Are We Coaching the Future Leaders? “Talent is like a flower; you have to fully tend to it if you want something beautiful.” – Marinela Reka We live in a time of unprecedented uncertainty and change. The pace of technological, social and economic disruption means that the past is no longer a reliable guide for the future. As the old Star Trek phrase reminds us, we are heading “where no one has gone before.” And into this unknown future steps a generation of young people who will soon become our organisational, community and societal leaders. The question for us as coaches is simple, yet profound: Are we actively coaching the future leaders – or leaving them to figure it out alone? A generation under pressure Today’s young professionals are entering the workplace with record levels of anxiety and emotional fragility. Jonathan Haidt’s work The Anxious Generation highlights the impact of overprotection, reduced real-world risk-taking, and a childhood shaped by screens rather than stretch experiences. Many young people have been buffered from failure, disappointment and discomfort, precisely the experiences that build resilience, adaptability and confidence. The result is not weakness of character, but underdeveloped emotional muscles. And yet, this is also

Creating Your Compass: Coaching Leaders for Sustainable Engagement Under Pressure By: Gizelle McIntyre, Strengths‑Based Leadership Coach Leadership disengagement. It’s the quiet crisis many of us coach into every day. Gallup’s latest research shows that close to eighty percent of employees in Sub‑Saharan Africa are disengaged at work. But here’s the real insight: the greatest predictor of a team’s engagement is the engagement level of its leader. A disengaged leader doesn’t just underperform personally (which is bad enough for the organisation), they unintentionally create a ripple that drains energy, morale and productivity across their team. When we coach leaders, we’re not only coaching individuals; we’re coaching entire engagement ecosystems. So, the question is: Are we coaching leaders for lasting engagement, or are we only creating insight that disappears under pressure? Why Strengths‑Based Coaching Matters In over twenty‑five years of working with leaders, I’ve seen one truth hold steady: when leaders understand and intentionally use their authentic strengths  (the things that energise and drive them), they perform better and stay more engaged. When engaged, they experience vigour, a sense of energy that fuels effort; dedication, a feeling of meaning and purpose; and absorption, being fully present and immersed in what they’re doing. However, there’s a recurring challenge;

Change Your Lens When I was younger, I loved capturing moments through my camera — people, nature, animals, or anything that caught my eye. Photography was my way of seeing the world differently, of pausing to notice the beauty in everyday life. Over time, life became busier, and that passion quietly faded into the background. Yet, the lessons I learned through the lens have stayed with me — and recently, one of them resurfaced with new meaning. As human beings, we all need to develop the ability to change our lens — to shift perspectives and see life from angles beyond our own. A fixed lens, like a fixed mindset, limits what we can perceive. When we choose not to adjust our focus, we risk missing the bigger picture — the heart of what’s really happening around and within us. Lately, I’ve noticed how easy it is to see only the “ear” and miss the “elephant.” We focus on fragments — someone’s flaws, their missteps, or the parts of a story that fit our preferred narrative. We zoom in so tightly on what we believe to be true that we lose sight of the person’s full essence — their complexity,