19 April 2024
MyCoachingToolKit is a team of coaches working with coaches to offer the best for your personal et professional development. Today, we will focus on our inspiring partner Ralph Lewis.
Ralph Lewis is a coach and author initially trained as a physicist. Working later in Information Systems, he carried out research for a M.Phil. He was a lecturer in Management Development at Cranfield School of Management for four years. He is also a Programme Director at London Business School. Introduced to Jung’s typology via the Myers Briggs Type Indicator in 1977, he has used typology extensively in helping individuals, teams and organisations to understand their biases and ways of working. Ralph Lewis developed further typological questionnaires to measure individuals’ views not only of their preferences, but also of their abilities and development needs.
He has recently co-edited a book on Servant-Leadership.
In his book Developing Inner Leadership, Ralph Lewis offers a number of techniques to help people to move in the direction in which they want to go. These include help in changing their life stories, replacing negative beliefs with positive ones and looking at relationship needs. These are not necessarily quick or easy fixes, but with a combination of approaches, gathered from many sources, people will make progress.
As coaches embrace the philosophy of inner leadership, they become facilitators of transformation, helping clients evolve into leaders who lead not just with external authority but with an intrinsic sense of purpose and authenticity. The impact of such coaching extends far beyond the professional realm, influencing personal lives and relationships.
For Ralph, above all Inner Leadership is about helping individuals to connect to their inner world of truth and values so that they can flourish and meet their highest priority needs as a whole person. The book is vital reading for all those involved in looking at theirs or others lives and becoming who they are meant to be.
Carl Jung is one of the founding fathers of modern psychology. His work forms the model on which Ralph Lewis based his book Individual Excellence. Jung said that we are all born with an innate preference for certain ways of living and working. Just as we are born with an innate preference for writing with our left or right hand.
At the heart of Ralph’s philosophy is the idea that self-reflection is the key to unlocking the potential for personal excellence. By encouraging readers to delve into their own psyche and analyse their unique traits, strengths, and weaknesses, Ralph lays the foundation for a profound exploration of Jung’s theory. This self-awareness, he argues, forms the bedrock for applying Type theory in practical situations.
In his book Personal Excellence, the central theme of Ralph’s work revolves around empowering individuals to construct their own interpretations of Jung’s theory. He contends that a personalised understanding is crucial for the practical application of Type theory in diverse situations. Fostering personal excellence and aiding others in achieving their own developmental milestones.
This approach is not limited to the workplace. It extends to various facets of life, including : general management, leadership development, outplacement coaching, career guidance, social work, training … And any other arena where effective communication is the gateway to personal growth.
The practical applications of Ralph’s teachings are extensive. In the realm of general management and leadership development, a nuanced understanding of personality types can lead to more effective team dynamics, fostering collaboration and innovation. The ability to guide individuals through career transitions becomes more potent when grounded in an awareness of their unique personality traits.
Coaches and facilitators equipped with a deep comprehension of Type theory can tailor their approaches to better connect with coachees. Coaches will recognise diverse learning styles and adapting their coaching methods accordingly. This, in turn, creates a more inclusive and engaging learning environment.
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