Expert Advice

Corporate leadership therapy

B2B Editor10 February 2017

Corporate leadership therapy

‘Tell me about your childhood?’ It may seem an unusual question for me to ask when I first meet with an executive. It is, however, where all learned behaviours and beliefs start.

Now, it is not my intention, at this point, for you to pull out the tissues and confess your inner most thoughts to your colleagues in the hallway of the office.

My therapy techniques are designed to bring out the best in a broad range of people.

After all we are all individuals with individual thoughts and behaviours and we are all right, right? As a matter of fact, most of my corporate clients are some of the most together, successful people in their profession.

So, you ask, what are they doing in therapy? And why is a therapy session sometimes organised within the office in the middle of the day?

Companies at the top of their game know that cultivating leadership is paramount to the success of the company’s future.

A lot of companies talk a good game but when you look at their percentage of investment in their leaders, it is just that: talk. A company that invests in its leaders goes far and beyond the initial hand shake of welcome to the company.

As a corporate therapist, I am engaged by companies and individuals to assist them reach their maximum potential.

People who take on leadership roles need to commit to being the best they can be. It may be news to some however being the best you can be requires some work, and this work is on the ‘self’.

During a therapy session, we approach subjects such as: problems managing up; communicating with your team; and dealing with conflict and confrontation. We also address the wider complexed issues such as why did the issue come up now? Believe it or not but a client’s childhood plays a significant part in how he/she performs when on the front line eg: making decisions, pressure, confrontation and negotiating, to name a few.

It is common for those who are at the top of their tree to become stuck, they have been in a fast race to the top and they are usually over achievers.
The over achievers find themselves at some stage during their career struggling to keep their momentum.

If an over achiever is left to wallow in their own thoughts, they find themselves quarrelling with team members and generally unhappy, sometimes even disruptive. We know the domino effect this has…

Once they have stepped into self-sabotage mode, they find themselves leaving organisations and stepping out into a SME or some other adventure.

You may argue that these people were ready to move on? However, I will ask you: ‘What if you invested in them and they stayed?’

Darleen Barton – Practitioner
Ochre Medical Centre
15 Whitrod Ave, Casey ACT 2913
Ph: (02) 61634200
www.dipac.com.au

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