Irene Becker-International Pioneer in Coaching

Vasudhaiv Kutumbkam* Interview Series

(Global Leaders who have Enlarged, Excelled and Evolved into Global Personal Brands)

Dr Amit Nagpal: Irene, Tell us something about 3Q edge.

Irene Becker: The 3Q Edge refers to three critical areas of strength that I believe are important to life and leadership in the 21st Century.  Areas of strength that can be developed/built using not only our potential but the challenges we face as catalysts for positive growth.  Q1 IQ-Intellectual capacity under stress   Q2 Emotional Intelligence   Q3 Spiritual Quotient-our alignment to our highest power, our greatest values.

Dr Amit: How do you assess your client's potential?

Irene : I have an intake and assessment process which not only allows me to best understand the client's areas of strength and also challenges that can be transformed into Q strengths, but their goals/objectives.  I also have excellent tests and assessments that I use.

Dr Amit: Tell us how we can create enlightened businesses. How can workplaces become more passion oriented?

Irene: I am presuming that what you mean by enlightened business is business that is founded on the desire to serve a greater purpose, or the greatest purpose. Enlightened businesses will develop employee engagement through training, coaching and initiatives that drive improved engagement and passion

Yes, workplaces must become more passion oriented, in that the workers, the managers and the leaders must all be engaged and moving forward.  We have a new generation that seeks meaning in their work, and we have recognition in the workplace that meaningful work and employee engagement is critical.  

Corporations are starting to change, and while the change is slow, we can see large organizations paying more attention to employee engagement, creating a better workplace.  Purpose = profit. Corporations are about making money, and the ability to generate profits demands a new look, and an important look at an organizations most valuable asset, their people.  Creating improved communication and leadership vertically and horizontally across the organization will become more and more critical.

Dr Amit: What are the 3 most important points for 21st century leadership?

Irene: Mission, Vision and Empowerment/Engagement

Dr Amit: How is coaching CEOs different from coaching middle management? More strategy, more ego?

Irene: Coaching CEOS is different from middle management in a number of ways as their oversight and responsibilities are different.  Yes, there is often more ego to deal with and strategy and strategic objectives are critical, whereas the focus- when coaching a manager is totally different.

Dr Amit: How long you have been coaching professionals?

Irene: I have been an executive coach for ten years, and I coached, mentored and trained managers, senior managers and executives in my previous career as CEO of a steel company for another decade.

Dr Amit: How do we ensure that our experiences do not become our baggage?

Irene: I think that the only way to ensure that our experience does not become our baggage is related to consciousness and perspective.  Desire to grow, to learn, to evolve, to share and contribute fuel our potential.  And, our ability to see even the most difficult challenges we have faced as learning experiences that can not only take us forward but help us grow in ways we never thought possible, is critical.

Instead of asking why is this happening to me, or getting stuck in the past, we must focus on what pearls of wisdom and experience we can take from the past, on learning that can help us create a better present and future.

Dr Amit: There is a saying that only two people actually work in an organisation (they cannot evade responsibility), the sales executive and the chief executive? CEO cannot pass the buck for failure and sales executive cannot delegate to anyone. Rest of the people don’t work, they just manage others. What do you say?

Irene: Well, I think that the CEO and the Sales Executive cannot pass the buck and have oversight for the bottom line, but the engine of success are the managers and the people they manage.  Together they all form part of a critical system that must evolve and grow or die.

Dr Amit: What is Passion Point Web TV all about? Do you own it?

Irene: Passion Point is a Web TV show that I do, I do not own it; is part of a roster of shows and programming on All Talk TV.  Passion Point is about people who are living their passion through their work.

Dr Amit: Tell us about your REACH philosophy?

Irene: Effective leadership and communication are all about:  Redirecting Empowering Actualizing Communicating and Harvesting.  This is also the focus of great coaching.  Let me explain

Great leadership and communication means redirecting one's efforts and attentions and initiatives, actualizing potential, developing enhanced communication and collaboration (engagement) and harvesting the results.

Dr Amit: Corporates tend to have an opposition towards spirituality. Competition is about cutting throat after all. How do you handle it?

Irene: I do not stress SQ as spirituality, but rather values alignment. It is clear that without a values alignment, without serving not only the shareholders but all stakeholder sand the community, sustainability is impossible.  Short term gain for long term pain will not work going forward.  Building an organization that can stand the test of time, the velocity of change, demands values that are entrenched in the culture- not only the mission statement

Dr Amit: How can we tap into collective intelligence? 

Irene: I think there are many ways to tap into collective intelligence, many layers...However; in terms of organizations the best way to tap into collective intelligence is to make learning part of the culture. I think that as we also see the global marketplace really expand, there will be a natural evolution of our collective intelligence as success is dependent upon transforming me to we.  We must learn to work collaboratively, learn faster and do more for each other.  In many ways this has already started to happen.

Peter Senge spoke about the learning organization decades ago. What he referenced in the Fifth Discipline is still critical today.  A successful organization is a learning organization, and today that means tapping into the collective intelligence through culture and initiatives that improve the learning ability of the organization and its employees.

Dr Amit: Anything else you would like to share with our readers.

Irene: I am a learnaholic who embraces life, Dr. Amit, so my hobbies revolve around activities that grow my 3Qs...things that stretch my mind, my highest, noblest thoughts and my spiritual strength-alignment with the greatest good and, also a healthy dose of fun.  We all need the fun factor, laughter, joy and an appreciation of same to not only optimize our brains and our potential, but our physical and mental well being.

Dr Amit: It was great talking to you Irene. I am sure you must be bringing Reach, Resonance and Results for your clients.

*The World is one family

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About Irene Becker
Executive Coach, Consultant, Speaker, Writer

Chief Success Officer, Just Coach It -The 3Q Edge™

Irene is based in Toronto, Canada and is virtually everywhere. She firmly believes, a satisfied client is the biggest award one can get.

First woman CEO of a steel company in Canada, Irene has a track record of trailblazing accomplishments in business and in the community at large. An insightful and inspiring executive coach, mentor, speaker and writer, Irene helps clients achieve breakthrough results in their communication, leadership and lives. Passionate about the integrity of her work and its ability to help change-makers LEAD change, Irene helps smart people and organizations develop 3Q Leadership™ and effective verbal, written and social communication that builds reach, resonance and results. 

Irene welcomes your emails at irene@justcoachit.com and tweets at @justcoachit.