Customer Reviews

Leadership Chronicles of a Corporate Sage: Five Keys to Becoming a More Effective Leader

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This is one of the best books on coaching I have read. It is remarkably substantive, yet concise and exceptionally readable....a diamond in the rough field of coaching books. Bethanis has deftly illustrated both the art and science of the leadership development process. She offers some key aspects and tools for leadership development, and makes an important link between vision/strategic focus and real-time coaching. The last time I got something so substantive out of a coaching book (there are certainly other places for wisdom!) was from James Flaherty's Coaching: Evoking Excellence in Others. And, due to his impressive intellect, hip-waders are useful for traversing its conceptual rapids. The simplicity of Corporate Sage makes it all the more profound. This book is time well spent for coaches and executives alike.

This book provides the reader with a "fly on the wall" perspective of an effective coaching relationship. The reader can better understand the dynamics of the coaching relationship and how real progress is made. Susan models her coaching expertise as she coaches the executive in core leadership skills. An interesting and insightful read for any coach or corporate leader!

Required reading for a course I'm taking in executive coaching, this book has something to offer for both managers and coaches. Using direct, elegant prose, Susan provides ways of working with issues commonly experienced by managers and executives in a culture she describes as "interrupt driven". She also offers practical methods for bringing compassion into the workplace, without seeming touchy-feely. I have been a manager, consultant, and small business owner, and view coaching as a key responsibility of managers and leaders. The notion that this key job role may be outsourced is difficult for me. Susan shows how this approach may add value; as she coaches her client, she teaches him to coach his team members. And while Susan's client operates in a global technology firm with 2,800 employees, the leadership values and practices she offers are just as valid for small business owners, who often have to coach themselves -- and who truly know the meaning of "interrupt driven". A wonderful debut!

A first pass through this book makes it seem too easy to turn from a typical over-achieving, stressed out manager into a true leader. But that is the beauty of the book and Bethanis' insights into leadership coaching. Via the easy-reading, entertaining style we get to see how a few fundamental shifts in perspective, some honest feedback and a few simple tools can make profound changes in the performance and fulfillment of an up-and-comer in today's fast-paced corporate world. Great read for someone seeking self-development, looking to develop team members, or just curious about what corporate coaching is all about. Simple, practical tools are included so there is a mix of story and "how to." This book will serve as a regular reference for me as a leader. Bravo Bethanis!

If you want to know what coaches do, read this book. And learn about leadership along the way.

This recent and innovative contribution to the growing body of coaching specific literature is a narrative case study by a leading American coach Sue Bethanis. Leadership Chronicles of a Corporate Sage is unique in describing step-by-step the processes and conversations that take place between one coach and one client over a period of six months, thereby getting inside the coaching experience. Bethanis has included what she thinks is the most relevant for the reader to know and has not included grandiose transformational moments which litter a lot of coaching books. The reality of good coaching is that what usually happens is incremental change, with epiphanies along the way. The book is apparently a composite of about five clients and the dialogue is very similar to actual dialogue. As such, this is a rarity in providing unique evidence of what really goes on between coach and client. Bethanis is a good case study herself of a coach who works on the boundaries between academic and practitioner in the scientist-practitioner model. She gained a Doctorate at University of San Francisco (USF) and is now Adjunct Professor at JFK University in the coaching certification program.

I wrote the above review as part of my doctoral disseration on coaching with the Australian National University.

This is a fantastic book and an easy read. It is engaging, and following the coaching of Max gives the reader practical advice to apply to his own life. I highly recommend this book for people of all ages and positions in life. The communication skills discussed are even beneficial to personal relationships. I'm keeping this book as a reference to continually refresh the leadership and communication skills the author discusses. Great job, Ms. Bethanis!

This is a book that brings a good reflection on important leadership skills.Somebody bought it and recommended it to me. I live in Brazil and the best way to get good imported literature, safely, is to order them from Amazon. Never was desappointed!

No one becomes a magnificent manager out of pure natural skill. "Leadership Chronicles of a Corporate Sage: Five Keys to Becoming a More Effective Leader" is a leadership manual in the form of fictionalized conversations between a corporate leader and his executive coach. Laying out five key facts that separate mediocre business leaders from great ones, "Leadership Chronicles of a Corporate Sage" is a strong choice for businesses striving to push their managers to the next level.

Susan Bethanis gives an insightful look at how a manager becomes a leader. Through the eyes of a "Leadership Coach" we are given a first hand look at how coaching works. The lessons shared in this book take most of us a life time to learn. Susan has willingly shared the insights gained in years of coaching experience. Her experiences are weaved into a story about a manager becoming a "Corporate Sage". She takes deep and thoughtful concepts and makes them seem real for the reader. The book represents a fresh look at who we are, and how we communicate. It gives us perspective on how we learn and build relationships, exploring how we envision our futures and look at the world around us. The author shows us how to coach and mentor each other, "in the moment". This book is not just for the corporate world; it is a very worthwhile read for everyone.