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Introducing our EI Challenge

Our curiosity led us to analyze data from the past 4 years and use a heatmap approach to validate the trends we sensed emerging in coaching.   It became clear that coaching focus begins with self, then extends to team and organizational performance, navigating peers, and managing up. Periodically returning to delve deeper into mindset, triggers, and internal narratives. In technically led sectors where leaders are promoted for their technical IQ, conversations were consumed with the leader’s desire and (lack of) ability to empathise and build more collaborative teams and cross working relationships.   Stepping up was on the agenda for every leader Entrepreneurs had a wide range of priorities and concerns, transitioning from self-focus to scaling up and establishing efficient systems for ongoing expansion. They demonstrated remarkable agility and originality in their approach. Executives and CEOs want leaders to take charge and bridge the divide between the effectiveness of the senior leadership team and the frontline leaders, with an inconsistent CEO consuming the majority of challenges senior leaders faced. Enhancing Self-Awareness was a consistent priority for all leaders.  This challenges and coaching in this areas was extensive and profound, encompassing reflective practices, recognising strengths, blind spots and triggers, exploring procrastination, motivation, self-doubt, internal narratives and releasing control (to step up and empower leaders), promoting wellbeing, changing mindsets, establishing boundaries, exercising meta-cognition, setting personal goals and developing confidence and self-awareness. Coaches were referred to as either accountability partners or thinking partners Transformation only occurred when leaders were willing to do the work on self first and felt safe enough to open up and unpack their thinking. At PeopleQ, we adopt an integrated approach to coaching because no single coaching style proved to be more effective than others. The best coaching outcomes supported leaders to observe the system within which they operate and 360s are an integral part of executive coaching, but we don't start with them! Leaders all shared a desire to be impactful, influence, inspire and deliver successful outcomes. Senior Leaders recognise the benefit in managing peers and up bring a more holistic focus, whereas middle level leaders tended to focus on their team’s performance. CEOs and Senior leaders were keen to delve more deeply into enhancing leadership capability and capacity and elevate a leader’s ability to step up in the organisation. Everyone took accountability for workplace culture, whether it be in their teams or across the organisation and the workplace culture landscape included strategy, change, great culture and interventions of issues. Leadership legacy, values and purpose intertwined and was the next most discussed topic after self-awareness. Values and purpose play a crucial role in helping leaders become more intentional and deliberate in their decision-making, as well as in aligning their teams and organizations .  With senior leaders and business owners this flowed on to Vision, Business Planning and Decision-Making frameworks. Business Owners were the sole individuals who delved into KPIs and end game strategy. I understand the reasoning behind this, but shouldn't we all have a plan for the next stage? They were also the only ones who prioritized Customers and Customer engagement was seldom discussed, which, in my opinion, poses a significant issue! Navigating change was the least talked about topic, yet it was the most prevalent issue across all topics. Courageous conversations, leading authentically and giving and receiving feedback stemmed off of the productivity focus, where intertwined and received a lot of attention.  It tells you what we are spending most of our time doing as leaders.     So, what’s off the table?  Coaching should never be confused with therapy in any way. Even when working with a talented therapist/coach, it is important to keep coaching separate from therapy. Coaching is oriented towards the future and helping leaders effectively address current challenges. Topics such as trauma, psychology, coping mechanisms, addiction, personality disorders, and diagnoses are not within the scope of coaching. Instead, the focus is on providing genuine care for the individual's well-being and, if necessary, referring them to a qualified therapist.   And what about a leader’s personal life and personal challenges?  We coach the whole person, leaders have the autonomy to decide when and if they bring personal challenges into coaching.  PeopleQ are experts with extensive experience in executive coaching, leadership coaching and business coaching.  Let's get you coach matched! Reach out if you’d like us to hold space for you for any of the above concerns. melina@peopleq.com.au 0498 800 008 I suria@peopleq.com.au 0407776888

Coaching is a reflective space, where you collaborate with someone experienced in holding space for you in a way that is trusting, safe and equally challenging so that you feel stretched.  The idea is that leaders quickly muscle up on new ways of being to keep bringing their best self to the workplace.   Most leaders consider their executive coach their hidden advantage  A reflective tap they can turn on when they need to turn up their decision-making capabilities. The range of topics brought into the coaching arena are wide, and link directly to the challenges leaders face daily. Core themes circle around a desire to work on themselves and muscle up their leadership skills and meta cognition to improve both capacity and capability, how to lift capability of other leaders and teams and organisational productivity, navigating challenging peer relationships whilst also collaborating and influencing peers, managing up - a Director, a CEO, a Chair to transforming workplace culture and planning for the future, to grow, to scale, to stay relevant! We dive into an array of area’s, dependent on what the leader is needing at the moment, and ready for.  A simple topic on time management can deep dive into procrastination and navigating a perfectionist mindset. Elevating confidence can rollercoaster into unpacking self-doubt, imposter syndrome and limiting beliefs to help leaders rewrite their narrative.   Coaching is a powerful partnership designed to help you unlock your potential and achieve your goals. It’s a supportive process where as skilled coaches we work with you to explore your aspirations, overcome obstacles and develop strategies tailored to your unique circumstances.  But why is coaching so important? Life and work can be challenging, and sometimes we need an extra hand to navigate through uncertainties. I should know, I’ve been in those shoes when access to a coach was limited and rare and an objective external perspective was critical to navigating the challenges ahead.  Luckily, I had a coach in my network I could tap into.  Having experienced it on the other side, and being told my strength is coaching other leaders, it made sense this became the path that keeps my cup overflowing.  I love what I get to do as a coach, it's an honour and a privilege to hold space for other leaders. Coaching provides a safe space for reflection, growth, and learning. It encourages you to tap into your strengths, gain clarity, and cultivate the skills you need to thrive as a leader.  Whether you’re wanting to enhance your leadership capabilities, foster personal development or navigate significant change, coaching can be a transformative experience, which is the feedback we receive from all our clients. Ultimately, coaching is about you—your journey, your growth, and your future. We’re just here to support you to realise your full potential! We offer executive coaching, leadership coaching, business coaching and integrated coaching as part of your leadership development programs. Let's get you coach matched! Reach out and tap into your hidden advantage today. melina@peopleq.com.au 0498 800 008 I suria@peopleq.com.au 0407776888

Mention this article, and we will also include an emotional intelligence and strengths profile with any Melina is an IECL certified coach to the highest level, ICF member, Emotional Intelligence, Heartmath & Conversational Intelligence practitioner and spent two decades+ in senior leadership roles before

may get derailed by behaviours that deflect, defend, deny, divert or responses that are aggressive, emotional

Persistence pays and it's amazing how words filled with genuine emotion might influence others.

special meaning or particularly important to people, - the ability to evoke enduring images, memories or emotions If you're wondering what skills are needed to achieve this, it starts with emotional intelligence, trust As a coach, PeopleQ are trained in techniques and tools that build trust and emotional intelligence via

Episode 1 - An introduction to this new Leadership series with Suria and Mel

If you want to level up your emotional intelligence and well-being, having a wide range of emotional Investing in emotional intelligence and vocabulary can boost your self-awareness, communication skills Our tips to level up leading with emotional intelligence; Develop a robust emotional vocabulary to allow Emotional intelligence really is about using emotions as data - understanding their meaning and purpose intelligence.

I’ve been contemplating this. Back when I was in corporate, executive coaching was reserved for, well, executives, or coaching adopted to help navigate difficult situations/behaviours. So what could have been different for me? I would have spent more time self-reflecting which is the most critical muscle a leader can have. And perhaps I would have sharpened my awareness of my behaviour and actions, as well as that of others, to add more insight to my thinking? I would have been challenged to expand my perspective, to see it from another’s. Perhaps I would have been more empathetic and sharpened my people skills resulting in better relationships at work? I would have actioned monthly changes to my leadership style, and perhaps those small steps would have amounted to significant and positive change over the long haul? I would have bounced my thoughts and ideas around with someone else, and perhaps that could have led to more effective workplace decisions? I would have had someone help me navigate and manage my stress, and perhaps that could have improved my health and wellbeing? I would have found someone I could trust my deepest inner thoughts to, who would have seen what I couldn’t, and maybe their reflections could have resulted in bringing light to the beliefs that were holding me back? I would have had regular opportunity to release myself from the everyday doing, and perhaps this would have reignited my creativity and resulted in ideas with better execution? I would have checked that feeling in my gut, rather than sit with the circulating thoughts of doubt, questioning myself to the point of spiralling and feeling like all hope was lost, and maybe I would have found the courage to use my voice? I would have improved my memory of events, made more effective choices, become intimate with my values and beliefs and perhaps this would have built confidence and trust in me? I would have grown, taken more risks, used my voice more, and felt better about my achievements, and therefore happier and maybe this happiness would have spilled into my family and personal life. Melina Lipkiewicz is a certified IECL Executive coach and ICF member. To find out more about our coaching programs, visit our page here, or contact us for a confidential discussion. 0498 800 008.

Suria and I recently discussed the importance of emotional literacy in emotional intelligence, exploring We discussed how emotional intelligence (EQ) helps us understand and manage emotions in ourselves, and Leaders with high emotional intelligence comprehend the importance of recognizing and managing emotions emotional intelligence can help mitigate this impact. Emotional intelligence involves using emotions as data - understanding their meaning and purpose, rather

Emotional Intelligence: Emotional intelligence is crucial to being an exceptional leader. Exceptional leaders have a high level of self-awareness, understanding their own emotions and their impact By fostering emotional intelligence, leaders cultivate strong relationships, enhance collaboration, and By promoting collaboration and empowerment, leaders tap into the collective intelligence of the team, By embodying strategic thinking, emotional intelligence, authenticity, coaching, collaboration, and resilience