FRESH IDEAS FOR LEADERS: The heart of Vision Coaching | Jonathan McCready joins our roster

OCTOBER 2025

Building community – the heart of Vision Coaching

By Dave Veale

When I first launched Vision Coaching 20 years ago, I thought I was building a business. What I’ve come to realize is that we’ve been building a community.

That community began here in New Brunswick, Canada – a province that welcomed me when I arrived from Vancouver and inspired me to create something rooted in connection. Our early clients, colleagues and friends became the foundation of what Vision is today.

Over the years, that community has only deepened. It now includes a remarkable roster of coaches across Canada and beyond, a talented support team, and clients who invite us into their organizations, their challenges and their growth. Together, we’ve created something bigger than any one of us – a network built on trust, shared values and genuine belonging.

I was reminded of this recently when coaches and staff gathered in Halifax to celebrate Vision Coaching’s 20th anniversary. Around the table, people shared stories of connection – how they came to Vision, what the community has meant to them, and how belonging has shaped their own leadership. It was moving, humbling and energizing.

Research backs what we’ve all experienced firsthand: belonging isn’t just a “nice to have.”

A culture of care in action

By Marilyn Orr

Organizations often talk about culture. They put words on the wall: respect, collaboration, care. But culture is only real when it shows up in moments of choice.

I’ve had the privilege of working closely with the leadership team of an organization that’s been committed to building a culture of coaching and connection. That work isn’t just theoretical. It shows up in how they treat each other. Recently, it has shown up in how they treat me – not just as a coach, but as a valued member of their tribe.

After a microburst (a localized mini-tornado) severely damaged my home, many people reached out with words of support. We had friends with chainsaws help remove a 65-foot white pine that had crashed down into our bedroom and bathroom. Others loaded multiple truckloads of branches to be carted off.

Later, while painting our newly reconstructed bedroom, the doorbell rang. I had to sign for an envelope – not always a good thing! Inside, though, was a card signed by many employees from the organization that I had been working with. Along with it came a prepaid gift card to help my husband and I rebuild.

Bringing clarity to the entrepreneurial chaos

From the Boiling Point archives, this episode explores how clarity and mindset can transform the way entrepreneurs lead. Co-hosts Dave Veale and Greg Hemmings sit down with strategist and coach Dolores Hirschmann, who shares insights on moving from overwhelm to focus – and why letting go of limiting beliefs is essential to unlocking growth.

It’s an energizing conversation about purpose, focus and the mindset shifts that help leaders cut through noise to reach their next level.

Listen to Bringing Clarity to the Entrepreneurial Chaos on The Boiling Point podcast

or your favourite streaming platform.

In Harvard Business Review, How to Be a Great Coach – Even When You’re Busy highlights how leaders can coach effectively in everyday moments without adding meetings to their calendars. The piece introduces a simple three-step approach of question, guidance and question, and the use of “strategic silence” to help team members think more deeply, take ownership and grow through reflection.

Inc. features Want Your Team to Work Better Together? Stop Doing This. The piece reveals that comparing employees’ performance can undermine collaboration. New research shows that when feedback highlights shared effort rather than ranking individuals, it builds connection, motivation and cooperation – proving that strong teams thrive when leaders “rank less and bond more.”

In Fast Company, Real, Not Raw: The Art of Leading With Vulnerability explores how leaders can be authentic without oversharing. It outlines how modelling vulnerability, creating shared language around well-being and building trusted peer connections can strengthen trust and psychological safety – helping teams navigate uncertainty and perform at their best.