Author Archives: Amiel Handelsman

How to Idiot-Proof Excellence

Leadership Coaching Tips / October 2012

Amiel Handelsman

It’s now been thirty years since Peters and Waterman published In Search of Excellence. According to Art Kleiner, Editor of strategy + business, this book brought into the mainstream the notion that building a successful company requires more than simply managing the numbers. Or, as an integral practitioner might say, it elevated the value of the “We” domain of culture to its rightful place beside the “Its” domain of structures and …

Leadership Coaching Tip: Brutal Facts Plus Positive Emotion

Leadership Coaching Tips / October 2008

Amiel HandelsmanLately, I’ve been wondering what kind of leadership this moment in history is calling for. The short answer is second-tier leadership, defined as that which promotes the health of the entire spiral. I am impressed by the work of Don Beck and others in describing the dimensions of this, like searching for the underlying cultural DNA, conducting vital signs monitors, facilitating the various waves of emergence, and creating win/win/wins. To this list, I would add the

Feature Article: Leaders Want to be Loved: What’s So Wrong with That?

Feature Articles / August 2008

Amiel HandlesmanOver the past year I received similar introductions to five bright executives in different organizations. Before each coaching assignment began, I was cautioned, “(S)he’s very hard-nosed. Doesn’t like touchy-feely. Focus on business issues. No soft stuff.”

In each situation, I realized that this advice was both helpful and limited. On the one hand, I interpreted it as a useful reminder for me to “activate Orange” (in Spiral Dynamics lingo) when interacting with these leaders. This meant …