Insights from Head of Coaching

Dear Students,
 

Have you ever heard of a person being called “a chameleon?” If so, you might have wondered if it was a compliment…or not.
 

In a business context, this quality, essentially meaning “to be situationally adaptable,” can be expressed in a myriad of ways, including:
 

Regardless of the name we use, this critical competency, which appears on virtually every list of “must-haves” for entry-level hires, is essential for ambitious international students like you to master.  According to the authors of the McKinsey article below, “Leaders [in the near future] will need a mix of humility, confidence, selflessness, vulnerability, and resilience. They will likely find, however, that these qualities, while crucial, are not sufficient to get the job done. Like Ben Franklin, they will also need to be versatile.”  Doing so, however, may not come easily to a candidate who might have been raised in an environment with strong beliefs surrounding a singular focus on hard skill development in a specific area (which, to be fair, could be you or one of your friends).
 

https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/the-versatile-leader-how-learning-to-adapt-makes-ceos-better?stcr=E26429A99AF5444BA133DBF72AAF6457&cid=other-eml-alt-mip-mck&hlkid=17c2a3a8caaf46f785b54e4815f976b3&hctky=15250304&hdpid=34c54b0a-48ec-4b79-9f2c-272182c6c0e6

Yet, in acknowledging the paramount importance of adaptability in Western society, how can an aspiring talent like you learn to become (more) versatile? While the McKinsey piece provides three useful high-level suggestions, doing so all begins with you choosing to intentionally adopt an open, growth-oriented mindset. So, in the interest of continuous learning, why not explore potential scenarios, through coaching, that require young talent like you to adopt and build such thinking and skills?
 

Here’s wishing you success in “adapting” the rest of your day, and evening, to achieve your goals!
 

Best,
 

Amy-Louise