Brainz Magazine Exclusive Interview
Linda Allen-Hardisty is a Master Certified Coach. The MCC is awarded by the International Coach Federation, and only 4% of coaches in 136 countries and territories hold this designation. She has been coaching leaders and their teams since 2011. She is known for asking the tough but supportive questions, supporting leaders' personal growth and that of their companies. She has built a reputation in the Canadian business community for providing leadership development expertise to CEOs, Corporate Executives, Business Owners, Boards of Directors, and Leadership Teams.
You are an experienced leader and the founder of the Allen-Hardisty Leadership Group, but before we delve deeper into your work, can you tell us a little about yourself, your life, and how you got to where you are today?
I am a certified executive coach, and I design leadership development for leaders and their teams. I also teach about emotional intelligence in Queens University IRC Program. I am the founder of Allen-Hardisty Leadership Group and I work with organizations across Canada. By profession or trade, I am an organizational development professional however I don’t lead with that because it isn’t a term used that often nor is it exciting to say! So I stick with what works in explaining what I do – I help successful leaders. My life is non-stop learning and changing. I can’t recall one year where I was status quo in my job or credentials, I kept taking programs from several universities and volunteered in my community on boards. My energy comes from having Irish wolfhound dogs in our home for daily walks and to keep me grounded – also to slow me down which is how I practice mindfulness.
How I got here wasn’t the original plan, but it worked! I did progress into leadership roles fast, having been promoted to Director at 32 years, which was quite young in one of the companies. I was definitely on the executive track. I stayed on the executive track but not to be the executive seat, but rather to support executives behind the scenes as their coach. I became so intrigued with leadership development that I took myself off the executive track to do this. My early consulting work was facilitating strategic plan
however a pattern started to occur at the end of those contracts, the CEOs would engage me in conversations about their challenges about leading change, and many said I was such a good listener. In 2014 I became a certified coach and I’ve been coaching over 150 leaders, over 3000 hours so far, and publishing articles on leadership development ever since.
What is the most effective way to develop one's own leadership skills?
The most effective way is to grow your ability to be self-aware. Self-awareness is our ability to know ourselves and to know how we are seen. Self-awareness is a meta-skill, and Dr Tasha Eurich’s work in this space is fascinating and so accessible, so I regularly recommend her book. This is why coaching is so powerful because people don’t like to be told what to do or what I think is best for them, rather as their coach I help them discover and uncover what’s within them to take the next step to be effective with people around them.
How can people help and support a valued leader they are following?
Generosity, and curiosity. People can begin from a place of generosity, which is believing that a valued leader has their best interest at heart. Leaders are looking to inspire people to contribute to achieving a vision. Secondly, be curious. Curiosity puts people in a position to listen to learn rather than listening to respond. Ask open-ended questions of their valued leader so you can gain clarity on your contribution to the company’s direction. Leaders like dialogue and people who can work together to achieve the work. I was coaching a CEO recently who said as he was planning his presentation to his leadership team “I need them to help get this company back on track to be profitable again. I can’t do that alone. They will know exactly what to do once I share honestly about the current status. I have to be honest with them. They deserve that”.
Just imagine the benefits of you being curious with this leader about your contribution to that opportunity! In my experience, successful leaders know they need everyone locked in on the vision, and they are seeking out these discussions with their teams.
How does a consultant differ from a coach?
A consultant’s role is to advise and bring information and opinion about the result. Consulting about the problem. A coach’s role is to be a thinking partner with the leader because it is about their desired outcome. Coaching is about the human. Leaders know which professional they want – just seek that clarity first and often.
What is the most challenging leadership question we can ask ourselves?
What’s the learning here? My mentor used to ask me that all the time! I lovingly adopted that question, and it enables the leader to be honest with themselves and present during a coaching session.
What would you like to achieve for yourself and your business in the future?
Another decade of coaching! I genuinely believe that the coach approach is the way out of a lot of challenges in the world today, and I can influence the use of coaching through my business. I want to keep coaching leaders in Canada and expand my work internationally.
What are the 3 different leadership styles in a business?
Leadership styles in a business are best identified and strengthened by understanding what leadership is and the critical leadership competencies one needs to acquire. Once a leader has a 360 assessment result, then their leadership style has a foundation. In my experience, it is a more natural path to learn about your leadership competencies first, then hone your style, rather than look a list of prescribed leadership styles to adopt or model. Again, self-awareness is the foundation.
Last but not least, who are your services aimed for and how does one get in touch with you?
My services are aimed for leaders and their teams.
People can reach me on my website www.ahleadership.com or on LinkedIn.
