Today’s world can be described as Brittle, Anxious, Nonlinear, and Incomprehensible (BANI), an idea created by Jamais Cascio, an American anthropologist, futurist, and author. The war in Ukraine, the Middle East conflict and instability, the increasing impact of climate change and a world where massive upheaval can occur in seconds, has created challenges that require a fresh lens and mindset.
Drawing attention to issues and hoping that they will be fixed or solved is normal. It’s what we do every day: There’s a problem, like a dripping tap or a flat tyre or the mobile phone has no power, and we ‘analyse the problem’ and fix it easily. But when it comes to people, like interpersonal and social problems, things get complicated. That’s why I think we need to change our approach and focus on finding solutions. And that starts with the being.
When Ruairi McDermott first considered enrolling in the Level 7 Postgraduate Certificate (PGC) in Coaching and Mentoring for Leadership in Organisations, it wasn’t with grand aspirations to become a coach. Like many of us, life was busy, and the idea of adding a rigorous academic programme initially seemed out of reach. However, Ruairi took the plunge—and what followed was a transformative experience that not only redefined his career but also changed how he approaches leadership and collaboration.
When Caroline Newton started exploring coaching, she never imagined how profoundly it would transform her professional and personal life. Working in corporate business, she was introduced to coaching when her boss assigned her a coach. That experience sparked her curiosity, inspiring her to pursue coaching skills (becoming an EMCC Senior Practitioner) as a way to enhance her leadership.
