What I Learned from my Long Time Co-Editor and Co-Author Marshall Goldsmith

My co-author and friend, Marshall Goldsmith and I have worked together for the past 20 years to take all of the nonsense, office politics, self-imposed limitations and noise that hinder leadership effectiveness and leader success. I have applied this method to my executive coaching engagements, new book, In Great Company, and research on emotional connectedness because it creates functional, positive relationships that produce business outcomes - when done properly - every time. This book is for people who are leaders, managers and executives who believe and know through the 1000s of peer-reviewed journals, scientific studies, and literature dating back to the writings of Peter Drucker (and beyond) that learning and development is a lifelong commitment. If I hear a leader say that he or she does not need any more development and "they are the way they are," I know I am in the wrong dark alley.

My transformational executive coaching process is extremely effective because it is based on co-creation with supporters and the active practice of change. All of the answers are within your organization. It's up to you as the executive coach to unearth it.

I brought in five elements I researched were most important to create a safe, positive relationship which defines an effective leader or manager in my upcoming book “In Great Company: How to Spark Peak Performance by Creating an Emotionally Connected Workplace.” I will mention these five areas later in this article.

My process has proven to have a 99% success rate with leaders when the leaders give me full trust and follow my process. The process involves five steps:

1. Co-creating areas of growth for leaders that are most important to THEM and the ORGANIZATION.
2. Co-creating agreement supporters to be part of the process - with a focus on positive, functional relationships where everyone wins.
3. Doing an analysis of what must be changed.
4. Leading change involving consistent input and follow-up.
5. Measuring leadership growth as perceived by supporters using my own tools for measuring change.

The model brings more accountability and results to executive coaching. I am 100% certain to connect the process to results - business results, unlike any other executive coach on the market. Most coaches hang their hat on behavioral coaching alone. I DO NOT stop there. There is no more room for that in the world. Behavioral change MUST be tied to business results. If any coach is selling you on behavioral change alone, run. You must tie behavior change to ROI. In essence, if you know the Kirkpatrick 5 or Jack Phillips work. You will know that behavior change is ONE of five methods of defining change. Level 5 and Phillips ROI tests for business results. Without it, there really isn't any business outcomes, right?

Tying behavioral change to results creates a culture where growing others is the responsibility of the organization and not just the management team. Any good executive coach worth his/her salt could make a difference in the performance of the leader by focusing on leadership assessments and action planning. This is a good strategy and does provide some positive change in the short term. The problem is that it doesn’t change the environment’s perception where others see that change has occurred.

The method takes the leadership change process further, outside the leader’s office, and into their work environment with the supporter. Because of their outside-looking-in view, supporters can provide important and insightful suggestions for behavioral change that would be beneficial for the leader. An added benefit is that the supporters begin focusing more on the desired change and their perception changes as their focus grows stronger. Utilizing Emotionally Connected coaching creates change that is sustained and that is recognized by supporters in the workplace, creating true value for the supporters, the leader, and the organization.

Know Thyself

None of us plan on disrespecting our team members. It’s just that our focus is on other things like providing direction for the company and improving shareholder value. This is why taking a time-out to tune-up is so essential. You need to know how others perceive you and if you are showing respect for others and developing the needed emotional connectedness. In other words, you need to be more self-aware - and do a cost/benefit analysis on whether or not making the changes that others recommend you make are worth it or not.

Successful CEOs and other leaders are those who can see themselves more clearly regarding their balance of trust and respect as seen by their employees. Research has shown that self-awareness was highest among the most successful CEOs and lowest for CEOs of the worst performing companies. The overarching goal of self-awareness and knowing yourself is to understand your strengths and to determine any of your development needs.

There is a process of co-creation and transformation that happens with the emotionally connected supporter method that doesn’t happen with other executive coaching methods. Involving supporters is critical to the change process because it creates shared accountability for change. Additionally, the process creates more interdependent and trusting relationships with supporters. Because supporters are specifically asked about behavioral shifts, they become more involved in your growth, which is extremely beneficial because they now become a part of the shift in perception you’re creating by actively assisting you through the process.

To ensure you are doing your part as a change agent, I have devised two tools for measurement that consists of a dashboard to mark progress along the five elements of EC that is explained in my book, In Great Company. Regardless of the system you use, some form of measurement needs to be assessed regularly that will provide reliable data.

Implementing In Great Company: Emotional Connectedness (EC)

To understand the concept of emotional connectedness is one thing, but to adopt it, embrace it, and live it is another. A good executive coach will help bring to light any weaknesses and areas where improvement is recommended. This person will offer tools that will help the leader improve on particular skills. However, as mentioned earlier, the executive coaching process I have learned from Marshall provides the leader with a panoramic view of their status as a leader. It allows the leader to see the things that are unknown because no one has had the outlet to share them before.

In my years of conducting research for my various books and consulting with many businesses in various industries, I’ve found that the number one thing that motivates people to high performance is a feeling of respect. Remember, it is that emotional connectedness that everyone craves. But how do you as a leader provide EC? What can you do now to begin the EC process and instill it in others?

Here are five pointers that are necessary for implementing EC in my new book, In Great Company:

1. Open Communication

To begin, the leader of the organization needs to immediately open lines of communication between teams, department heads, and everyone who contributes to a project so that information and advice is shared freely. The point is that you are trying to create connections, a sense of belonging to the bigger picture.

2. Generate a Positive Future

Employees love to work in an environment where every day there is a sense of possibility and positivity in the air. From the CEO down, people are making positive, forward-thinking statements about what is possible now and in the future. Employees are sure of their strengths and receive regular feedback on their performance. Everyone knows the direction the company is heading and all oars are paddling in the same direction. This sense of positive attitudes is foundational for generating emotional connectedness. 

3. Walk the Talk

Many business leaders have values that they hold dear and communicate with their department heads and employees on a regular basis. But how do these supporters perceive the leader? Do they see the CEO walking the talk? Have they witnessed the leader living these written or spoken values? Unfortunately, the answer to these questions for many organizations would be in the negative.

4. Establish Respect Early

Successful companies that win awards for best places to work have interwoven throughout the organization a sense of respect at every level. There is respect for the leadership team, respect for the customers, respect for vendors, respect for the community, and respect for one another. Leaders in companies like Zappos, American Express, and Mayo Clinic make it a priority to lead the way in creating a respectful environment by being the first to show respect. Respect is the result of emotional connectedness and emotional connectedness is the result of respect. 

5. Set Up People for Success

When projects are completed on schedule, when sales quotas are met, when quality goods and services are provided to the customer, the company and the employees win. Allow team members to succeed by giving them the necessary tools and time and empower them to make critical decisions. Some of the best work is accomplished when employees are given permission to fail. This empowerment is fuel for EC.

Beginning the Process

Executive coaching has been around for a number of years producing excellent results for leaders in nearly every industry and nation. As with so many developments resulting from new data collected from the study of leadership processes and management strategies, the use of the emotionally connected supporter is true “the next best thing.”

Based on the information above, you already have the necessary tools to make this happen, but studies have found that having a coach increases your likelihood of success because the coach provides a structure for continuous follow-up and the practice of change. Because of my background, expertise, and experience, I can guide you toward lasting behavioral change to have the greatest impact of success in your organization. Quoting Oxford, I can be your “tutor carrying you through the exam.”

Learn more about my book, In Great Company: How to Spark Peak Performance by Creating an Emotionally Connected Workplace. Or read some of my past articles and work on my website at www.louiscarter.com