This month, the U.S. enters the fourth month of the pandemic, the accompanying economic downturn, and the work from home routine. In the past three weeks since George Floyd’s murder, Americans and many around the world are also increasingly aware of and demonstrating activism in support of anti-racism and social justice.

In the midst of this intense and unsettling time, we at Boda have been thinking about how leaders can engage in meaningful conversations and support colleagues, team members, friends, and family members. There has never been a time when coaching skills have been more important or valuable.

Listening deeply, being “not knowing” and curious, asking helpful, open-ended questions, refraining from judgment, and demonstrating compassion are all cornerstones of how leaders can use a coaching approach to build and strengthen important relationships. We’d love to talk with you about how we teach coaching skills to leaders and the benefits of executive coaching.

To help you navigate the current environment, here are some of the resources we are finding interesting and valuable right now:

• Find Your Grit in a Crisis by Angela Duckworth, Harvard Business Review
• Crisis Leadership Fundamentals by Frances Frei, LinkedIn
• Solitude and Leadership by William Deresiewicz, The American Scholar (this article explores the importance of self-awareness and reflection for leaders)
• Four Ways to Reflect that Help Boost Performance by Stephen Newman and Wanda Wallace, Strategy+Business

Be well,

The Boda Team

P.S. Here’s a short video clip from one of our recent virtual learning sessions where we helped leaders build coaching skills.