We all want it, we get into disagreements over it, and it makes a difference in our workplace and personal relationships; communication – it truly is the core of what we want. Effective communication is more than just passing a message across – it involves helping the recipient understand and act on the message. The weight of effective communication isn’t just on the shoulders of great leaders, it is an integral part of an evolving social process for everyone.

When we hear that someone needs to be ‘coached’ most of us think of an overly universal term. Coaching, though, is a massive sector with so many sub-styles involved that the term ‘coaching’ without any context is almost worthless. Instead of leaving you constantly searching for some universally applicable style of coaching, let’s take a look at some of the most popular forms of coaching in the world.

Over the years I have worked with several leaders who possess different qualities, strengths and weaknesses. However, one important quality that sets them apart from one another is their ability to lead by their values. As unique as our fingerprints, so too are our values.

How often do you get talked into something you don’t’ want to do? Do you often experience situations that infuriate, annoy or frustrate you but do absolutely nothing about them? Do you find it difficult to say “no” without being offensive?

Getting ahead means putting in more hours, taking on more projects and making work your life, right? No, according to career coaches. Workaholics tend to burn out fast usually neglecting the very things they need to do to achieve success. At business conferences you often hear expressions such as “My work is my life,” “I’m married to my work.” Despite the obvious downside our society celebrates obsessive work ethics and is it often viewed as evidence of an individual’s commitment to work, a project or start-up idea.

For any business owner today, there’s often a misconception that your most powerful tool is your products or services. While that’s true to an extent, who delivers on those products or services? Your employees. Your employees are the ones who grind and work all day; who spend as much time as they can, putting in the hard work and the effort on your behalf.

Anyone can be busy, but you should not mistake movement for accomplishment. People say they are always “busy”, but that does not necessarily mean they are productive or using their time wisely.

Leaders are bombarded daily with choices; a choice to do right or wrong; a choice to do nothing; a choice to do the right thing or to do the barest minimum required to get the job done.

Show me a leader that has never failed in business, and I’ll say the leader is either new in business or has not tried hard enough.

“The ultimate measure of a man (leader/business owner) is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”~ Martin Luther King Jr.

The evaluation of behavioural styles plays a crucial role in the selection process of effective leaders including CEOs and top executives. In the 21st century ― and especially for the future―we want leaders who can manage people, engage the workforce, and inspire innovation and collaboration. Therefore, there is an urgent need to understand leadership behaviours, because it influences the effectiveness of a leader. Leaders make business decisions and implement strategies based on their innate drives and their behavioural style. Our priorities also affect how we react to the people we work with. It is no longer sufficient to select leaders based on their prior successes or capability alone. It is true that previous successes and experience remain vital, but more is required from today’s leaders.

Employers must carefully evaluate whether any drug policy or drug testing program is job-related and to examine the job-related reasons for taking an adverse action on employees that use substances.