Jeff Brunson

In this series of 7 posts, I will be navigating around these words:

I will begin in the upper left corner with a most powerful barrier to the individual leader; judgment.

The first learning is that a leader needs someone to talk to. A leader needs someone to talk to who is safe. Safe does not mean free from challenge. Safe means dialogue free of debilitating judgment.

The Human Resource Director was telling me about the meeting where Chris had stood his ground with his boss. It was an issue where Chris was allowing his firm belief to drive his confident behavior. The Director looked at me and said, “You are doing good work with Chris.”

Among the desires Chris had for our work together was that of confidence. While learning and practice with new skills and tools can be a confidence builder, Chris and I had to begin at the base. The main supportive component in the foundation is simply who Chris really is at his core.

Being conditionally unaware of this authenticity had allowed many forms of human interaction to appear as judgments. Many of the external things Chris believed were holding him back were really internal blocks.

As we built a coaching dialogue free of judgment, Chris began to realize that confidence was not something he had to wait to feel. Confidence was in who he is as a person.

After that meeting, the boss called the HR Director and asked, “What was that?” She answered, “That was Chris being confident.” He replied, “I like it!”

Upon her encouragement, the boss called Chris and told him in spite of their lack of agreement how much he respected his firm stand on what he believed.

I love it when a plan comes together!