Balkin Coaching Leadership Insights

For about 22 years I have grappled with a good explanation of why evidence-based practice is so important for all organisations and how it informs my executive coaching work. Before I provide my perspective, I shall make a disclosure, I am a scientist. I studied maths, physics and chemistry in high school and then a further six years of psychology (the science of human behaviour) at university. My hypothesis testing approach to problem solving was formulated at a young a

Why do some people have all the luck?

Last week I met with a client, let's call her Sue, she is an ambitious executive who has just received the promotion she had been working towards. We discussed the new role in detail: the strategic responsibilities of entering a new market; the challenges of managing a team who used to be her peers; sitting on an executive team that was based in another city; and the competitors disrupting the market. It was clear throughout out this conversation Sue was excited and engaged.

I decided to walk up some random stairs during my lunch break and saw this beautiful view!! Some of my Australian readers may be old enough to remember the 1970s and early ’80s, in when salary packages commonly included a range of tax-free benefits including company cars, travel and restaurant meals. The restaurant industry definitely benefitted, as the business lunch was often a long drawn out affair. Whilst the taxation law changed in 1986, it was not meant as a signal

Do you want to be a successful leader in the era of disruption? Remember it is talent not technology that will give your organisation the competitive advantage. “When someone acquires power, it’s not that they adapt and change—it actually reveals who they really are. There are very few boundaries that you can’t just step over, so all you have is your own moral compass. That can be very liberating, but that can also be very dangerous.” Platon (2019) This week I attended a

It’s been a long glorious summer here in Australia, and I hope you all had some time away from your desks to relax and refresh. February always marks to the beginning of the school year, and the realisation for all that there are and there are no public holidays till April. Most of you have the self-awareness to know what good habits enable you to switch off, to ensure you refresh and recharge. Unfortunately, as our lives get busier inevitably these good behaviours slip, th