The best leaders are great coaches, those who learn to communicate better will avoid 'Zombie Debt' and more.

Thank you for reading my latest article. In my work as an advisor, coach and consultant to ambitious leaders and organisations, I come across important developments and people that are shaping the future of business and?leadership. Every Friday I share my round-up of these strategies, trends and insights to help unlock potential and grow faster.?Happy reading!

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When you’re the CEO of a company, getting feedback can be one of the hardest parts of the job. Yet being able to invite and accept hard truths is what separates world-class founders from the rest. The first failure of many entrepreneurs is not putting enough emphasis on getting difficult but important news. This can come from trusted advisors, a mentor, employees or friends.?

You can show up more strategically in meetings by doing your homework and by taking the lead in analyzing difficult situations. Bring solutions, not just problems. And stay calm at all times. People with an effective executive voice aren’t easily rattled . They provide levelheaded leadership even when — in fact, particularly when — everyone around them is losing their composure.

You might know the adage that “you’re the average of the people you spend the most time with”. It’s true: community shapes us and we absorb the conversations and ideas that are circulating around us. Learn 40 surprising executive effectiveness tips from world-class experts like David Allen, Nir Eyal, Marshall Goldsmith, Dan Miller, Peter Diamandis, Nicholas Thompson, Todd Herman and many more.

Boards have clear roles in helping leadership navigate technological waters. For example,?challenging the organization to become more “tech forward,” and providing oversight through KPIs and metrics. Clear leadership from the board is crucial to help management with a practicable strategy. Yet- boards struggle with the best way to engage in technology, according to?McKinsey & Company .

They say?remote and hybrid work?is bad for employee mental?wellbeing?and leads to a sense of social isolation, meaninglessness and lack of?work-life boundaries. So, we should all go back to office-centric work — or so many?traditionalist?business?leaders and gurus would have us believe. The trouble with this stance is it decries the negative impact of remote and hybrid work on wellbeing, yet glosses over the damage to wellbeing caused by the alternative, namely office-centric work.

Stoicism was an ancient school of philosophy that taught a particular way of living. Yet, for many, Stoicism remains misunderstood. Most think of a stoic person as someone who can endure pain or hardship without showing their feelings or complaining. And while that’s partially true, there’s more to being a Stoic , including its principal focus on how to live a virtuous life to maximize happiness and reduce negative emotions.

Leadership is going through massive changes as the Baby Boomers transfer power to emerging leaders in the Gen X, Millennial, and Gen Z generations. That generational change is bringing with it a shift in leadership style, from leaders as capable managers to leaders as great coaches of people .??While in recent years many leaders have hired external coaches, some have gone further, conceptualizing their jobs as executives as?fundamentally about coaching.

As workplaces become more diverse and work becomes more distributed, it is more important than ever to converge on a common code for effective communication .?Even if individuals are highly motivated to work together, they aren’t always able to do so effectively. That's because communication remains a key challenge.

The human mind is extremely averse to ambiguity and uncertainty. We are hardwired to seek answers — even if they’re incomplete or wrong — and most societies consider having answers as more valuable than having questions. But what if we learned to fall in love with problems, to see them as puzzles to play with, a lens through which we can better see the world - to turn them into a curiosity engine ?

The?digital landscape?is defined by constant change — what worked yesterday may not work tomorrow. With change comes opportunity, though. As the landscape evolves, new?marketing tactics emerge. The key to marketing success is finding these "blue oceans" of opportunity — places where there is little to no competition. In contrast, techniques like link-building and pay-per-click are now "red oceans" full of sharks fighting for a limited number of customers. So, what are some alternative marketing tactics to consider?

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About Kevin McDonnell

I'm an advisor, coach and consultant with a mission to help ambitious leaders and businesses unlock their potential, grow faster, thrive and inspire. I advise, coach and consult the world’s largest private and public companies, investors, start-ups and non-profits - ranging in size from early-stage to ￡20 Billion. I also serve on the board as Non-Executive Chairman / Director or?Board Advisor?for several companies. If you're interested in working with me 1:1, I offer advisory, coaching or consulting for those leaders and businesses who want some extra help to unlock their potential and grow faster - learn more .