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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 11 F E B R UA R Y 4 , 2 0 1 9 B Y R O B N E A L H OW TO A senior vice president for a mid-size logistics company I was coaching last year asked me, "What's this execu- tive leadership coaching really about? Sum it up for me." No pressure there, knowing his boss, the CEO, wanted me to help this VP greatly improve his leadership performance. I simply said, "It all boils down to your level of self- awareness in three key areas." 1. Personal presence Every leader who strives to become a top performer needs to understand the nature of his or her personal pres- ence. As an executive coach I often ask leaders, "What's it like for other people to be with you? How do you demonstrate your core values to your co-workers in this organization? If I asked people who work with you to describe your best and worst qualities, what would they say?" e qualities demonstrated most often by high performers include authenticity, an open mind, personal warmth, integrity, humility, courage, passion, caring for others and a vision for where to go. Great leaders consis- tently show these and several other qualities, but the ones listed here are essential and very difficult to fake. Highly skilled and experienced exec- utive coaches will help aspiring leaders develop these qualities to a higher level, and not simply focus on concrete perfor- mance goals. Too often leaders who have outstanding technical skills and content knowledge within their fields have been promoted into leadership roles primarily for this expertise, plus their record of hit- ting goals and generating revenue. at does not mean, however, they also have the ability to lead people. 2. Understanding impact Becoming a great leader requires under- standing and accepting the impact of one's decisions and behaviors. Which is very different than understanding one's intentions. People usually act with positive intentions, but we all have our moments when we're not at our best and our actions and words have an unintended negative outcome. I always ask leaders to talk about specific examples, positive and negative, of how they impact other people in the workplace. eir ability to talk about these experiences, and their willingness to understand how the impact they have ties directly to their level of self-aware- ness, usually indicates how successfully they can improve their leadership per- formance moving forward. Reaching a more senior level of leadership can be a great accomplish- ment. Once there it becomes increas- ingly hard to admit to mistakes or to having a negative impact. at's a nor- mal human response to being in a high level position, but if leaders want to perform well they must find a way to be open and honest with themselves. A skilled executive coach can offer guid- ance as a leader looks in the mirror. 3. Lifelong learning is builds on the first two elements; the very best leaders continue to learn and are open to receiving feedback. is openness demonstrates their willingness to keep improving and to take full responsibility for their actions even when the outcomes are negative. Continuous improvement is essential to becoming a great leader. To be a successful person in life, and a skilled leader, requires the ability to accept the areas where we could per- form better, then working hard to make improvements. is also means recog- nizing when our performance works well and building on those successes. No one reaches the highest level of performance by themselves. We all get help along the way from teachers, coaches, mentors, trainers, counselors, ministers and parents. Greatness in any field also requires talent, incredible effort, a strong drive to keep improving, plus a high level of self-awareness in the three areas described here. Rob Neal, president of Rob Neal Consulting in Yarmouth, coaches leaders and also helps organizations build healthy cultures. www. r ob n e a l c on s ult i ng. c om Be a great leader: Work with an executive coach High-tech manufacturing demands more than a typical building. We built Enercon's home in Gray to stand as a reflection of its industry stature —a technology leader. At Sheridan, this is how we build on our promise. W W W . S H E R I D A N C O R P . C O M ENERCON TECHNOLOGIES Gray, Maine A signature facility for a technology leader. YOU'VE GOT JOBS. We've got qualified candidates. goodwillnne.org/workforce Let us find your next great employee. Becoming a great leader requires understanding and accepting the impact of one's decisions and behaviors.

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