FRESH IDEAS
FOR LEADERS
September 2021
AMID CHALLENGES, PHYSICIANS EMBRACE COACHING
By Dave Veale

I recently had, as most people do, an unexpected trip to the emergency room at our local hospital, I found myself apologizing to the medical staff – I knew they were already burdened. The ER is rarely a quiet place.

My issue was serious enough that I needed to be there, but I knew they were juggling a lot that night. Despite the volume, I received incredibly good care from an amazing team of health-care workers. 

My mind also turned to the New Brunswick Medical Society, the professional association for the province’s more than 2,000 physicians.

Earlier this year, it decided to pilot leadership coaching as part of its wellness program for physicians. That has quickly evolved into a popular program for physicians eager to improve their skills as leaders during these challenging times.

Meaghan Sibbett, manager of NBMS Wellness, told me it proved so popular and the feedback was so positive that the medical society decided to fully launch the program before finishing the pilot.
Helping leaders catch fire
Perhaps because of his early interest in aerospace engineering, Stewart Pollard views leadership coaching as a way of injecting some accelerant – a touch of jet fuel – into businesses trying to reach for the stars.

Stewart brings an impressive background in science and business to the roster of leadership coaches at Vision Coaching having worked for a number of large companies and now for himself. As far back as the early 2000s, he discovered his natural talents as a leadership coach coming to the fore.

“To me, I look at coaching as an accelerant. If you think about starting a fire, you need fuel, oxygen and a spark," he says.
Pursuing life as a digital independent
Check out this Boiling Point podcast where Greg Hemmings and I engage in a fascinating discussion with Glen Hicks, a former IT executive who has retooled his life to become a “digital independent.”

In the segment Rewired, Not Retired, Glen talks about his 27 years as a corporate IT executive in the high-pressure telecommunications world. His working days used to be roughly 8 to 8 and at the age of 34, a confirmed workaholic, he found himself on the wrong side of the resuscitation paddles in a hospital emergency room.

He changed his approach to work, but by 48, Glen left the corporate boardroom and set out on his own.
Did you know that job satisfaction is partly genetic? The Atlantic this month reveals this and other insights in The Secret to Happiness at Work.
Harvard Business Review
For leaders who have seen their teams and responsibilities grow, there is some important advice in the Harvard Business Review piece As Your Team Gets Bigger, Your Leadership Style Has to Adapt.
How Can You Spot Really Good Leaders? They Do Any of These 5 Things Exceptionally Well from Inc. serves as an important reminder to all leaders.