Episode Details
Episode 4 features my good friend and mentor Chris Anderson. Chris is an incredible leader with practical and hands-on experience in coaching executive leaders. Click here to learn more about Chris’s coaching
Highlights
Looking for specific advice? Below is a list of the questions asked to Chris Anderson as well as the time where you can find them in the video posted above.
- 1:46 | Chris Anderson Background
- 6:40 | What would you say are your most successful habits?
- 7:45 | What would you say are your biggest weaknesses? How do you navigate those?
- 9:02 | How do you manage your ego on a daily basis and keep it in check?
- How much coaching time should you spend with your direct reports? How do you maximize your time?
- 10:27 | What are some of your biggest challenges that you've faced?
- 14:10 | What kind of advice do you give the next generation?
Key Takeaways
The underlying part of your ego is your sense of self and if you don’t have any sense of self, you’re a lump of dirt. The key to a good ego is finding your uniqueness and a place where it works. The world is about bringing together groups of egos that all work well with each other.
About 50% of your coaching isn’t in what you’re saying, but what you’re doing…how you’re acting and behaving says a lot about you.
Coaching is as much as creating it’s as much about it’s really about creating a setting where both of you were learning at the same time you’re teaching. So it’s a magic that it has more to do with intent and your trust in each other, in terms of just you trust each other as people, as well as there’s a shared complimentary competence
Spend time drawing out every possible outcome, and then spend time really diving into each and every opportunity. If you give yourself some time to just let those options sit before moving forward on any of them you may discover unique and better solutions than you originally thought.
Your spouse will become your partner and sidekick and if you choose the right one, your biggest supporter.
Take time to understand the problem before jumping to solutions or conclusions
Discussion Questions
Take a few minutes to reflect on what you’ve heard and create some actionable next steps items. Below are a few questions based on the episode to help get you started on your speed mentorship journey.
- Who are the people that complement your weaknesses? How do they complement you?
- What part of your ego is good ego? What type of environment would be a good fit for your unique self?
- If you asked your direct reports, what would they say your behavior says about your coaching style?
- How can you get better at asking questions in coaching sessions and meetings?
About the Mentor
Chris Anderson is an accomplished senior executive and executive coach with public, private, and family board experience.
He began his career with The Andersons, Inc., a 3rd generation family partnership that went Public (NASDAQ:ANDE) midway through his tenure. He began as ‘low man on the totem pole’ as a fertilizer plant loading foreman and accumulated his general management skills with roles in various operating businesses including grain, fertilizer, turf products, and auto service.
Chris later progressed to president of the $150M Processing and Manufacturing Group, then chief strategy officer. One specific outcome of his work was installation of the leadership, platform, and discipline that transformed the railcar start-up into the corporation’s most profitable business. He is also recognized for developing emerging leaders who went on to excel in C-level roles.
Today, Chris is the president and founder of The CJ Anderson Company, an executive coaching firm supplying a real-world training ground for high-functioning leaders looking to achieve and sustain breakthrough performance.
He is a Fellow of The National Association of Corporate Directors and a founder of the Detroit Chapter of The Private Directors Association. He is a holder of the Family Firm Institute’s Certificate in Family Business Advising and is certified in the use of The Leadership Circle Profile.TM
Chris holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and MS and BS degrees in agribusiness from Ohio State University. He lives in Ohio with Susan, his wife of 44 years, and enjoys partnering with her in supporting the parenting efforts of their three daughters and spouses and spoiling their six grandchildren.
