We are introducing the exceptional coaches who sit at the heart of ECI Partners’ work, experienced practitioners who bring depth of thinking, commercial acumen and development rigour to the leaders we partner with every day.
Meet Chris Corneil…
1) What’s important to me in my coaching
Trust. Creating a trusting two-way relationship is the foundation for great coaching. I think of coaching as an alliance where my client and I are working together like partners to achieve their goals and overcome challenges. As we’re often talking about things they’re not able to talk with anyone else about, trust allows us to build strong rapport and sometimes have difficult conversations that can be the catalyst for change. This fine balance is only possible with high levels of trust, and a sense that we have each other’s back.
2) What is distinctive about my coaching approach
When I was studying Coaching Psychology at Sydney University, one of my professors was riffing about coaches in the industry that he was impressed by. He said they were MBA trained, were former CEOs, and had studied Coaching Psychology at master’s level. It took me a moment to realise, that was me.
As a result, I feel I have a pretty good ‘toolkit’ available whether clients’ challenges relate to strategy, financial or operational management, team leadership or the deeper psychological makeup we all have.
Having said that, one of my greatest learnings from Sydney Uni was that while I bring a lot of lived and learned experience, I should never assume I’m the expert. My experience is my own, and my job is to help clients find their solutions and operate at their best. So, while having experience means I quickly understand my client’s context, as I’ve sat in their seat, I try and catch myself and not assume I’m the expert. The best coaching is when my client and I both walk away feeling like ‘how the heck did we land that?’
3) What lights me up about coaching?
I turned 60 earlier this year. That was quite confronting and a catalyst for reflection.
At the age of 16, I coached a Pee Wee ice hockey team of 14-year-olds, at 19 I taught chemistry to adult’s while I was doing my undergrad, at 30 I taught client service people the correlation between bond yields and valuations. Throughout my life I have gained a lot of joy out of helping people. I did it because enjoyed it, and the reward was in the experience itself.
Today, it’s an incredible privilege to have earned the trust of some of Australia’s top executives who are doing hard things. While my clients and I always have goals and objectives in mind, we never really know where these relationships will lead. To be trusted and ‘let in’ to have real conversations with these leaders, that they don’t have with anyone else, is something I never take for granted. Sometimes there are laughs, and sometimes tears, but working together as partners to help make things better is what lights me up.
To connect with us about executive coaching please contact us here.
