Would a coach ever send a sick player onto the pitch? Never. So why do we do it at work every single week?
Rich Turner nearly got kicked out of school. Sport saved him, the gym floor taught him that every PT is half personal trainer, half personal therapist, and a fascination with why people do what they do turned him into an executive coach. At 36 he's younger than most people in his field, and he thinks that's exactly why leaders keep hiring him: he coaches from human performance, not from the corporate playbook.
His first lesson from elite sport is the one business keeps ignoring. Athletes obsess over recovery because if they're not on the field, they can't perform. Corporate life just goes go go, nine to eight, week after week. Ken owns up to the 80-hour weeks. Rich's verdict: sprint when the moment calls for it, but nobody can sprint every week.
Then Rich walks Ken and Debra through his Leadership Playbook, six pillars that start with knowing who you are (Ken sets him a 30-second challenge, and he doesn't make it). You'll hear why leading and managing are only two-thirds of being the person in charge, why nobody likes being told what to do, why you can't play a round of golf with just a putter, and why Rich thinks we've all become way too serious at work. Ken explains how office banter helped convince him and Debra to stay in the UK, and Debra has the HR warning ready, complete with the great chocolate Easter egg debate.
You'll leave with two ideas Rich says are really one: create clarity in everything, and stay fascinated with why people are the way they are.
Rich Turner is an executive coach and founder of LP Revolution, a former personal trainer with a degree in sports science and coaching, and a high-level field hockey player. He's currently offering a free coaching session on one of the Leadership Playbook topics.
Find him on LinkedIn (Rich Turner) or email richard@lprevolution.co.uk.
KEYWORDS
Rich Turner, LP Revolution, Leadership Playbook, executive coaching, performance coaching, recovery and performance, burnout, wellbeing at work, lessons from sport, elite sport and business, managing pressure, high-performing teams, self-awareness, authentic leadership, personal values, leadership styles, coaching leadership style, ownership and accountability, communication skills, understanding your people, psychological safety, fun at work, workplace banter, clarity, curiosity, learning mindset
CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
00:52 Welcome, meet Rich Turner
02:22 From nearly kicked out of school to sports science
04:54 Personal trainer, personal therapist
06:15 From wellbeing company to executive coach
08:42 A 36-year-old coach with a non-corporate background
09:44 Cricket, hockey and a beer at Lord's
10:57 Lesson 1 from sport: you can't perform without recovery
12:26 The New York Yankees question
14:04 Lessons 2 and 3: managing pressure and teamwork
15:17 Effort in moments, not constantly
17:06 The Leadership Playbook, born in a coaching session
17:49 The six pillars
19:34 Pillar 1: Who we are, and the 30-second challenge
21:35 Ken: who I am keeps changing
22:53 What you do vs who you are: values and fit
24:13 How we lead (and the opposite of a bad boss)
25:29 Lead, manage, coach: different clubs in the bag
26:51 Nobody likes being told what to do
28:00 Communication: connection and clarity
28:21 People are way too serious at work
30:21 Office banter and why Ken and Debra stayed in the UK
31:41 Psychological safety makes the fun possible
33:03 Fun at the right time: the Easter egg debate
33:59 One thing to do differently
35:05 Create clarity: goals, communication, assumptions
36:10 Be fascinated with why people do what they do
36:59 Curiosity is never finished
37:58 Kids at the "why" stage
38:27 Learning leadership day by day
39:41 Where does a young coach get credibility?
40:54 Where to find Rich
