William Alexander discusses Meyler Campbell’s vital DNA, its ‘culture, connections, and content’, and his perspective on its future.
Since I joined Meyler Campbell in March, many of you have generously given me time to share your thoughts about Meyler Campbell - thank you. I want to use this opportunity to share with the wider community the themes that have resonated with me from those early conversations.
First, our culture
Whatever we do, we should not mess with the DNA. Meyler Campbell is a genuinely caring and compassionate community which creates goodwill with all that are connected to it. The quality of its people makes Meyler Campbell distinctive - the faculty, the participants and the extended community. The curiosity and desire to innovate, to learn and to connect is something to nurture and sustain.
Several commented on the opportunity to make an even greater difference by extending our goodwill initiatives, like the NHS programme during the pandemic and the John Stopford scholarships for charity sector leaders. Is there more that Meyler Campbell can do to help more people who would not otherwise have access to the benefits of being coached and learning the skills of coaching?
Second, our connections
The community and the network are powerful. Through word of mouth, Meyler Campbell has established itself at the apex of the coaching world, especially in Europe. How much more potential is there to spread the word more proactively about Meyler Campbell and what it stands for? Some are not fully aware of our different programmes - like Unleashed and Foundation – targeted at businesses and that help enhance the skills of non-directive listening for more leaders. Many of our community would be pleased to help connect Meyler Campbell to more organisations that might benefit from activating and embedding the coaching mindset in the way they operate.
Third, our content
The 3:1 tutorial approach is special and something we should safeguard. Participants build lifelong friendships within the community and feel the benefits derived from the intense relationships built in the syndicate and with the tutor.
The current depth and breadth of insight being delivered through events, masterclasses and fishbowls – now delivered digitally as well – provide a valued resource both to current participants and alumni. New graduates have valued the support in building their fledgling coaching businesses. There is a hunger for even more support and resources at the outset and into the years beyond. What is the opportunity to harness, curate and communicate even more of the latest and greatest thinking about leadership coaching? How can we make it even easier to continue to learn from each other and the leading thinkers in the sector?
Now to the future
What Anne Scoular, Catherine Devitt, the faculty and the Meyler Campbell community have established over the last two decades is something special. The task for us all now is to help navigate the journey to a future where Meyler Campbell can have even more impact for good. Here is my personal snapshot of first thoughts on how we might look in the middle of this next decade. I see a vibrant and diverse community that is:
- Connecting the power of coaching across the world to help ever more leaders and their teams to develop their full potential
- Partnering with many of the world’s top organisations to unleash the skills of listening and empathy in their most influential leaders
- Embracing our purpose-driven culture to extend more systematically the benefits of coaching to those who currently struggle to have access to such high-quality support
In the months ahead, I know that Catherine and the team are planning to tell you more about our plans. Please do get in touch if you would like to help us achieve these aspirations.
William Alexander