Coaching for Effective Leadership

Coaching cuts across all areas of an organisation but where it is most prevalent, is in the executive space, particularly in leadership.

Coaching cuts across all areas of an organisation but where it is most prevalent, is in the executive space, particularly in leadership.  

In alignment to the role of the leader, coaching is about change and making changes, dealing with goals and achievement.

What makes a good company a great company, is its great leadership.

Despite numerous academic studies on leadership since the 1970s, no agreement has been reached on the key qualities or attributes of leadership.

Whilst leadership is very much about the ability to influence people by personal attributes and behaviours, different leadership qualities may be needed in different circumstances.

For example, some leaders are very effective in turning around companies and less effective in times of stability.

3 levels of leadership* have been identified, and these overlap and relate to each other.

·         Front-line or team leadershipin which one person (the leader) is responsible for creating specific outcomes usually within a given timescale and with given resources through their own actions and those of their immediate followers

·         Operational leadershipwhich is to do with day-to-day operations within the organisation and is a major determinant of its culture and climate.

·         Strategic leadershipabout ‘big picture’ issues such as change, vision, translating that vision into purpose, effective communication, and the behaviour of the CEO and senior management team (also see below).

As a leader stepping into a new role, or an established leader preparing for new opportunities or challenges ahead, the focus will be around 4 key areas.

1.      Creating the future – a vision which inspires and engages internal and external customers, a single-minded focus on priorities and key milestones, the acuity and flexibility to seize opportunities that drive the organisation in the desired direction.

2.      Putting ideas into action – Confidence,  shrewd judgement and common sense to make things happen balanced by creating space to reflect and learn.

3.      Engaging and enabling others – maximising organisational strengths, spotting talent and nurturing it, praising and celebrating successes,  social adaptability to network widely  internally and externally, self belief.

4.      Championing and clarifying values consistently, championing your people as well as your customers

Difficulties can arise as leaders progress within organisations and it is here that leaders benefit from support.

Whilst training and mentoring helps with specific skill sets, coaching provides the support and sounding board to develop the soft skills and behavioural changes for the pursuit of effective leadership.  

The power of Executive Coaching stems from the fact it is a unique tailored alliance between executive and coach – focussed on executing on the executive’s agenda in a non-directive way.

At the heart of coaching, is generating learning from experience, as opposed to teaching; self awareness as opposed to self-judgement, exploring new perspectives by stepping out and re-focussing on clear outcomes.

Core to this is that the coach offers the executive the non-judgmental environment to build on strengths and work around their perceived weaknesses, testing new personal strategies and developing their ‘inner game’ in the strictest confidence.

The opportunity for every leader is to engage with the right coach for them, to support them in their pursuit of personal excellence and in refining their ‘edge’.

Written by Kate Devos, Director at Silver Bullet Coaching www.silverbulletcoaching.co.uk

Contact details: Kdevos@silverbulletcoaching.co.ukTelephone: +44 (0)7814-507381

References:

* POTTER, J. and HOOPER, A. (2005) Developing strategic leadership skills: developing a strategic approach at all levels. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development