EMCC International webinar: Sartre’s CEO - 13 November 2018 @ 18.30 cet 

Rethinking how we coach and develop authentic leaders

About the webinar

The topic of Authentic Leadership has been around for quite a number of years. Having being attributed in the first instance to Bill George in 2003, it has sometimes been referred to as the 'gold standard for leadership'. It would seem obvious that coaching has a role to play in developing these authentic leaders. However, there is a danger that this development becomes overly focussed on behaviours and skills.

There is a famous example from Jean-Paul Sartre of the waiter whose movement is 'a little too precise, a little too rapid. He comes towards his customers with a step a little too quick'. Sartre’s point is that the waiter is 'playing at being a waiter'. Are we as coaches merely assisting our clients at playing (or faking) the role of authentic leaders a little better, or are we coaching them towards true authentic leadership? During this webinar, Billy Byrne will suggest that coaching for true leadership authenticity must begin with a philosophical rather than a behavioural mind-set. Drawing on existential philosophy, he will examine what it means to be an authentic leader and how we as coaches can best serve the client who wants to be a more authentic leader.

Billy Byrne is an executive coach and leadership development specialist. Prior to setting up his own business in 2012 he worked extensively in the utilities sector, originally as an engineer and then in a variety of line management, human resources and change management roles. Currently, in addition to his own independent coaching practice, he is a senior associate faculty member at the Irish Management Institute where he delivers a number of programmes on Leadership and Organisational Development. He also teaches and is module leader on the MA (Existential Coaching) at the New School of Psychotherapy and Counselling where he lectures on Existential Leadership and Executive Existential Coaching. He also works as an executive coach with KinchLyons, organisational psychologists, where he works with both individuals and teams. He holds Masters Degrees in Organisational Behaviour (Trinity College Dublin) and Existential Coaching (Middlesex University). He is an EMCC Ireland Council Member, an EMCC accreditation assessor,  and a Chartered Fellow of CIPD.