Last week, we introduced Zack Lemelle as the Managing Partner of our Corporate Engagement Services Division here at iPEC. This week, in an effort to give you a bit of insight into this “engaging” guy, we thought we’d share an excerpt from a recent Q & A session with him.

What’s the most important skill you learned at iPEC?

I embraced all the skills I learned during my coach training experience at iPEC, most notably those that fostered a keen understanding of new ways to connect with colleagues on both a personal and professional level so that, as a team, we were able to move forward in the most effective and efficient way possible.

These new competencies directly impacted my ability to keep my organization engaged, energy levels high, and performance strong. In fact, during tough times of downsizing, outsourcing, and deep budget cuts, our cultural value survey results were always the best across our global corporation. We consistently achieved double-digit improvement in our scores.

iPEC’s coach training program also strengthened my leadership skills and those of my staff. I’ve always patterned my leadership behavior around this compelling question, “if they take away your title, will they still follow you?” The power of that question, especially when combined with the Core Energy Coaching™ process, has helped me to guide my previous organization through some of our most challenging times.

What’s your hope when it comes to working with organizations through the Corporate Engagement Services offered at iPEC?

My hope is that organizations realize it’s time for a new approach to the traditional methods of leading and engaging employees because great things happen when leaders increase the energy of their teams and get their people focused away from current circumstances and onto higher aspirations.

The stated objective of our Corporate Engagement Services Division is to be the leader in building engaged, energized organizations for innovation and growth, and to fundamentally change how organizations lead, inspire, and grow.

What are the common misconceptions that you see when it comes to coaching?

That coaching is only for individuals that have performance gaps. In fact, coaching is for everyone. Leaders at all levels of an organization can benefit from adopting the skills and competencies of iPEC’s Core Energy Coaching™ process. The results are undisputed!

Companies that embrace coaching as a core competency see improved performance in every aspect of their organization. Morale increases, enthusiasm increases, engagement increases, and performance increases. The Core Energy Coaching™ process shows tangible, measurable outcomes, which is what leaders certainly like to see.

Who inspires you?

First and foremost, my unwavering faith in God!

Second, Robert Savage, a former senior executive of a large multi-national corporation who epitomized the leadership question I shared with you earlier, “if they take away your title, will they still follow you?” Everyone drew from Bob’s energy. He inspired us all to look beyond our present circumstances, and to focus our attention on what was possible in order to accomplish extraordinary results — in spite of the tough challenges we faced.

Third, William Weldon, the guiding light of Johnson & Johnson, a company for which I had the pleasure to work for many years, whom I admire for his steadfast commitment to the J & J credo, a document which espouses the company’s tenets.

Next week, Zack will share his perspective on what’s driving the need for organizations to re-engage and re-energize their workforce – right now!

What’s your perspective? Who inspires you?