This month, with our fourth in the series of Leader ToC™ Blog Posts, we interview David Gouthro. 
Leader ToC™ (Thoughts on Character) is our monthly series engaging leaders around the world on character, leadership and more.
Now I know David and, while the following is excerpted from his site, this shares only the tip of the berg.
As President of The Consulting Edge, David possesses a rare talent for instilling inspiration, courage and innovation in audiences and individuals engaged in his programs and presentations. For over twenty years, he has been encouraging others to seize the day and act to develop greater personal effectiveness, regardless of their situation. David has a knack for leading individuals and organizations in an ongoing pursuit of the knowledge and the skills necessary for achieving greater effectiveness. His energetic and playful approach incorporates variety, humour and fun to all he undertakes and has earned him the reputation as facilitator and speaker of choice for numerous North American organizations. David is a member of the Vancouver Board of Trade, BC Chamber of Commerce, Canadian Association of Professional Speakers, BC Biotechnology Alliance, International Society for Performance Improvement, International Association of Facilitators, and the BC Association of Facilitators.
Engage the Leader ToC™
BARRY LEWIS GREEN:
David, I have known you for some time now and I very much respect the work you do and the person you are… but for those reading here… what is it that you do?
DAVID GOUTHRO:
Thank you Barry… three major areas of activity actually. I design and facilitate meetings that enable participants to engage in higher quality conversations that lead to better decisions and increased commitment to execute on those decisions. These meetings generally involve (but are not limited to) senior management teams, boards, large employee groups and conferences. I also MC/host panels in conferences as well as entire conferences. Finally, I provide keynote presentations that tend to focus on courage as a key ingredient of leadership, creativity, innovation and change management.
BARRY LEWIS GREEN:
Courage and creativity are powerful strengths of character and leadership in my books. And who do you best serve to doing so?
DAVID GOUTHRO:
Well, if I understand the question correctly, I best serve groups who have the authority, willingness and courage to make decisions. In other words, they do not need permission to take action and have no one else to point to as excuses for their inaction. Because my expertise is process expertise as a facilitator, rather than content expertise as a consultant, I am able to move fairly easily amongst a wide range of industries. Over my 35 plus years, I have worked with the oil & gas, mining, public sector (municipal, provincial and federal), utilities, finance, high tech, biotech, education, and healthcare sectors., among others.
BARRY LEWIS GREEN:
Now, I really did not know the full extent of your work David. Extensive and impressive, indeed. In doing this work, what are your thoughts on what makes for great leadership?
DAVID GOUTHRO:
I would suggest the following skills and attributes are probably the most important:
- Listening: to colleagues, customers, clients, communities and oneself
- Decision-Making: having a variety of methods and willing to make tough decisions when necessary
- Compassion: for ones’ colleagues, customers, clients, communities, shareholders and oneself
- Emotional Intelligence: because we all know how important it is . . .
- Wisdom: to hold a broader perspective on people, products and things!
- Embracing of Diversity: rather than simply tolerating it . . .
BARRY LEWIS GREEN:
Agreed… I can see the relevance. Based on your work then, what is one challenge you feel requires engaging leadership at this time?
DAVID GOUTHRO:
Barry, I think it is helping my clients make decisions in spite of what appears to be insufficient information, full support from one’s peers and/or predictable outcomes. Things are changing so quickly and with so many complex interrelated issues that it becomes almost impossible to predict the ultimate outcome of any one decision.
BARRY LEWIS GREEN:
Resourcefulness is grounded in that. I hear you David. So, what is the return on investment in facing that challenge, for you?
DAVID GOUTHRO:
There are several. The first is the sense of satisfaction one gets as a result of helping a friend, colleague or client address one of their critical issues. Another is the building of a strong friendship that expands beyond a typical client one. And a third is a sense of contribution that makes a difference to my friends or my clients and the people they serve.
BARRY LEWIS GREEN:
Knowing you as I have come to know you, this makes so much sense to me. Part of that contribution is taking the time to participate in the Leader ToC™. David, I want to thank you for your time, consideration and insights. I think I know you even better now, and am glad I do.
DAVID GOUTHRO:
It was my pleasure, Barry.
Leader ToC™ out…
Over the coming months, around the third or final Thursday of each month… we will continue to engage and explore with experts and leaders around the globe. We invite you to join us.
Until next month…
Peace, passion and prosperity.
Barry Lewis Green, aka The Unity Guy™
PS
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our FREE buffet of services here.