.workingresources.com, write to [email protected], or call 415-546-1252.

Subscribe to Working Resources Newsletter: http://www.workingresources.com
Visit Maynard's Blog: http://www.workingresourcesblog.com  

Connect with me on these Social Media sites.
http://twitter.com/drbrusman
http://www.facebook.com/maynardbrusman
http://www.linkedin.com/in/maynardbrusman
http://www.youtube.com/user/maynardbrusman

 

Bay Area Executive Coaching - Make Good Use of a Coach

Executive Coaching

I was recently working with a new San Francisco Bay Area executive coaching client. We discussed the coaching process, and how to make the best use of a coach.

My executive coaching client and I discussed the importance of both formal (360) and in-the-moment feedback. I am coaching my client to achieve better results by focusing more on success than perfection.

Make Good Use of a Coach

Mediocrity is the gateway to disengagement and boredom. To sustain high achievement, you need to be continually learning and growing, in spite of uncertainty and anxiety. You need to ask for, and receive, feedback.

Even the act of asking for help can be risky. In your private sessions with an executive coach, discuss who to approach for help and how to frame requests.

Anyone in a leadership role faces high-stress decisions each day. In the absence of a consistent commitment to growth and development, executive teams are prone to create and experience “groupthink.” 

With groupthink, group members try to minimize conflict and reach a consensus decision without critical evaluation of alternative ideas or viewpoints. The safe road beckons strongly when there is accumulative stress and rising risk.

Are you working in a professional services firm or other organization where executive coaches provide leadership development to grow emotionally intelligent leaders? Does your organization provide executive coaching for high achiever leaders? Enlightened leaders tap into their emotional intelligence and social intelligence skills to regularly ask for feedback.

One of the most powerful questions you can ask yourself is “Am I making good use of a coach?” Emotionally intelligent and socially intelligent organizations provide executive coaching as part of their high performance leadership development program.

Working with a seasoned executive coach and leadership consultant trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-I, CPI 260 and Denison Culture Survey can help you learn and grow and sustain high achievement. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence and social intelligence, and who inspires people to become fully engaged with the vision, mission and strategy of your company or law firm.

About Dr. Maynard Brusman

Dr. Maynard Brusman is a consulting psychologist, executive coach and trusted advisor to senior leadership teams. He is the president of Working Resources, a leadership consulting and executive coaching firm. We specialize in helping San Francisco Bay Area companies and law firms assess, select, coach, and retain emotionally intelligent leaders.  Maynard is a highly sought-after speaker and workshop leader. He facilitates leadership retreats in Northern California and Costa Rica. The Society for Advancement of Consulting (SAC) awarded Dr. Maynard Brusman "Board Approved" designations in the specialties of Executive Coaching and Leadership Development.

For more information, please go to http://www.workingresources.com, write to [email protected], or call 415-546-1252.

Subscribe to Working Resources Newsletter: http://www.workingresources.com
Visit Maynard's Blog: http://www.workingresourcesblog.com  

Connect with me on these Social Media sites.
http://twitter.com/drbrusman
http://www.facebook.com/maynardbrusman
http://www.linkedin.com/in/maynardbrusman
http://www.youtube.com/user/maynardbrusman

 

Does Your Organization Employ Zombies?

Employee Engagement

I was recently working with one of my San Francisco Bay Area executive coaching clients – the president of a professional services firm. We talked about how some of his employees were disengaged.

My executive coaching client and I discussed how to motivate and energize his workforce. I am coaching my client to create a more positive workplace culture that will fully engage his people.

Does your organization have zombies? A frequent character of science fiction novels and movies is the zombie – a soulless being with vacant eyes who wanders around purposelessly. The statistics on workforce engagement are shocking. According to research, only 29 percent of employees are motivated and energized. What, then, is happening to the other two-thirds of the people working in organizations? This is an even worse scenario than the old joke in which a manager is asked how many people work in his company and he responds, “About half of them.

Measuring employee engagement is critical for executives who should analyze their business for the second half of the year. Since 1997 the Gallup Organization has surveyed over 3 million employees in three hundred thousand work units within corporations. This survey consists of 12 questions—called the “Q¹²” — that measures employee engagement on a five-point scale indicating weak to strong agreement. The analyses of survey results show that those companies with high Q¹² scores experience lower turnover, higher sales growth, better productivity, better customer loyalty and other manifestations of superior performance.

Are you working in a professional services firm or other organization where executive coaches provide leadership development to grow emotionally intelligent leaders? Does your organization provide executive coaching for leaders who need to better engage their employees? Enlightened leaders tap into their emotional intelligence and social intelligence skills to create a more positive culture.

One of the most powerful questions you can ask yourself is “Does my organization employ zombies?” Emotionally intelligent and socially intelligent organizations provide executive coaching as part of their peak performance leadership development program.

Working with a seasoned executive coach and leadership consultant trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-I, CPI 260 and Denison Culture Survey can help you create a more positive workplace culture. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence and social intelligence, and who inspires people to become fully engaged with the vision, mission and strategy of your company or law firm.

About Dr. Maynard Brusman

Dr. Maynard Brusman is a consulting psychologist, executive coach and trusted advisor to senior leadership teams. He is the president of Working Resources, a leadership consulting and executive coaching firm. We specialize in helping San Francisco Bay Area companies and law firms assess, select, coach, and retain emotionally intelligent leaders.  Maynard is a highly sought-after speaker and workshop leader. He facilitates leadership retreats in Northern California and Costa Rica. The Society for Advancement of Consulting (SAC) awarded Dr. Maynard Brusman "Board Approved" designations in the specialties of Executive Coaching and Leadership Development.

For more information, please go to http://www.workingresources.com, write to [email protected], or call 415-546-1252.

Subscribe to Working Resources Newsletter: http://www.workingresources.com
Visit Maynard's Blog: http://www.workingresourcesblog.com  

Connect with me on these Social Media sites.
http://twitter.com/drbrusman
http://www.facebook.com/maynardbrusman
http://www.linkedin.com/in/maynardbrusman
http://www.youtube.com/user/maynardbrusman