Agility & Flexibility

By Karen Jones | April 25, 2021

In coaching executives, team leaders, solopreneurs and small business owners, I am usually hired in a time of change, challenge, or calamity. Every situation is different. However, typical themes usually need my attention: conflict resolution and skill set building, communication breakdowns, team member disengagement, change management, and DEI (diversity, equity, inclusivity) among others. Assessing and enhancing personal leadership skills are always a focus of my attention: emotional intelligence, authenticity, leadership style, agility, stretching out of the comfort zone, etc.

In coaching leaders, I call upon the schooling behind my psychological licensure and executive coaching credentialing, the multitudes of existing literature, published research, client scenarios, and my own leadership journey. The goal of becoming a transformational leader, a truly impactful leader is always on the agenda.

According to Jeffrey Hull, PhD, author of, Flex (2019), authentic leadership, or what he calls “post-heroic” leadership is based on six core dimensions of leadership agility within three categories of power available to all of us:

The Mental: the power of the mindset

Flexibility: adjustable focus and style

Intentionality: mindful communication practices

The Emotional: the power of feelings

Emotional Intelligence: regulation and the effective use of emotion

Realness (authenticity): blending stoicism with humility and vulnerability

The Somatic: the power of the body

Collaboration: using proven methods to coach, mentor, and empower

Engagement: managing the energy of workspaces (including remote), to optimize teamwork, creativity, and performance

Ultimately, Hull developed the FIERCE model. This is an easy and intuitive checklist of leadership agility:

Flexible

Intentional

Emotional

Real

Collaborative

Engaged

All coaches work with the science behind changing habits, helping clients raise their self-awareness, identify goals, choose and implement practices, and track progress. Whether or not you choose to engage the services of a professional coach, you can begin by doing a little self-coaching. Here’s a basic rundown of Hull’s steps to coaching yourself: