Many successful leaders that I have worked with have shared with me challenges and opportunities. Typically, they are dealing with one of three areas that, when addressed, help them excel with their goals and dreams. The three areas are: building confidence, expanding influence and/or amplifying positive impact.
How does coaching support these three areas?
Leadership is an inside game. A leader must first know themselves, get clear on what they stand for, and then lead with vision and values. In order to do this, they must care enough about themselves and their growth to do deeper reflective practice. Coaching supports this reflection through strategic and powerful questions that help clients unearth their own resonant answers. Clarity then provides focus on what is important and the foundation on which the person will build their leadership. Confidence stems from this inner knowing. A coach can often see what a client is blind to and help unveil this as the client does this reflection work and affirm what the client is now aware of in themselves
Once a person is confident, they lead in a different way. They lead from a sense of choice and from values rather than from fear or judgment or for compliance. They lead rather than manage. They take themselves and their teams into consideration for growth and development. They let go of what they once clung to as indicators of success to now develop, coach and mentor their people, build relationships across the organization, up the organization, and with outside stakeholders such as business partners and customers. Coaching supports them to take a strategic approach to this, to coach rather than tell, to zoom out more often than in, to find their voice, communicate in a way that is heard, create buy-in, and create win-win-win scenarios.
Now the leader is visibly making a positive impact for themselves, their teams, their organization, and for external stakeholders. This is the point at which they will ask themselves, “What’s next?” These leaders don’t stop once they reach a new goal. They are hungry for more based on what is important to them. With confidence and expanded influence, they are at choice about where to go next. They are often looking at what other opportunities there are within their area, across or up the organization, or elsewhere. Coaching can help them through this exploration, gain clarity about what would be most fulfilling for the person, research options, and negotiate for optimal next roles.
These are just a few ways in which coaching can support you as a leader of leaders to excel. What other challenges or opportunities do you have that a coach might support you with? We provide 30-minute complimentary calls. I would love to talk with you about this or other leadership coaching related topics.
Yours in leadership
Jamie
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