VIM Executive Coaching has seen a lot of water go under the leadership bridge. We would guess we’ve experienced a lot of hot air too, but that’s a subject for another day.
On the topic of water, we would first like to throw out (an interesting choice of words) some facts about bottled water.
In 2024, Americans are on target to consume about 50 billion bottles of bottled water per year, with a retail value approaching $16 billion. Despite all the hand-wringing and concern about pollution from plastics, the number of bottles annually produced keeps steadily growing (for example 2017 had a retail consumption of about $13.5 billion). Study upon study has shown that the water coming out of most taps is as good, if not better, than the stuff in bottles, cans, totes, domestic or imported. Our waterways are clogged with thrown out containers.
Yes, we are aware certain communities have serious water quality issues requiring bottled water, a tragic circumstance at best. However, we are focused in this discussion about the perceived marketing need for water in bottles, carbonated or not, flavored or not, “enriched” or not, “naturally-sourced” or not, imported or not, in plastic or aluminum, that does no better for us than tap water.
Executive Leadership in a Bottle
In a strange way, there are parallels between bottled water and the industry surrounding business coaching. In 2024, the business coaching industry is expected to exceed $6 billion. We are judging no one and we are not really in competition with anyone crowding the coaching space.
Why?
Because VIM Executive Coaching does not hand out bottles of water to quench executive leadership thirst. In fact, mindfulness and authenticity demand executive leaders stay away from pre-packaged and pre-bottled solutions.
An upscale, flavored, carbonated, imported container of bottled water (natural and/or artificial flavors) does not quench thirst any better than the drinking fountain. Executives must find that fountain for themselves. A path of understanding leading to greater mindfulness only requires a willingness to appreciate the tools we carry within ourselves can be shaped, formed and improved.
Our mission is to lead executives to discover that all the tools they need to satisfy their own “thirst,” may be found within them. VIM Executive Coaching does not hand out parchment diplomas or certificates or merit or silver-plate trophies at the end of a weekend executive leadership intensive. Instead, we work with executives at a reasonable pace and with a high comfort level to understand how they can achieve greater authenticity and mindfulness within themselves.
When executive leaders allow themselves to fit into a specified mold (or plastic bottle, if you will), there is no room for genuineness.
Everyone reading this post is different – and that’s good. The differences are not good or bad, only unique to that person. Each one of us has the capacity to be effective, authentic and mindful leaders, we simply have to believe that we can enhance what is good, and let go of what hasn’t worked.
It is disbelieving that in 2024, more than 25-million tons of plastic bottles will wind up in landfills. This is essentially an annual occurrence! It is equally incredulous that in 2024, employees are so dissatisfied at executive leadership that is often ineffective, inauthentic and lacking in basic people skills. People walking away from jobs continues in record numbers.
In both situations, we are sorry to say, the system has failed all of us. We can’t speak for the industry that essentially keeps producing plastic bottles filled with water but we can say that without mindfulness, employee turnover and dissatisfaction will continue unabated. We offer a different path with executive coaching, one that will quench thirst without harming the business environment.