Who I am
In 2001 I saw an opportunity to take the road less travelled. Money was pouring in, my energy and engagement was pouring out: time was elapsing, yet contentment was elusive. For many years co-leading a business at a global investment bank, life’s bigger questions had started to become unavoidable: what is my place in the world, how can I have more impact, what legacy do I create if I continue down this road? I discovered I was not alone in these thoughts. An innate curiosity wanted to solve a bigger problem than “how does the Stock Market work?” I wanted to understand how humans work. The problem: I had no tools, no education to speak of, yet somehow, I couldn’t resist. It seemed to me there were better ways of being., yet people not only repeated their mistakes but also doomed themselves insodoing. We were sleepwalking our way through life. I discovered a way to make a contribution that involved not inconsiderable risk.
Clients I work with
What I do
This work is all about connection. Unless we forge a strong connection, we won’t make progress. I say we, because I am going to care as much about your progress or business as you do. Whether, CEO advisory, coaching or consulting, or counselling, coaching for transformation, problem-solving around people, teams and business, or providing mentoring or guidance, you need a baseline of trust. We will get entangled, and it won’t always be easy: my My role is to work with you on the inconvenient truths, not to collude. The more senior you are the less likely it is you hear that unvarnished truth often enough. Done well, this work gives you a shake, and catches the falling pieces, reassembling them in better order. That said, I am here to take care of you, not expose you. We move from good to better, from big to bigger. The ambition is to ensure you are more power-ful in the world. The hyphen is deliberate. I want you to exercise your fullest self, not to inhabit the corner of a room, but to walk all the floors of your house.
“A comfort zone is a beautiful place but nothing ever grows there.”
Anonymous
“Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn.”
John Maxwell
“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
“If you are working on something really exciting that you really care about you don't have to be pushed, the vision pulls you.”
Steve Jobs
“Security is mostly a superstition. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.”
Helen Keller
“Fight for the things that you care about but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.”
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Why I do this
The planet is a mess, leadership is broken yet society can be better. That happens person by person. The lives we lead are often incongruent with our values, the way we lead is often tarnished by fear, arrogance or an attempt to control. This does not work, if you haven’t noticed. Helping people to be more reflective, to stand back and see themselves at distance and lead and live more intentionally is my core driver, when I teach, consult or coach. If one more leader finds their voice, their reason for being and loses their shackles, there is a shift. If you don’t care about people, the environment, if diversity is unimportant to you, if you can’t accept that you have unconscious bias, and if you are not curious about yourself, your team, your culture, country and the world, we won’t fit. If you do, I may have the tools and training to sort a few things out.
How I do this
My expertise came from coaching groups and teams. This was the subject of my dissertation and have coached groups or teams over 400 times, the more challenging the better. Coaching in its purest sense is about asking questions. I term myself an advisor or consultant because sometimes you won’t have time for full exploration: you want a suggestion based on experience. Coaching is a baseline, however. If you have time to explore, we will have a more profound dialogue. My teaching on the subject of organisational behaviour has taken me from Sydney to Singapore, from Paris to Panama. I like nothing better than to engage the room in a dialectic. I do know a few things but being in places with a room full of great brains is a place for everyone to learn. I also give speeches from time to time: sometimes they are funny.
Success Factors
I want this to be worth it. Your time is valuable, as is mine. If you don’t change, if you are not a better leader, if your organisation doesn’t function more effectively, I failed you. Or maybe we didn’t connect. Or maybe, you didn’t really want it. That said, it’s useful to agree some outcomes, KPI’s, OKR’s whatever you want. That gives us a goal towards which to work. I will take your success seriously. It’s how I spend my time, also my most precious resource.
Inspirations
Wander away from the campfire towards the gloom, that’s where life manifests. On my 50th birthday I landed in North Korea to teach at a newly founded business school. Long story but that didn’t happen. However, to explore. I spent a week there; it was remarkable and tragic. Plot twist: people are the same in every corner of the world. When we left, they cried as did we. Three months before civil war broke out, in Syria, I was invited into a stranger’s house to share a meal. They insisted, I was humbled. A matter of weeks later Syria was in the 7th circle of hell. Always assume positive intent, as Indra Nooyi said. We are fragile. A few years later, I found myself painting landscapes in Italy. It was a random experiment in doing something utterly outside my domain of competence. We ended up building a house there. I still can’t paint, yet I fell in love with the land., yet we can extend love. On the subject of love, it’s the meaning of everything. You will need to love yourself at least a little. I have learned that and so should you. If you don’t, nobody will follow you and you won’t be loved in a way you deserve. This is not a corporate thing, it’s a human thing.
Testimonials
I have been working with Graham for almost 4 years now. To this day, I am still impressed by both his teaching and coaching skills: his knowledgeable, consistently relevant and caring advice has helped me grow both professionally and personally. Graham has been an invaluable ally to me through the challenges I have faced so far and continues to be.
Isabelle Lebbe
Graham is a master at forming a plan for leader to implement change or otherwise have positive impact.He not only is great at the strategy but also does amazing job of teaching it.
Evan Lazar
Graham has been a teacher and coach in the Mckinsey Counselling Masterclass program for Senior Partners for a decade or more. He is very appreciated at all levels - as a colleague I have admired his ability to take very good consultants and counselors and make them the best that they can be. With those he coaches he establishes trust, sharing research and insights, but most importantly he is ever tuned to the coaching dynamic, and is able to push coachees to new levels of performance which is a verysatisfying outcome for all.
Neil Janin
Graham brings a unique combination of skills to his coaching and consulting practice. He is effective in combining the insights of his many years in the corporate world, with his academic training, to provide practical and actionable advice. Graham was tremendously helpful in providing support and advice for me, to successfully navigate the complexity and unique dynamics of a complicated corporate role.
Ron Cooper
Graham understands the unique opportunities and challenges of leadership. He is empathetic, insightful and offers wise and courageous counsel. Adept with teams and individual leaders Graham enables leaders to understand themselves, adapt and lead in complex environments. Having worked with him for two decades he has been and continues to be the first person I turn to for trusted advice and challenge and moreover my top recommendation to purposeful leaders, teams and pioneers.
Khoi Tu
Contact
Since I don’t do any marketing, you are probably here because somebody mentioned me. I will be happy to discuss with you over a virtual coffee your needs and whether I can help. Take a look at my biography if you are curious. Elsewhere, you will find some of the clients I worked with. And if I can’t help, I have a large global network of talented and passionate colleagues, many of whom are more talented than I. They are yours if you want. However, if you are intrigued, contact my PA Jo, on the following email. She runs the show.