Brian Souza - The Weekly Coaching Conversation

Praise for The Weekly
Coaching Conversation

Brian Souza is an author after my own heart. Dont miss this outstanding story! Not only is The Weekly Coaching Conversation a great story, but Brian also knows that, as a leader, you are nothing without your people. I highly recommend you read this engaging story and let it inspire you to become a better leader.

Ken Blanchard, Coauthor of The One Minute Managerand Great Leaders Grow

Prepare to be entertained, inspired, and educated on what it really takes to begin the transformational journey from acting like a manager to becoming a leader. To get the most out of your organization, your team, or even yourself, The Weekly Coaching Conversation is an absolute must-read.

Richard J. Bakosh, Global Managing Director, Accenture

The Weekly Coaching Conversation is great for the mind and the soul. Powerful coaching!

Marshall Goldsmith, Author of MOJO and What Got You Here Wont Get You There

Management folklore has a new hero, Coacha colorful and crusty veteran with tons to teach eager high-achievers. Brian Souza artfully brings Coach to life in The Weekly Coaching Conversation, a book grounded solidly in rigorous research and practical experience, and written in a highly memorable and inviting style. The fictional world of The Weekly Coaching Conversation is packed with real-world dilemmas, timeless lessons, and unforgettable turns-of-phrase. Its a highly enjoyable read, and one youll fi nd yourself returning to often. The Weekly Coaching Conversation is a winner.

Jim Kouzes, Coauthor of The Leadership Challenge, Deans Executive Fellow of Leadership, Leavey School of Business, Santa Clara University

The Weekly Coaching Conversation is a great read and will become the defi nitive guide for aspiring leaders. If you want to take your teams performance to the next level, read this book.

Mark Silverman, President, The Big Ten Network

The Weekly Coaching Conversation is full of warm, wonderful wisdom with timeless lessons for leadership and personal success.

Brian Tracy, Author, How the Best Leaders Lead

Brian Souzas new book The Weekly Coaching Conversation is destined to become a classic in the world of business leadership and the pursuit of maximizing human potential. It is an inviting, enchanting, and awe-inspiring parable. I highly recommend Brians new masterpiece.

Michael Lardon M.D., Author of Finding Your Zone: Ten Core Lessons for Achieving Peak Performance in Life and Sports

I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Weekly Coaching Conversation and highly recommend it. Brian Souza is a wonderful storyteller with a powerful message. The ideas presented in this book are the foundations of long-term success and should be required reading for all managers and aspiring leaders.

John Daut, Senior Vice President of Sales, NetJets

The Weekly Coaching Conversation cleverly teaches one of the essential truths of leadershipthat it is no longer about you! This book offers frontline managers a way to accelerate their journey while offering experienced leaders a nostalgic reminder of the day they learned this truth and the inspiration to take their game to the next level.

Liz Wiseman, Author, Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smart

If you want to learn what it takes to lead and succeed in todays highly competitive corporate environment, read The Weekly Coaching Conversation. While its an engaging story that makes it a quick read, the leadership message is timeless!

Rick Jackson, Chief Marketing Officer, VMWare, Inc.

The Weekly Coaching Conversation is a powerful book with an important message for all managers. In addition to a great story, in this book Brian Souza also presents a wonderful framework that will teach managers how to have a weekly coaching conversation with their team. I highly recommend it!

Verne Harnish, CEO, Gazelles, and Founder, Entrepreneurs Organization (EO)

about taking your game and your team
to the next level

Copyright 2012 by Brian Souza This parable is a work of fiction. Any reference to real people, events, establishments, organizations, or locales is intended only to give the fiction a sense of reality and authenticity, and is used fictitiously. All other names, characters, and places, and all dialogue and incidents portrayed in this book are the product of the authors imagination.

Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the author has used his best efforts in preparing this book, he makes no representations or warranties with respect to accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaims any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. The author shall not be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.

ISBN: 978-0-9847625-1-4 paperback ISBN: 978-0-9847625-2-1 hardcover ISBN: 978-0-9847625-3-8 ebook

All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without written permission from the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.

Published by Evolve Publishing, Inc.

www.evolvepublishing.com

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

Printed in the United States of America.

To my amazing wife for all her love,
support, and friendship over the years.
And to my two beautiful daughters for
reminding me what its all about.

Whether your team is in an office, on a field, in a classroom, or in your living roomhave you ever thought they had more to give, but you werent quite sure how to get it out of them? Have you ever wanted them to play up to their potential, but didnt quite know how to make it happen? Are you looking for that one new idea, that one simple strategy that will take your career and your teams performance to the next level? If so, I wrote this book for you.

Over the past decade that Ive been studying high-performance individuals and organizations, Ive had the opportunity to sit down with dozens of world-class leaders and look under the hood of a number of first-rate organizations. Ironically, while I was initially in pursuit of a new theory of organizational productivity, I accidentally stumbled upon something much more profound. A truth, so simple in its construct and yet so significant in its application, that it literally changed my life.

In analyzing highly effective leaders of highly productive organizations, I discovered that the fundamental difference was not necessarily their IQ, strategic vision, operational prowess, or even charismatic personathough these are obviously important ingredients. The fundamental difference primarily came down to one thing: their approach. They didnt act like a manager; they acted like a coach.