Stepping into authority and power; managing upwards; dealing with conflict; enabling teams to thrive

The challenge: A smart, committed and  grounded leader had been acting Director level for a US based conservation charity.  A highly regarded leader, she was known as a great mentor who thought strategically and got things done.  Her next stretch was to fully take her place to be seen as a senior player and voice for the organisation internally and externally in “a male dominated world”.  She wanted to manage upwards more effectively be able to weigh in and influence at exec and board level and deal effectively with conflict. Younger less experienced millenials also wanted more space to grow and develop and others wanted performance issues handled quickly.  She realised that her own confidence and happiness was key and focused on creating a different balance between work and life.

What we did:  We worked almost exclusively via video conference and used a 3 way with her boss the CEO to ground and review the impact of our work.  The qualitative 360 gave impetus and was the springboard for the key themes.  We worked from the inside out (on beliefs/ patterns and assumptions which shaped how she showed up) and outside in (on tools and techniques to enhance effectiveness with others) to create sustained change in mindset and behaviour.

The Impact: From initially feeling ‘sent’ and questioning the value, she engaged fully in the process. She felt more confident in her role and observed “I’m better at my role, doing it well and others see it”.   In the final 360 to test change others commented “She has risen to the occasion beautifully” “I’ve watched her grow in confidence and good judgement” “she has taken on some really big tasks externally and been adept” “her ability to deal with conflict has been stellar”“ she is getting more recognition with the board”.  All this in the challenging context of the election of Donald Trump and the implications for environmental activity.

She was rewarded with a significant promotion to a cross country role.