Debra Sunderland Coaching

·1 hr 16 min·5 clips

Brandon Still reveals how his business coach's question 'what part do you play in the result you don't want' has reshaped his leadership.

The episode begins with host Brandon Still introducing the return of Brandon's Book Club, focusing on the book 'The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership.' He introduces his guest, business coach Deborah Sunderland, who practices and teaches from this book. Brandon shares his personal experience working with Deborah, highlighting the impactful question, 'what part do you play in the result you don't want,' which he uses for self-reflection and coaching his team. Deborah shares her background, including a degree in political science with psychology studies, an MBA from NYU's inner MBA program, and work in emotional intelligence with Dan Goleman. She recounts a pivotal life event: a serious bike racing crash at age 42 that left her in a coma, which made her realize she had been living on autopilot, driven by achievement rather than purpose. The conversation delves into the book's core framework of 'above the line' (open, curious, learning) versus 'below the line' (closed, defensive, blaming) leadership. Brandon confesses a personal struggle common in hospitality: the difficulty of allowing people to be uncomfortable, which Deborah identifies as 'heroing' or taking on more than one's responsibility. They explore the 'drama triangle' of victimhood, hero, and persecutor. Deborah poses three foundational questions she asks CEOs: whether they believe they are enough, have enough, and know how to love themselves, noting that none have answered yes to all three. The discussion touches on finding one's 'genius'—work that is energizing and effortless—versus tasks that drain energy, referencing Gay Hendricks' book 'The Big Leap.' Brandon provides a real-world example of reacting with frustration to a strawberry shortage at a restaurant brunch, illustrating how to shift from blame to curiosity. Deborah emphasizes the importance of leaders looking inward at their role in creating unwanted results, such as employee theft, by examining past decisions and communication clarity. The episode includes several local business announcements and sponsor ads. It concludes with Brandon announcing the book club plan: listeners are encouraged to read the book's introduction and first two commitments (radical responsibility and learning through curiosity) before Deborah returns for a follow-up episode at the end of September.

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