November 20, 2014 | Issue 11.2014

Personal Note
Core-Driven Leaders Are Mentors [Feature Article]
Coach Training
Recommended Resource

Hello, Trailblazer!

It’s a week until Thanksgiving in the United States and I’m caught staring in the face of my own hypocrisy. I usually lament that it takes a holiday to remind people to be grateful and that this holiday only happens once a year. And my cynical side tends to dismiss the gratitude as trendy and shallow, a maudlin display when it’s the “thing to do,” not a heartfelt savoring of the good in life. But this year, I need the reminder of Thanksgiving and a stern warning not to give perfunctory thanks.

Lately, as in the past few months, I’ve been focusing a lot on themes to create and directions to define for my business. In my personal life I look at long-term projects like extending patios and adding outdoor furniture and see what is left to be done, not what we have. Considering my sons’ lives, as we parents often do, I see challenges and obstacles ahead and worry about opportunities missed instead of reflecting on milestones and accomplishments.

I’m a gratitude charlatan this year, no doubt. Looking forward and designing and planning the future is powerful, but done constantly it keeps attention away from the present and blocks enjoyment. Seeing potential roadblocks and preparing for possible setbacks is also a powerful ability, but when overused it also blinds me to the present and savoring accomplishment.

Having a communal celebration of Thanksgiving on the horizon has smacked me in the head, waking me from living in the future in my imagination, both hopeful and fretful versions, and reminded me to savor what I have and what I value.

One thing I value is passing on what I learn and participating in other people’s growth. I get to do that as a father. I get to do that as a friend. I get to do that as a coach. And I get to do that when I train new coaches.

I am grateful that I get to cultivate growth in other people. I see that as a key role for a core-driven leader, to share what is discovered with other people so the benefit multiplies to the community.

I’m thinking about the joy and satisfaction of mentoring others, as well as the sacred responsibility, as I prepare to teach my next Foundations class for new coaches through MentorCoach, LLC. This month’s feature article is on the mentorship role of a leader. I hope you enjoy it. And if you enjoy mentoring others and cultivating their growth, consider joining the class and learning about coaching!

See you on the trail!

Stephen Coxsey, MA, LPC, PCC
Positive Psychology Coach and Trainer

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Part of my nature is to promote growth – to cultivate people and encourage their development. I realized this when I did my own discovery work a few years back to choose my next career after we sold our family business, a preschool and child care center.

The fact it was a business focused on child development was definitely a clue. The fact that in my prior career as a therapist I used approaches that energized a client’s natural drive towards growth and wholeness was another clue. And the fact that as a business owner I enjoyed mentoring my employees and encouraging their growth was another clue. Seeing the clues together, I realized how much I value personal growth and enjoy supporting it.

It’s not about personal gain
There is a risk involved in helping your team members grow and develop. I found this out first-hand. They can grow beyond their position. They can even grow beyond your business or organization.

I had employees who wanted to improve their skills working with children. They took college courses and ultimately got degrees in education or child development. With their degrees it wasn’t long before they were looking for next-step opportunities as educators on paths that moved them away from our center.

I had other employees who aspired to business ownership and wanted to learn about business management. As they worked in the front office and gained skills, they reached a point where they wanted a greater challenge. Some left to work in a larger business. Some took steps towards starting their own business that often meant leaving to work in a different career field.

It’s hard when they leave
It was sad when people moved on, especially when I had enjoyed knowing them and working with them on a regular basis, watching their abilities develop and their enthusiasm grow. It was also very frustrating to see these more enthusiastic and qualified employees moving on, knowing the people who replaced them would likely not be as skillful or as involved with their work.

But over time I realized that the enthusiastic and skillful people who moved on did not start out as talented as they wound up when they left. And the new people would not stay novices, and their interest would increase, if they connected their work to their future development. Of course for some it was just another job, but for those who really got involved it was much more.

But it’s worth it
I realized I got many months, often a few years, of creative involvement and committed effort from people who saw their job as a path to growth. Those dedicated to early or elementary education were thrilled to be able to work with children and observe the developmental progress and curriculum and activity planning they were learning in theory. Those who wanted to learn about business management could do so in a friendly environment where the business decisions were mostly straightforward and less challenging than a more complex organization.

These employees were getting a lot out of their work experience that was moving them towards long-term goals. Their focus on their goals made them energetic, dedicated team members. They were natural leaders, they were inclined to be helpful, and they were the people most connected with the overall mission of our center.

I was often thinking months ahead to the point when an employee would resign and move on. It was a challenge to find qualified people to replace my experienced team members. But the synergy they brought to our programs, and the significant benefit they had in the lives of the children in our care, made it worth the challenge.

Application: Sharing what you know by teaching and mentoring others multiplies the impact you have on the world. Look for opportunities to be involved in someone else’s growth so you can expand the reach of your values.

Questions: Where are the people who will resonate with your values, be inspired by your passion, and appreciate your guidance? How can you connect with them?

Some of the qualities of masterful coaches are:

Join me for a 31-week journey through the essential skills and core competencies of professional coaching. Learn everything you need to know to start coaching and begin the path to certification in the Foundations course through MentorCoach, LLC.

I’m teaching a class Mondays at noon Eastern time, one hour per week, beginning December 8th. I’d love to have you join us!

Sounds like you’re ready for a creative, dynamic, collaborative partnership focused on your dreams and your goals.

Contact me to set up a 30-40 minute complimentary consultation where we design a strategy and help you choose your next steps.

Steve Coxsey partners with innovators and leaders to custom design a plan that optimizes their success and well-being. Through coaching and training powered by positive psychology and neuroscience, they develop resourcefulness, agility, and resilience to thrive on their personally meaningful core driven path.

Steve collaborates with people who want to bring the best of who they are to their leadership roles in their personal lives, professional lives, or businesses. He helps people cultivate their strengths and natural talents so they can take ownership of their productivity and creativity.

Then they become powerful, breaking free of other people’s boxes and cubicles and living and working in alignment with who they really are. They design their lives around their values, their purpose, and their natural way of being. They tailor careers that use their unique strengths and talents and complement their life design.

Would you like that to be you? Get started with a no-risk 30-40 minute consultation. It’s complimentary, so all it will cost you is a little bit of time. You can schedule the complimentary call using this online tool. You can also call 817-416-8971 or e-mail Steve@SteveCoxsey.com to set up the call.

Click here for more information than you could possibly ever want to know about Steve.