Yet, they had adapted it to 'What Would Jade Do?'.
Obviously, very flattering for the programme facilitator!!! BUT, there was something much more useful there than the compliment itself.
That manager had created a trusted leadership voice in their head; not to copy or become their facilitator, but to use as a reference point when they needed to pause, think differently and choose a better response in difficult situations.
In Neuro Linguistic Programming, this links to a concept called modelling. In simple terms, modelling is about noticing how someone effective thinks, communicates and behaves, then using that pattern to improve your own choices. You borrow their strategy.
It can be extremely powerful for managers, because they often know what they should ideally be doing or saying in a difficult situation but, in the moment, they still default to what feels safest, whether that be avoiding the conversation, softening the message or assuming instead of asking questions.
So having a trusted internal prompt can help interrupt that pattern and help them to ask "What would this person (whom I trust and respect) do here?"
That question creates a gap between reaction and behaviour, and sometimes that gap is where better leadership and, in turn, better customer service, starts.
So you can use this really practically when coaching your managers.
Try asking the manager to identify someone whose leadership, communication or judgement they genuinely trust, then ask:
“What do they do that you want to model?”
-Maybe they stay calm in difficult situations.
-Maybe they ask fantastic questions.
-Maybe they challenge without humiliating people.
-Maybe they empathise effectively whilst still holding people accountable.
Next, ask:
“What would they ask here?”
“How would they approach this?”
“What would they not avoid?”
“What standard would they hold?”
"What would they believe about themselves and the other person?"
That is the useful bit, application rather than admiriation.
Over time, the aim is for that borrowed voice to become their own standard, which moves it from:
“What would Jade do?”
To:
“What would the leader I am becoming do?”
This is exactly the kind of leadership thinking we build through our unique PRESENCE framework at CCF. How are you developing your managers' confidence to pause, think and choose better?
