CV Issue 1 2018

44 CORPORATE VISION / Issue 1 2018 , Eleanor Beaton is an award-winning journalist and podcast host, keynote speaker and women’s leadership development mentor. She provides us with a fascinating insight into the origins of her company and how she came to win Leadership Coach of the Year – Canada in our coveted Corporate Excellence Awards 2017. Eleanor Beaton & Company: Leading theWay for Women in Business Eleanor Beaton & Company draws on Eleanor’s vast experience in the corporate landscape. The idea stemmed from her first leadership development program for a fast-growing manufacturing firm in 2013. A few minutes into the programme, Eleanor knew something was wrong. Of the 12 participants gathered around the boardroom table, just two were women, and in a 30-minute group discussion about the realities of leading, neither of these women appeared willing to speak up. “I was surprised,” Beaton says. “I knew them both to be smart, experienced and highly educated – I couldn’t understand why they were holding back.” After the class was over, both approached Beaton separately, asking if she’d work one on one with them to help them build their confidence as leaders. Beaton said yes, became certified as a coach the following year, and then went on to build one of Canada’s top leadership development firms for women. Today, Eleanor Beaton & Company provides a suite of leadership development programs for entrepreneurs, executives and emerging women leaders. The company’s core programs include The Leadership Lab, an 8-week group coaching program that teaches professional women how to build the influence, confidence and presence they need to take their seats at the tables where the big deals and decisions are made. Meanwhile, The Incubator is a year-long program that supports women consultants and business owners to build the necessary business foundation to scale past the $1 million USD mark in sales – a feat achieved by just 2% of all women-owned businesses. The firm’s virtual training programs and live events draw women from across the globe. Eleanor Beaton’s podcast, Fierce Feminine Leadership: The Success Podcast for Ambitious Women receives tens of thousands of downloads each month, and Beaton travels the world as a keynote speaker focusing on women’s leadership. “I figured out early on that in order to help my clients achieve the results they were looking for, I’d need to help them enhance their networks.” Unlike many leadership coaches who work exclusively with their clients one on one, all Eleanor’s coaching programs include an aspect of group coaching, which enables participants to forge powerful new relationships. “Leaders need to be surrounded with a community of people who not only support the woman you are today, but also the leader you are in the midst of becoming.” Both external and internal factors have contributed to the 1712CV42 company’s rapid growth. Media industry scandals – including the widely publicized allegations of sexual misconduct that led to the downfall of former Hollywood heavyweight Harvey Weinstein, have focused the lens on the ongoing challenges facing women at work, Beaton says. “Companies know they need to support and empower their women. It’s no longer only the right thing to do – there are increasingly serious consequences for companies who maintain the status quo with respect to fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion.” Internally, the company has put a strong focus on producing high quality original professional development training for women – much of it free – since Day One. “One of the biggest misconceptions in the coaching industry is that people want to ‘buy coaching’. No one wants to buy coaching or development programs – they want to address