OUR STORY

Brent’s Coaching journey saw him take on some challenges similar to the story of David vs Goliath, taking on projects of teams that were bottom dwellers, with very limited resources in comparison to the teams which they had to compete against. He found himself having to find the ingredients needed to get the teams to punch above their weight and perform.

“With some environments, I realized early on that certain things I had to accept. We just would not have the budget or resources that other teams had. Yet we still had to compete in the same competition and find a way to keep funding contributions critical to operations coming in, that were dependent on showing progression and performance.”

“I saw three aspects that needed consideration. 1.) External performance (The outer game. The work.), 2.) Internal Performance (Investing into the human capital, the inner game of each person) and 3.) Systemic Performance (the system all parties lived and worked within, outside in and inside out, aligning all stakeholders for collective performance).”

“We managed to utilize all the cerebral capacity in the room, with all people belonging and fully invested into our shared purpose. In some cases, staff and players that we brought in, whom other teams had written off (some being given really poor references), ended up being major contributors to our success. Although we acknowledged references, we conducted our own assessments on the potential of people, irrespective of their perceived reputations. We knew that a good environment could help get the best out of them. We saw potential and were prepared to then bring in the people / skills that we did not possess, yet needed, and to help us develop (myself included, bringing in support to help develop me). We ended up avoiding relegation and becoming semi-finalists in less than 3 years with one team, gained promotion to a Premier competition for the first time in 7 years with another team (in less than 1 year) and made a semi-final in a Premier competition with another team for the first time in 21 years (also in less than 1 year). And these were teams with limited resources, coming off poor performances in past seasons.”

“We had to find a way. And this journey further emphasized to me, that leadership (of self and others), healthy environments, with high levels of connection and well-being, mattered most. And the result of our efforts, was that we achieved much, with little. Against the odds. In record time.”

“Yet on the other hand, I also experienced environments that had all the resources one could ever dream of, yet they under performed on many fronts. The environment and behaviors evident undermined collective performance. Behaviors were incongruent, what was said, was not lived. Staff turnover rates over the years were high. The impact of ineffective focus and methods, that got in the way, were evident and the best interests of the people, team and organisation were undermined and full potential was thus not realized.”

“Something was missing and these environments left me totally uninspired. “How could this be?”. Nobody won in the end, all people suffered, eventually. There IS another way, where consistently healthy, honest, collective leadership and well-being mattered more.”

“After years of re-build projects and 70 hour working weeks, I took stock. Having experienced how much can be achieved when focusing on what truly matters, I wanted to help others experience the same.”

“This inspired me to start Level Change. To support people and teams to find more resourceful ways of being, doing, leading and teaming.”

“I want to help others find ways to live more fulfilled and meaningful lives, with higher levels of wellbeing, through sharing my lived experience, lessons learnt and providing evidence based coaching required to effect positive change and transformation.” ~ Brent