The challenges of leading any kind of organization — whether a start-up or small business or fast-track corporation, whether for-profit or nonprofit — are mostly the same.

Communication and relationships. Cultural clarity. Roles and responsibilities. Accountability and engagement. Vision and values. Learning and growth. Respect and dignity. Inspiration and creativity. Emotional intelligence. Commitment and well-being. Change management. Speaking truthfully. Social responsibility. These words are among those that define the concerns and interest of leaders.

However, leaders are not necessarily at the top of the org chart. Leaders can be anywhere within an organization, however big or small. Leaders are people who accept responsibility, who are accountable, and who influence other people and the course of events. Leaders are people whose presence elevates the game, inspires others toward wholehearted engagement, and who are unafraid to challenge the status quo with imaginative and creative ideas. Leaders are storytellers, telling stories that ignite the hearts and minds of those around them, helping to establish and nurture a culture in which people choose to be their best and give their best and likewise celebrate those qualities in others.

It’s easy for leaders to get overwhelmed, to feel stressed and anxious, to lose focus. That’s okay; it’s part of the game. It happens to everyone, sooner or later. The real leadership challenge is: what is your response when you do feel this way, when you become impatient, frustrated, too demanding, harshly critical; when you stop listening, when you stop caring about your people, when you no longer embody the values of your own organization?

The good leaders ask for help, they put their hand up before they go down for good. This is exactly where an experienced, trustworthy, reliable mentor comes in. Mentor, coach, confidant, consultant, adviser: all words pointing to a private, personalized support system to get you back on track and keep you there. A mentor who works with you, and maybe other key players or your entire team, to identify the actual source of what’s not working well and, together, creating an effective strategy to bring back the hum, the glow, the flow and, yes, the fun.

Authentic Leadership mentoring helps to increase:

• stillness and silence
• creativity and intuition
• openness and listening
• empathy and equanimity
• holistic seeing and integrated decisions.

Authentic Leadership development helps to decrease:

• knee-jerk decision-making
• impatience and frustration
• tension and anxiety
• hypocrisy and dishonesty
• anger and blame.

Authentic Leadership mentoring provides practical insight to expand your self-awareness, as well as to:

• define positive values
• use power to serve others
• express creativity and intuition
• manage your mind and emotions
• transform negative patterns and habits
• enhance effectiveness and performance
• open channels of authentic self-expression
• release blocked energy for creative activity
• improve communication and relationship skills
• discover balance and equanimity within change.

Robert Rabbin is a savvy, experienced, effective mentor, according to his clients.

“I would be more then confident to recommend Robert to any individual or company who wishes to be pushed ‘outside of the box’ and think differently on how to master the art of message in this new age of communication overload. Be warned. Robert is not plain vanilla. He is very colorful, charismatic, energetic and inspiring — all which rubs off.” BRADLEY COCKS, SVP Asia Pacific & Global Communications, Kiwi

“As an international award-winning social entrepreneur and catalyst of numerous purpose-driven ventures, including most recently the State of the World Forum [Australia] initiative, I have turned to Robert over the years as a trusted speaking and communication strategist, coach, mentor and advisor. The practical wisdom Robert shares with budding speakers everywhere isn’t something they could ever teach you at Harvard, Stanford, Wharton or L.S.E. Rhodes scholars miss out on that too. This, I have learned, is what Zen speaking mentors like Robert are for. If Rumi, Socrates and Robin Williams were somehow to mate, the result would resemble Robert Rabbin — a spiritual force for our times!” LAURENT S. LABOURMENE, 
leadership expert

“OBS has an 80-person strong consulting force, many of which are new to consulting and the development of their skills in the professional world. Robert Rabbin was engaged to create two courses, which he delivered around Australia for all our teams over the course of a few months. Both training courses had an enormous effect on the people in them. Normally people come out of a training course looking tired and bored, but not Robert’s. Everyone was excited, introspective on how they could improve themselves, and grateful they were given the opportunity to be challenged to find out who they authentically are. Robert is a joy to have in a room. He holds the attention of his audience for as long as it takes to deliver his message. The feedback from the OBS team across Australia is unanimous; he helped us find our authentic selves! We consider Robert an essential part of our team.” BIANCA PICKETT, services delivery/HR manager, OBS

“To work with Robert is to share an experience that goes beyond the conventional. He is a marvel, an exception, and a person who has helped so many to stand tall and speak from the heart.” DREW GINN, OAM, Olympic gold medalist, member of Australia’s “Oarsome Foursome”

“Revolutionary thanks to a revolutionary guy. Thank you for giving yourself to us so sincerely. You have opened new corridors for me and the entire executive team.” MICHAEL BUSH, president & CEO, Tetra Tech Communications Services

“Thank you so much, Robert! You’ve helped me see myself more clearly and believe in myself more fully.” LAURA HANSEN, CEO, Age Concerns

“Working with Robert has been one of the most significant growth experiences in my life. Robert has a masterful ability to identify key issues, combined with deep wisdom. He encourages me to face issues honestly, openly, earnestly. It is rare to find someone with such eloquence, humor, and deep sense of caring. If you are tired of dancing around the edge of issues, if you want to connect with your inner truth, walk boldly and take action to align your passions and spirit — you will find no better guide.” SHARON HENDERSON, executive vice president, Bailard

“Robert is the perfect catalyst for change and growth. He has helped me access the answers deep inside me. He coaches with caring, clarity, compassion and uproarious good humor.” JACQUI DUNNE, director, ACCESS Foundation

“Your commitment to the development of a deeper self-knowing as the essence of leadership growth has had profound effect on all of us. Your expertise with inquiry has helped to generate a clarity of inner knowing that has had a lasting effect. Thanks, Robert, both for myself and for the value you brought to our work with Cellular One, Tupperware, Intel, and our other clients.” CHRISTOPHER THORSEN, CEO, Quantum Edge

“Leadership requires that we be authentic. This is the area where working with Robert has provided great assistance and benefit.” GERALD W. BERNSTEIN, managing director, Stanford Transportation Group

“Thank you! You’ve shown me how to trust my people, how to step back and let them do what they are supposed to do. I have a whole different idea of what leadership is.” RICH WILEY, VP, Taliq Corporation

“Robert is the consummate professional. He is creative, reliable, and incredibly effective. It is a welcome and all too rare experience to find someone who over-delivers every time. He is a trusted advisor.” JEAN-CLAUDE KOVEN, president, Prism House Press

“Your coaching was extremely helpful, provocative, exciting, and full of humor. I am reminded of what is already awake within me and of the potential of true self expression.” CONNIE HARRIS, director, Tibetan US Resettlement Project

“Robert, I wanted to thank for your supportive and insightful coaching sessions. They were fantastic, and made me aware of my unconscious habits and how these are holding me back from being the speaker I want to be.” MICHAEL JENSEN, partner and principal consultant, Centre for Mediation, AeP Corporate Pty. Ltd.

“Planpower recently engaged Robert Rabbin to assist in the development and enhancement of our professional services consultants. The wisdom, passion, authenticity, honesty, humor and intensity that Robert brings with his presence is truly remarkable. In fact, it’s a pure magical experience watching and listening to him work with people. He is articulate, intelligent, and inspiring. He carefully and sensitively operates with such skill, precision, and intuitive insight as to compel his listeners into a deeply embodied, positive transformational response.” CAROLINE NADJ, resource manager, Planpower Pty. Ltd.