Coach Anda believes in developing leadership traits in business owners and corporate workers. In order for them to stand out, Anda Goseco works in helping them view the big picture and builds leaders who will create value for their organisation. By working with many Fortune 500 Companies she has managed to build a successful career and continues her work affecting leaders positively and helping them make better decisions with the teams that they lead.

“Leaders need to be able to have an open mindset and adapt.  It takes learning, unlearning, and relearning to be able to face different situations.”

What inspired you to enter the field of coaching?

I was inspired to coach business owners and corporate leaders because I could see how leaders can impact the productivity and engagement of the team.  In my corporate experience, I met leaders who did not care for the team at all.  The lack of support and understanding for the team affected performance.

I also noticed that leaders have conflicts within themselves and they’d let the environment control them.  Since it can be fast-paced and demanding, they are not able to really reflect on their choices. Instead of being calm and focused, they’d stay in the chaos. 

I realised that there was an opportunity to help build effective leaders and teams.  I used my strength in understanding and analysing people’s patterns to create breakthroughs in every coaching session.

In your opinion, what are some important traits a leader must have?

Leaders need to have these important traits: 

1.   Courage and humility to face the hard truths about themselves. They have to be comfortable staying in the discomfort zone because this is the space where they can really grow as a leader. 
2.   Agility to adjust to change. The external environment is changing so fast. Leaders need to be able to have an open mindset and adapt.  It takes learning, unlearning, and relearning to be able to face different situations. 
3.   Respect and care for individuals is needed for motivation and inspiration for their team to move forward.  They need to care for their team to be able to give them what they need.

What coaching style do you feel is more effective? 

Coaching should focus on the individual being able to know where they are and what they need to move forward.  It is staying fully present with the client and noticing everything that affects their decisions and goals. I like to use a straightforward process with measurable results.

I am trained in several coaching courses which focus on leadership, resilience and team engagement.  I like to be able to customise each coaching session with my client to choose the right tool that would best help them.

You focus on creating ‘a learning mindset’. How do you achieve this in your clients?

I help my clients achieve personal growth by moving them to be at the edge of their comfort zone. I give them the courage to face the hard truths and find new ways of solving their challenges.  The process involves a lot of learning, unlearning and relearning.  The most difficult part is unlearning which is when clients have to let go of what is not working for them anymore. Once they are able to cross the line and see challenges as opportunities, they can create a creative environment full of options for them.

How important is mind and health well-being when it comes to leadership and business? How do you tackle the causes of work-related mental health issues?

I have seen many leaders navigate through the big changes in the environment. A leader needs to be the captain of the ship—strong, calm and in control.  It is difficult to stay on top of all the complexities and challenges when leaders are not caring for their own well-being.   Here are top tips on how to stay calm in the midst of the storm:

1.   Create a balance which gives the leaders space to think, act and relax. You have to be more intentional with how they operate and manage their time.
2. Create a structure which will support your goals.  This can be empowering and training the team to do work.  It can also be changing the structure of the organisation so people are more effective in their work.  You also need to look at tools which will help them organise their work.
3.  Leaders need a support system to be able to discuss challenges with other leaders.  It helps them be better problem solvers, therefore invest in a good support system to help clear your mind. It’s important to hear perspectives from other leaders.

What are some achievements that you are most proud of?

I received several awards for my work helping people through coaching:

• Top 3 Best APAC Coach
• Top Filipino content creator on LinkedIn
• Top 100 Influential Filipino Women on LinkedIn
• Top 100 Filipinos on LinkedIn

What would you tell your 21-year-old self today, knowing what you know now?

Don’t worry too much about what others think of you.  Focusing on it causes you to go off track.  Be grateful for who you are and where you are. You have a lot of strengths and you don’t have to try to be someone else. What you are naturally good at will help you know what you want to do and how you can contribute. You don’t have to look far; the answers are inside you.  

You’ve been coaching top-level executives for over a decade, what lessons have you learnt that have been important to your career? 

I use a process which helps leaders listen to feedback from the people they work with. It is difficult to hear but it has made them better leaders. They may have a perception of themselves and this may not be the complete picture.  Leaders work with teams and they need to know what others think so they will know how they can positively influence them.  They just need to track how the feedback can help them now and in the future.

Change is difficult and people need to be patient with the process. You can’t get it right overnight.  Deliberate action, reflection, and a mindset that’s open to new ways of doing things will help create positive change.  Leaders need to be able to always step back and reflect on how their actions affect themselves, their team and the organisation. A coach can help them have accountability and action for what they need to do.

What top 3 books that have contributed to your career would you recommend and why? 

These are my top 3 books:

1.   What Got You Here Won’t Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith

The title of his book says it all.  It is about constantly assessing where we are and what we need to change.  I have met clients who insist on doing what made them effective before.  This may not work for all situations.  Leaders need to see and understand the changes.

Marshall Goldsmith talks about the ineffective behaviours of leaders. I have used this assessment many times with leaders who needed to realise the hard truths about themselves and how this is affecting their leadership.

2.   5 Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni

Patrick Lencioni’s book helps leaders evaluate where they are with their team. They can see the dysfunctions and find ways to address them.  This makes a great conversation with the team where they can dive deeper into their team issues. 

3.   Atomic Habits by James Clear

I’ve always been fascinated by habits. Easy to say but hard to do.  Habits are so important because they can change behaviour.  James Clear studies what will help people commit and make the changes that they need to do.