My friend Bruce McLeod's lasting legacy

My colleague and very good friend Bruce McLeod left this world so suddenly, I am still finding myself referring to him as if he was still with us.

It smarts an instant later when I realize he’s not, having passed away on July 11 at his home in Ontario.

In tribute to one of the finest individuals I’ve known, we’re devoting this entire issue of Fresh Ideas to Bruce – a man who had not only a deep impact not only on me and on everyone at Vision Coaching, but on countless others.

Bruce had so much to impart in ways that enriched not only his family and friends, but the people he coached, those that he taught and those that he worked with.

In sharing some of Bruce’s insights that helped so many, we hope to continue the impact he’s made.

I am grateful to all those who have reached out to me to share their memories and experiences with Bruce. It is through those that I am beginning to understand the magnitude of the difference Bruce made in his lifetime.

What a lasting legacy.

Sincerely,

Dave Veale
Founder & CEO
Vision Coaching Inc.
Bruce McLeod believed in being in service to others. 

It was his mission – both in life and in his work – to help others find their true purpose in life and then to guide them into living that purpose.

Bruce was so very passionate about leadership coaching. He was deeply committed to his calling as a coach and so relentlessly dedicated to his clients.

At Vision Coaching, we continue to grapple with the loss of a cherished colleague knowing that his family suffers a much deeper loss of a loving husband, father and grandfather.
Earlier this year, Bruce talked openly about life’s purpose and about making the most of the days we have.

In a now very poignant episode of the Boiling Point podcast with me and our colleague Emily Rodger, Bruce talked about how so many people were re-evaluating their own lives as they grappled with the pandemic and all that it brought.

We talk about that shift in perspective, and Bruce shared the steps he was taking to reclaim control over his own life and making the most of the days that he does have.

We talk about the “coach approach” to helping others discover their own issues, devise their solutions and take action – that journey to becoming wholly capable in life and work.
Bruce was not just passionate about empowering people – he cared about making organizations better too.

The culture of organizations – especially how they functioned and how they cared for their people – was important to him.

He wrote quite insightfully about how the chaos caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is giving organizations a golden opportunity to refashion their cultures.

“As we collectively begin to emerge from isolation, as workplaces begin to reopen, how we as leaders confront the culture question promises to shape the future of our organizations and their post-pandemic success or failure,” he wrote.
Bruce imparts some of his wise insights on another Boiling Point podcast, entitled Tell Them They Have Broccoli in Their Teeth. In this interview with me and my co-host Greg Hemmings, Bruce shares advice on reframing difficult conversations to transform them into “win-win” encounters.

He also opens up on why he once slept (or tried to) with his Blackberry on the nightstand beside him, and why he gave up his job as vice-president of a global company.

That decision led him to become a leadership coach – a fateful turning point that allowed Bruce to discover his purpose and passion.

And we’re all the better for it.
Did Bruce help or change you?
So many people have shared with me privately how knowing or working with Bruce has changed them. 

Others have shared more broadly, and publicly, by leaving comments on LinkedIn, both on my page and on the Vision Coaching account.

I invite you to share yours, should you wish.

My colleagues and I are moved by reading them.