Leader as coach
“A brave leader is someone who says I see you. I hear you. I don’t have all the answers, but I’m going to keep listening and asking questions” Brene Brown
Organisations are increasingly moving towards developing leaders with coaching capability in support of their people and performance agendas. Leaders who coach, help their teams to grow and build their ability to develop further in a self-directed and sustainable way. Everyone in the organisation brings their unique experiences and knowledge, and performance improves when leaders give team members a voice and space to leverage opinion forming, problem solving and idea creation.
It’s clear to see the impact where leaders show curiosity and embrace more meaningful ways to engage in performance and development conversations. When leaders approach conversations as a meeting of energies between two intelligent human beings and with deeper enquiry, it can make a real difference to relationships and performance. Leaders who help their teams access the most meaningful aspects of every conversation through the lens of a learner mindset enter a process of true partnering in performance and development and a space for awareness to surface and for potential and innovation to expand.
Time to invest in a change of style. Switching from the style of expert, the one who must always give direction and answers, to one where they show trust and belief in the ability of their teams and the talent they have hired. Through acknowledging the ability, creativity, and resourcefulness of those they lead, leaders learn to be vulnerable and comfortable with others finding solutions. They do this in the confidence that it does not have a negative perception on their ability to lead. Quite the opposite. Leaders who inspire performance because they are prepared to accept that they are not the only ones who know the way, demonstrate courage and strength. They are a great source of learning, inspiration and role modelling and the teams they lead are a source of learning for them too.
What about vulnerability in leaders who coach? Vulnerability does not mean abdicating leadership responsibility or control. It requires being comfortable with not knowing best, and builds empowerment through asking for support, ideas, and thoughts from others. Thus, creating a culture of learning, independent and diverse thinking which contributes to greater team success. When leaders open themselves up to developing coaching skills, the leadership mindset shifts from Command and Control “I have all the best answers” to a coach mindset of Support and Challenge, “I empower others to find their own solutions.” They remove themselves as a blockage to performance and instead become an enabler. Problem solving and idea generation facilitated through listening, asking questions, and challenging assumptions provokes new thinking and extends beyond what is heard and includes what is observed through body language and behaviour.
Where organisations invest in developing leaders who coach, psychological safety must be present and is the bedrock for conversations that provide support and challenge. Intentional action of leaders to encourage a culture of learning and experimentation also begins from a trust base.
Nevitt Sanford’s ‘Challenge and Support model’ (1966) suggests that when there is a high level of both support and challenge in conversations, individuals are in the ‘Growth Zone’. It is here where behaviours are positively confronted, assumptions are challenged, and difficult conversations take place. It is also in the ‘Growth zone’ where leaders show courage in sharing their intuition and honest feedback in service of raising awareness and performance in individuals and teams. All done with a healthy balance of support.
Leaders who coach, often share that they feel the tension between wanting to provide solutions versus stretching the thinking of those they lead. It takes practice and patience and more practice and patience to resist the temptation to leap in and instead show curiosity, understanding and belief that the answers can lie elsewhere. As outlined in the work by Blanchard and Hersey (Situational Leadership Model) there are of course times where leaders need to adopt a directive leadership style. A helpful question for leaders to consider is “how can I best bring out the experience, creativity and resourcefulness in those I lead?”.