Kriss Akabusi inspires North East leaders

Kriss was talking at the Stepping Into the Coaching Arena Conference – the first of its kind organised by the North East Improvement and Efficiency Partnership, with delegates from 15 North East organisations including the local authorities and the fire service.

Kriss said: “It was great to be invited to speak at this conference and to share my own experience and expertise with 80 leaders who have been taking the coaching course at Newcastle Business School over the past year.

“They have been learning to understand their own journey and I was delighted to be able to share my journey with them and to explain the influence coaches have had on my own life, both personally and professionally, as an individual and as a team player.  

“Although professional coaching is aimed at business, it also spills into your personal life and sharing my own journey was all about helping delegates understand how they can really raise the bar professionally and personally by being innovative, creative and resourceful in a period of change.”

Kriss is famous for his achievements in athletics where his greatest individual success was the Gold Medal in the 1990 European Championships.  His athletics career began in 1983 and he enjoyed success in the 400metres, the 4x400metres relay and the 400metres hurdles.

He was awarded the MBE in 1992 and has had a successful TV career, presenting The Big Breakfast and BBC’s Record Breakers.

He is now CEO of corporate communications and training company The Akabusi Company and is an accredited personal coach, having qualified at the Hudson Institute in Santa Barbara.  He is one of only four qualified Hudson Institute coaches in the UK.

Jane Turner is Associate Dean of the Executive Development Centre and responsible for the Advanced Diploma in Leadership and Performance Coaching at Newcastle Business School.  She says:

“Coaching is a versatile, high impact approach and is increasingly being used in the workplace to grow and release potential, increase motivation and boost productivity.  Coaching is seen as a significant intervention to create a capable and resilient workforce, able to adapt to new challenges and thrive in today’s tough global economic climate.

“Delegates at the ‘Stepping IntoThe Coaching Arena’ conference have been on their own journey for the past year, embarking on a new programme which will help them deliver excellence and develop and grow the workforce within their own organisations.  They are also forging a new North East coaching alliance, which will see them share expertise and deliver coaching to other partner organisations.”

The Advanced Diploma in Leadership and Performance Coaching will be available to organisations and individuals from September at Newcastle Business School and will offer an exciting opportunity to develop leader coaching skills and to work with others from a variety of organisations to share learning and best practice.  

Jane Turner adds: “Coaching is a systematic process that drives change as it can help drive productivity and efficiency, increase customer satisfaction, help culture change and help a business retain and develop top talent.”