Alan Watkins - Coherence: The Secret Science of Brilliant Leadership

This ebook published in 2013 by

Kogan Page Limited

2nd Floor, 45 Gee Street

London EC1V 3RS

United Kingdom

www.koganpage.com

Complete Coherence Limited, 2014

E-ISBN 9780749470067

Contents

I normally skim past the acknowledgements in most books, so please feel free to do the same. This is really for the people mentioned here. It is so rare to be able to publicly thank the people that make our lives not only possible but also a pleasure. This bit is for all of you.

The truth is that this book has been incubating for 15 years and it has only happened now because of the incredible support of so many people.

First and foremost to my wife Sarah, with whom I have shared the highs and lows on our journey together. Your loving, welcoming smile and warm embrace sustains me. You lift my heart and soul. I love you more deeply with each passing year and I am so blessed that we found each other (thanks to Russell Symmons for that). My children, Jack, Sam, Joe and Charlie are so wonderful in so many ways; you make it easy for me to get out of bed every single day. I am proud of you all and the men that you are becoming.

I would also like to acknowledge my parents. My Dad, from whom I get my sense of humour, wit and sharpness thank you. Your life, I know has had its challenges and your perpetual desire to meet them head on is so admirable. To my Mum who taught me, by example, the nature of compassion and kindness. Your resilience and willingness to work really hard continue to amaze me. To my sister Julia and brother Andy, I love you both. Id also like to say thank you to Lillian and Brian. Your relationship has always been an inspiration to me.

At Complete Coherence I am privileged to have so many wonderful people to work with. Carol, what a blessing we found you just round the corner. You have been an absolute star, a rare gem and your natural chirpy nature lifts us all. Rebecca, thanks for your willingness to put up with me and your warmth with clients. Alan L, it has been a source of deep pride to see you develop so much through your commitment and application of the work. Peter, your strength, flexibility and ability to do what is right provides such a strong foundation for the business, thank you. To Diane, you are simply the best practitioner in the world and like a sister to me. Why hasnt Obama called you? Tom, thanks for bringing your considerable talents to the party and I look forward to some great times together.

To Chris P, thanks for your passion, counsel and willingness to be irreverent. Nick, your integrity and persistence is a real asset, not to mention your impressive collection of shirts. Katie, your spark, stimulation and storytelling adds something special to the mix. Georges, thanks for your loyalty; you have been with us since the early days. Zander and Orowa, I have high hopes for you both. You are both exceptional young men and give me hope for the future. I am looking forward to seeing how you both develop. Kirsty, thanks for your tireless commitment to the research agenda and ability to work without enough help from me. It has been a pleasure to see you develop since you joined. Steve B, welcome to the party; you fitted right in. Extra thanks go to Carolyn who keeps us tidy on the finances with Carol and Sarah.

A special thanks in this book must go to Louise, who was absolutely instrumental at the inception phase and in getting things off the ground and keeping us on track with Carol, Jack and Zander in support on the marketing front. A very special thanks goes to Karen, who has edited what I wrote so brilliantly. You made this dream a reality and your ability to marshal, sort, polish and enhance what I gave you was incredible. This book would simply not have happened without your help. Did I mention that this was the first of an eight-book series?

In addition to the core team above, I would like to extend a special thank you to so many clients who were prepared to provide brief case studies and bring certain aspects of the book alive. Without you I could not be me. It has been a real pleasure working with you all and great that you have been prepared to put into practice so much of what we discussed together. But watch out because we are not finished yet and there is more to share before the journey is done. I would also like to extend my gratitude to all the other clients I have worked with over the last 15 years. There have been so many wonderful conversations with both individuals and teams in many businesses, schools and sporting organizations. I hope the provision of this book will help consolidate what we have covered and set you up for the next stage.

I would also like to mention a few other special people whom I have shared part of this journey with. Kevin Murray, you have been a good friend, stood by me when things were tough, challenged my thinking and brought your own magic. Charles Fallon, you likewise have been a good friend and wise counsel at critical points on the journey. Thank you also to Angela Clow for your academic counsel, and Davide Sola for your entrepreneurial spirit. Id also like to thank Tom and Brian at Holacracy One for stimulating my thinking and showing us a new way forward. For Pippa and Jennifer I sense a great collaboration brewing. Also a special thanks to my friends Steve Tappin, a pioneer prepared to challenge the status quo; Hugh Lloyd Jukes, an exceptional framer of complex issues; and Ido van der Heijden, who brings a sensitivity to the shadow work that is fascinating.

Lastly I would like to thank Kogan Page and Matthew Smith in particular for being prepared to take this book on, for being flexible and taking such a straightforward approach. You have definitely made this book better.

I remember sitting on the couch at home watching the last day of the British Open in July 2007. In an impressive display of golfing talent, Spaniard Sergio Garcia had taken the lead and kept it for three days. On the final day he was paired with Irishman Padraig Harrington and it was a nervy day for both players. In the end it all came down to the 18th hole. Garcia needed to sink a 10-foot putt to win but the ball lipped out; the game went to a playoff and the Irishman lifted the Claret Jug. When it was all over the legendary golf commentator Peter Alliss gave one of his customary sighs and said, Ahhh, Its a funny old game, golf, as though it was a complete mystery why these things happen. At which point I was jumping up and down in front of the TV yelling that its not a mystery at all!

Garcia had been in that position before. The year earlier in the same tournament he lost to Tiger Woods on the last day despite playing blistering golf in the previous days. On the Saturday he even shot a 29 on the front nine holes. On the last day he shot 39 on exactly the same holes. A year later, in the 2008 PGA Championship, Harrington beat him again after the wheels fell off on the final day. But its not just Garcia. Remember Greg Norman in the 1996 Masters, Rory McIlroys final round meltdown at the 2011 Masters or Adam Scotts spectacular demise at the 2012 British Open.

And more importantly, this drop in performance is not unique to golf or any sport for that matter and it happens in business all the time. People are consistently underperforming and making poor or sub-optimal decisions that have massive repercussions for the business we just dont normally hear about them or get the opportunity to witness them in real time in quite such spectacular fashion. But contrary to conventional or Peter Allisss wisdom there is nothing mysterious about the performance aberrations that plague sport or business. The reason it happens and it appears mysterious whether on the golf course or during a new business pitch or off-site strategy session is that we simply dont understand whats really influencing performance in the first place. Its time to set the record straight.