Guest Writer – Allan Cooney – The Hard School (Pt 3) – Choose your Professors wisely

The wisdom of  Australian CEO Allan Cooney never ceases to amaze us – all the time. How refreshing!  And from such a humble man. I know Allan’s very words will be healing to many who have entered a business crisis at some stage in their lives. Allan reminds us all about what the Hard School can teach you – and I think those purporting to be there for businesses as an economic agency or in a business advisory capacity. should be mindful of the extensive experience those who have fallen on hard times – can give back to those in a business crisis situation during and post Covid19 Lockdown. 

I graduated from the Hard School last year and my learning continues.   Business Crisis Support NZ was set up in 2018 – to fill a gap that no one in the business community wanted to fill.  Kindness and compassion is what’s needed – many of us never even got that preCovid19 from Organisations who say they are there for business people – but weren’t there for us. Sad, but true.

So, we have since changed that conversation and will not be abandoning anyone who needs help.  Our concern with Business Advice being given to business owners post lockdown – is that it will be the same people giving the same advice, that they did prelockdown. Many of us need to change that by letting the business community now through this page, how some of us lost everything – but eventually got through it all.

Allan Cooney

Chief Executive Officer (Belyanna Consulting), Executive Director, Interim Chief Executive Officer, CEO Coaching.

I met a guy last week, we strolled through the botanical gardens and sat on a bench while respecting our self-distancing space. This guy is a business coach and a high credibility consultant, having been CEO of a large multi country European business who has walked the leadership walk and managed business in Australia. We had a long wide-ranging hugely interesting conversation. Among many things, we talked about my take on the Hard School. This included his advice to me that too few people in this country have attended. This will change we will be better for it.

One of the first things I learned at the Hard School was that you can’t go through the sorts of change we are seeing in our world on your own. Yeah I know, Hollywood has a version where some lone wolf dickhead with a gun solves all the problems – and no. We will each need others to get through this and and the toughest problems only get solved collaboratively and gently.

By gently I mean when everyone benefits. We need those we love and love us and we need mentors and guides. My experience is that good guides are a lot less obvious. And no one has all the answers, When you go the Hard School you get to choose your professors, choose those professors wisely.

One Reply to “Guest Writer – Allan Cooney – The Hard School (Pt 3) – Choose your Professors wisely”

  1. When you go to the Hard School you learn about the absolute realities of human nature and behaviour through observation and interaction. You see people in a completely different light. You therefore are more selective about who’s in your circle but within that circle – your new circle, is your Professor.

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