The Sessions is about Padraig, a senior manager in a medium-sized Dublin IT company, which has been acquired by a larger corporation. The culture and ethos of the company is at risk. Padraig is feeling overwhelmed, overlooked and undervalued. He’s worried about his future with the company but can’t see a clear way forward in this new landscape. In the process of figuring this out he meets a somewhat mysterious man who becomes his mentor.
The book tells the story of how Padraig rises to the challenges, overcomes obstacles, including his own fears and doubts, manages duplicitous adversaries and becomes a leader to his colleagues. It leads to a final showdown in the Seattle Board room of the new owners.
The tale is set in Dublin in 1987, a smaller, quieter city than it is now, with most of the action taking place in the unique establishments that are Dublin’s Victorian pubs, steeped in Georgian architecture. Much Guinness is consumed as the two men take a Ulyssean stroll through a number of these iconic watering holes.
The Sessions is a series of conversations that take place in these pubs between Padraig and the man, with the occasional interruption from more colourful Dubliners. They cover many topics from understanding one’s unique genius as a leader, gaining clarity and conviction on enabling others, while demonstrating the value of kindness, compassion and integrity, qualities so needed now. These ‘lessons’ are drawn from Myles’s experience and learning in an almost forty year career as a consultant and coach. The use of fiction and reported conversations allows Myles to ‘point to’ the lessons from which the reader can construe their own meaning.
Excerpts from Chapter One:
A fateful day in Bong Ryans
At the centre of the Ha’penny Bridge, where the hump neither rises nor falls, Padraig stops walking and stares vacantly at the river. Confusion saps his energy, leaving nothing to move his legs. He can feel the weight of his briefcase in his hand. Useless now. In a swift, half-conscious act, he throws the briefcase out over the Liffey. He watches its slow arc as it falls, spinning, smacks onto the water, hesitates for a second, dips on one side and then slides under the rolling green-black surface of the river. He rearranges his long raincoat on his shoulders where it has been pulled askew by his exertions. Three boys in shabby school uniforms, shirt tails out, tie-knots pulled down, walk by, apparently unsurprised by what they’ve just witnessed.
‘Big throw, mister!’
…
Padraig laughs, a little tightly perhaps, though hurling the briefcase has released some of his tension. He becomes conscious of people staring at him…
… Padraig pushes open the door and makes his way towards the bar. He looks around hoping not to see anyone he knows; it would not do to be seen alone, having a pint, in the middle of the afternoon on a Monday. Fortunately, he doesn’t recognise any of the small number of people scattered around the bar. He can hear, coming from one of the snugs, the muffled voices of a man and a woman in intimate conversation, and there are two old boys on the far side sitting in soundless companionship, each with a half inch of beer in their glass. A lone drinker sits by the opaque glass window doing his best to look out, indifferent to the world inside the pub. On Padraig’s left, sitting comfortably on a bar stool and propped against the dark mahogany partition, is the only man in the bar, other than himself, wearing a suit. He is in conversation with the barman. The barman looks up as Padraig pulls out a stool and sits down heavily upon it.
‘I’ll be right with you, sir.’
…‘Excuse me, but it might be about to get tougher,’ the man nods towards Padraig’s raincoat, ‘if you lose your keys.’ Padraig follows the man’s gaze; his office keys are hanging out of the pocket, held only by the fob. He pushes them deep into the pocket.
‘Thank you. They must have jumped up when I threw my briefcase in the river…’. His voice tails off as he begins to appreciate how strange this must sound. The man’s eyebrows rise just a fraction.
‘That must sound ridiculous. What can I say?’
‘There was nothing valuable in it I hope?’
‘Just some papers.’ Another pause. For Padraig the gates of normal civil reserve between strangers have been opened, and so he continues: ‘I’d spent weeks preparing them for a meeting earlier today … but they proved irrelevant.’
‘Hmm.’
‘You’re right. Hardly enough to merit tossing the whole briefcase into the river, but it felt good.’
…‘So,’ the man asks, ‘what are you going to do?’
‘Do I have to decide now?’ Padraig rejoins with a half-smile.
‘No. But if you did have to decide?’
‘Jaysus! All these questions. You’re hurting my head.’
‘Well, I am sorry for you,’ the man says with the lightest touch of irony. ‘Look, I’ve got a car coming to collect me in…’ he looks at his watch, ‘about forty minutes. You’ve told me most of the story, but I’d like to get to the ending. What might you do about it?’ He gives a winning smile.
And so it began!
Inspired to learn more?
The Sessions is a tale of leadership in fiction form. Available now as an ebook.
More From Myles Downey
Effective Modern Coaching, the principles and art of successful business coaching.
I would highly recommend all coaches and managers, including those aspiring and experienced ones, to treat themselves by reading this book.
If you want to help others deliver extraordinary results, develop themselves and their skills and lead more fulfilling lives – if you want to coach – this book is essential reading
Enabling Genius, A mindset for success in the 21st Century
It is refreshing, empowering and exciting to read Downey and his team's ideas about enabling genius. This is a practical call to arms, and anyone who is serious about fulfilling their potential in today's ever-more-complex world should consider picking up this book.
Enabling Genius lays out a path to extraordinary performance, fulfilment and enjoyment – a path available to everyone
The Enabling Manager, How to get the best from your team
(with Ian Harrison)
I have just finished reading The Enabling Manager written by Myles Downey with Ian Harrison and I wanted to say how much I love that book. It is inspirational, motivational (I would expect that) but it also highly and immediately applicable.It's a superb piece of communication!
Make a difference every day.
Here’s our promise to you: adopt the approach spelled out in this book and your team will hit their goals more often get it right more often, learn more and enjoy the time they spend at work. And you’ll open door for your progression, develop yourself and enjoy a more fulfilling life.