It was just a couple of days ago.
He’d graciously taken the conversational lead, by telling me where he’d been in the last few days of our drawn out SMS correspondence to line up the meeting, he asked me where I lived and mentioned he grew up nearby. We discussed riding bikes and surfing, and the feeling of transitioning from being close oceans to surrounded by forests. Discussing our shared experience working in AFL football, almost crossing working paths in a sliding doors moment, seemed to be a key flow, trust and rapport inducer.
I’d been referred and introduced on email to him by his manager, so he knew why we were there. Nevertheless it was the perfect offering:
“So what can I do for you today? How can I help?”
I was surprised and delighted.
This was the language I intimately use myself with others, especially my professional clients. And I’ve read and heard about leaders from “robust” environments increasingly adopting this way of being, but have rarely been on the receiving end of it in these types of situations.
Here was an established, highly regarded, evolved AFL football coach, with a significant body of work and status with the AFL community, asking this of me. Someone he’d never met before, who was essentially asking something of him.
I really felt it was the spoken spirit of leadership and empowerment.It put the onus on me (in a good way), created a space for me to speak, and at the same time, promised nothing ahead of time.
“Well…. you can tell me if I might be able to contribute in some way, to your performance development business….”.
And we were away.
And now, for me to view this possible relationship from the stance of partnership rather than cap-in-hand submissiveness.
My clients report back feeling empowered by the coaching process. What would you want to feel more empowered for?