The Future of Coaching

Book excerpt: We live in a world that is volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous, in which our work and lives are constantly disrupted and changing. But coaches and leaders are still trained to operate within stable models with a uni-focus on performance. Coaches are starting to question the remit of ‘raising performance’ within existing systems, many of which are outdated, dysfunctional and even toxic. The role of the coach today must evolve to become fit for purpose in challenging times and coaching must re-articulate its values, as the essential compass for navigating turbulent waters. In The Future of Coaching, Hetty Einzig examines the role of coaching and leadership in the twenty-first century, and sets out a compelling vision for its future. Drawing on experience gained over twenty-five years of coaching leaders in the corporate and public sectors, in the UK and globally, she challenges the tenet of coaching neutrality. Rather than simply following the client agenda, she encourages coaches to see themselves as partners in courageous leadership and to work towards building an ethical, holistic and networked coaching approach to help create businesses that serve society and our globalised world. The book asks essential questions of coaches working today: how can leaders and coaches become ‘positive deviants’ and transform the rules of the game within cultures where denial and group-think are rife? How can coaches work with the anxious and depressed, embracing the dark as well as the light? Are coaches prepared for the rise of Millennials, women leaders and those over sixty (the Third Acters)? Einzig challenges the model of the Strong Leader in favour of Respons-able leadership based on authentic strength, distributed power and responsive thinking. And she shows how this vision of a transformed workplace is essential for the transformations society must undertake to reclaim a positive future. This thought provoking collection of essays, designed to be read in any order, is enlightening and inspiring reading for coaches in practice and in training, HR and L&D professionals and for leaders everywhere.