I have always been somewhat cause driven, and in the leadership coaching industry, we are often encouraged to keep our opinions about public events at bay. I feel this is a serious mistake.

We have a large number of issues going on in our world as I write this post, and I know from talking privately to leadership coaches, they are quite concerned about these topics. And, from talking with my executive clients, they are also losing sleep on some very large issues that, if not addressed, are going to seriously affect our country and world.

Many people shy away from using Twitter. They say the really don’t want to hear what Mary is eating for breakfast or that Bill is walking his dog on a sunny Saturday morning…they say the just “don’t get it”. But if you look more closely and listen more deeply, you will find that Twitter is now being used to discuss some very big local, national and global issues. I have found that by getting involved in these conversations in a bold but professional way, my leadership coaching can become more bold…more effective. I also believe it is important when coaching a client, if a personal bias of yours about a current issue comes into the conversation, it is critical to let your client know that you have a bias in a certain direction so that you are being clean and upfront.

When I go out to http://search.twitter.com to find the big trending topics for the day, it is not uncommon for me to see names like Lindsay Loahah, Paris Hilton or another “celebrity gone bad” trending topic (gives me insight into our pop culture world and where our minds are, which might be a big blog post for me). But, I have nothing to say about these two women who are being focused on in the media for their woes. I wish them the best and hope that they get their lives on track.

It is 10:45, and I just did a search, and here are the trending topics for today.

Trending topics for October 1 at 10:45 a.m. : Awareness Month , #octoberwish , #usmile , #marina43 , Bin Laden , Paranormal Activity , Google Street , Ryder Cup , Pioneer , Nigeria

In scanning this list, I don’t see any that I feel a burning desire to tweet about, but I might go out and just tickle people’s minds as a reminder that this is Breast Cancer Awareness month and to encourage women to make sure to gete an annual check up and mammogram. I love golf, but I don’t want to weigh in on how nasty the weather is, etc.

So, if these topics are not good ones to get involved in, here are 5 hot topics swirling around in the USA this week that can also apply to international leadership coaching.

5 Hot Topics to Inspire Your Leadership Coaching

Education: With the opening of the documentary Waiting for Sumperman and the announcement last Friday that Facebook Founder, Mark Zuckerberg is donating over $100,000,000.00 to the education reform program in Newark, NJ, the media and the public have done a great job of bringing the topic of education to the forefront. This is a topic where we can all contribute. This initiative will die if we don’t talk about it, and our future as a nation WILL be determined by how strong our education system is. To get involved and learn more, visit http://twitter.com/educationnation. Every time you tweet about education, donate $1.00 or volunteer to get involved, it helps!

The Election: We have a BIG election season this fall. I am just really amazed at both the great candidates and the questionable candidates who will be on ballots around the country. But, at the end of the day, we have a big privelege and I believe an obligation…to vote! By getting involved in a few conversations on Twitter about senatorial candidates or gubernatorial candidates, you can learn more about who to vote for. A great place to start is by going to http://twitter.com/RockTheVote to see what the big conversations are all about.

Bullying and Cyberbullying: I won’t go into the numerous cases during the past year around bullying and cyberbullying which have led to horrible endings, but I will say this: Bullying and cyberbullying are not harassment acts which occur in the K-12 environments. It is also occurring at the corporate and community level with adults slammingeach other online or spreading rumors that are simply not true. The internet is a wonderful convenience, and it is now being used as a weapon….a weapon that is leading to a rise in teen suicide and an increase in employee resignations. To get involved and follow the discusssion, go to http://twitter.com/StopBullyingNow.

Internet Privacy: There is freedom of speech and press in America, and now we have the freedom to share anything we want about ourselves or others on the internet. The majority of people now have the ability to snap a pic with a phone or open a phone video camera to catch the action…the next thing you know, it’s on the internet. Big Brother has arrived! We are now past the age of being able to do anything we want, thinking no one is looking. So, as my grandmother always said…do the right thing…even when no one is looking. Start weighing in on the conversation by going to http://twitter.com/EPICprivacy.

The Economy: It seems to me that everyone is mouthing off about the economy and the lack of jobs but that does not seem to be stopping a large population of people from spending beyond their means, applying for more credit cards and using those cards because they are depressed or bored. I believe that we can all do something to help with our economic crisis by beginning in our own homes and local communities. I have friends and family members who don’t really care for the advice dished out by people like Clark Howard or Suze Orman, but in my opinion, they give great tips and direction on how to start taking small (and big) steps to help our financial information. So, to get started on Twitter, check out http://twitter.com/CLARKHOWARDSHOW and http://twitter.com/suzeormanshow. These two are probably not going to “follow you back” but you can certainly follow their tweets to see what topics you may want to blog or tweet about.

By getting involved in conversations on Twitter, you will find that in the leadership coaching you offer your clients, you will:

• Ask more provocative questions
• Listen more closely to feedback
• Engage more in open dialogue
• Be able to spot repeating patterns more quickly
• Challenge your clients more
• Be bolder in stating your perspective

So, if you want your leadership coaching to get bolder and more challenging for your clients, try speaking up and speaking out on Twitter! You never know who is listening.