Emerging a Leader, One Step at a Time

By Terri Bianco

An instructional designer, motivational coach and author shares years of experience with presentations and training programs that are rich in relevance, motivating, powerful, and fun. This handbook includes two step by step program outlines. The author provides a complete overview of the two programs with details on the underlying elements.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Worthy Shorts
• Release date: Dec 6, 2009
• ISBN: 9781935340560

Book preview

Introduction

It happens every time. At a certain point in a training session, magic occurs. It’s nothing I do in particular. It just happens. The team of employees and their managers are grappling with communication, leadership, teamwork — what used to be called the soft skills and are now the hard skills of today’s workplace.

A miasma of long-ingrained issues and predictable responses floats around the room. It’s awkward. The team is fragmented, disjointed, dysfunctional. They’re in the groan zone: seeking resolution, not finding it.

And then magic occurs. One or two individuals start coming around, expressing themselves. I see a glimmer of leadership. They are tentative at first; it’s not really their role. Or it is, and they do not want to be seen as taking charge. But still…. What if we….?

People shed their roles in an eagerness to resolve, move forward. Patterns develop. There is a blink moment when it all suddenly makes sense. Leadership has shown up. The team begins clicking. Relief is reflected in a collective sigh. Problems fall away, solutions are clear.

I retreat, relegated to recording their action plans. The room is energized. It’s a beautiful moment. It’s why I do what I do and why I love doing it.

~~

On other occasions I am sequestered in an office or encased in fiber optics conducting an executive coaching session by phone. The topic shifts depending on the needs or desires of the person I am coaching.

Most often, feelings of frustration surface. The client expresses angst over his or her seeming inability to connect with employees or staff, to deal with those petty issues that cause conflict. Faced with mandates to produce on deadline and within budget, to create miracles with diminishing resources or untrained staff, the manager gasps for breath. He or she seems to be treading water to avoid drowning.

"Do I have a