VIM Executive Coaching recently took advantage of the relaxation of the COVID-19 mandates and sat down with some potential business coaching clients over brunch.
One such executive ordered an omelet from the rather extensive menu that offered a myriad of ingredients; everything from avocado to smoked salmon to zucchini. We ordered quickly, but the executive went from one ingredient to the next to the next, until the exasperated wait-person asked if he “would like to be surprised.”
“Yes, that would be really cool,” said the executive, “but also make sure you’ve also added Swiss cheese, capers and a few mushrooms.”
The exasperated waitperson smiled, shook her head ever-so-slightly and walked away. When the omelet arrived, it resembled a bit of a hodge-podge. We’re sure it tasted “OK,” but by the time it arrived, any indication that the omelet contained eggs had long passed. However, the executive confided that “he hated eggs.” We laughingly asked, why he ordered an omelet?
The Leap to Executive Coaching
The omelet is a bit of a metaphor. It reminded us the executive prospects who often “walk-in” or are virtual to our office whose business philosophies are essentially leadership by whatever works. Their techniques are often dictated by whatever they’ve recently read, or podcast they’ve listened to, or management seminar they’ve attended. Indeed, some executives say they like to mix things up to see whatever works. One hard-charger told us, “Sometimes it’s the stick and the carrot, other times, the carrot and the stick. Whatever I can do to motivate or punish, as long as the work gets done. I don’t care.”
We have recently thought a lot about the omelet example and the impressive array of opinions, techniques, blogs and experts offering a myriad of impressive choices. However, much like the executive who really didn’t like eggs at all, the over-abundance of opinions, techniques and mindsets, are much more counter-productive than productive.
For the essence of being a good leader lies within all of us. As the ancients well understood, we can truly follow only one master and the ultimate challenge is to be true to ourselves. Or, if you don’t like omelets at all, why not order pancakes or a grilled cheese sandwich?
What VIM Executive Coaching stresses is mindfulness in all things. It is a sense of being one with a leadership role, and being fully in the moment – every moment. It is being responsive to situations and authentic, so that you are the same person, the same personality, the executive who does not have to shift and change and bend this way and that with every new challenge.
Being mindful means that the executive carries within her, a sense of who she is in every situation. Mindfulness borne out of a deep understanding of self, is freeing, personally elevating and consistent. The mindful executive leader is the unchanging leader and she responds to everyone without bias, fear or self-effacement.
The mindful executive leader doesn’t have to posture, or be a clown, or be mean or forced to ignore everything she stands for, but to make choices that are compassionate and faithful to themselves and their mission.
We can’t tell you the best ingredients to add to an omelet, but we can advise you not to eat something you detest to please others.