Padraig O'Sullivan

Most people have experienced an atmosphere lacking in trust. Information flow is controlled and often kept from the leader. Conversations are polite (passive) or worse still defensive (aggressive). Team members talk about feeling insecure and not safe. Accountabilities often go out the window.

So what is Impact? Does it always relate to interviews or presentations? In our opinion impact is the effect of what you do. Successful executives do not just rely upon that fact that their results will speak for themselves. They understand that they personally need to also proactively act.

About 5 years ago, beverage company Maxxium realized it had a serious problem:  It had no ‘funnel’ of up and coming talent that could be groomed for future leadership. And, as one of the key players in the highly competitive FMCG industry, the company identified this as a serious weakness in its strategic planning.

A coach is focused on enabling greater levels of individual and organisational performance. They act as a sounding board; challenge thinking; stimulate creativity; provide tools and techniques for dealing with situations; assist in skill building, give encouragement and build confidence.

We understand that hiring an Executive Coach is not something that happens every day. Most executives are unsure what to look for when seeking support from a coach.

John* worked for a multinational beverage company, with regional responsibilities for Southeast Asia. In his mid-fifties, he had built up decades of experience managing large IT departments, overseeing change programs and specialising in SAP infrastructures. Having worked in a variety of industries, he had been head-hunted for this role.

A coach acts as a sounding board; challenges thinking; stimulates creativity; provides tools and techniques for dealing with situations; gives encouragement and builds confidence.  But what distinguishes a high performance coach?

In early October 2006, in response to market and media speculation that Suncorp was about to bid for the Promina Group, Vero’s then CEO Duncan West and his leadership team had two choices – to manage change, or let it control them.

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Recently we did some workshops on “Impact and Presence”. The feedback was very positive and a key learning that was highlighted was the ongoing need for leaders to be aware of how much they actively influence their own impact on others.

The phrase “leaders cast a long shadow in organisations” has never been more important than today. Part of what creates the shadow is the way they lead, their philosophy, the culture they create and how they interact with others. A primary part is how they come across in daily interactions, i.e. what is their impact on the people they lead and manage. While this is intangible, it is so important. We all recognise and feel when people are having a positive impact but often find it difficult to explain exactly why and what it is that they do to have that effect!

The following article looks at five key ways to positively maximise your personal impact.

The questions at the end are designed to give you something to ponder and catalyse you to put into action some small tweaks to increase your impact and lengthen your shadow.