Who else is yet to agree that leaders are not born but made? And that leadership coaching is an effective way to mold great leaders? But then, what’s leadership coaching in the first place?

Leadership coaching is simply a form of highly-personalized leadership development. 

This type of coaching involves adopting a long-term, action-oriented approach in coaching individuals in positions of leadership within an organization for professional development. 

A leadership coach helps individuals to;

• Increase their self-awareness
• Induce mindset/behavior shifts
• Generate insights for better decision-making

In essence, leadership coaching combines a series of tools, questions, and frameworks aimed at helping individuals develop professionally. This, in turn, is aimed at influencing company performances, employee retention, and business growth. 

Modern Leadership Coaching

The corporate workplace is constantly evolving and so should leadership coaching too. Besides, most of the business challenges and the leadership behaviors that need improvement are somehow unique. So, designing a leadership coaching and development strategy that works for all situations is unrealistic. 

Designing and adopting a system that can effectively meet today’s corporate leadership challenges is important.

So, what should modern leadership coaching really look like?

Improving relationship skills

Corporate leaders in times past have often appeared militaristic in their relationships with employees. However, this old school way of imposing power of employees does not have a place in modern leadership. Research has shown that this is directly related to high employee turnover and a lack of creativity in the workplace.

The modern leader should be more of a positive influence and a role model that other team members can always look up to.

While we expect the modern leader to show more kindness and understanding compared to old school autocratic leaders, we’ve also come to know that relationships are needed in building a culture of sustainability in the modern workplace.

Six Seconds describes the effective modern leader as;

• Approachable
• Listening
• Understanding
• Caring
• Helpful
• Encouraging
• Supportive
• Genuine
• Positive
• Personal
  

These qualities are central to building relationships. Relationships as well, are central to teamwork and effective collaboration. They are needed to induce positive changes within the workplace and to create an environment for high engagement. 

Since modern leadership is all about building and leveraging relationships,  modern leadership coaching, as well, is all about developing your relationship skills and strategies for better decision-making abilities, fostering corporate creativity and productivity, and above all, ensuring better employee performance and retention.

So, how does modern leadership coaching plays a role in helping modern leaders build their relationship and leadership skills?

Listening, listening, and more listening

While most people don’t realize, leadership coaching and actual leadership are similar in a lot of ways. Working with a leadership coaching client as well is also similar to working with a team member as a leader.

Most people make the mistake of going right away into the diagnostic mode, trying to fix everything at a go. But this approach rarely works either as an executive coach or as a team leader. You’ll make more impact by listening more attentively than by prescribing solutions or rushing in to make feedbacks that lack deep contextual understanding. 

Listening shows that you care and want to listen. It is also a great foundation for building strong relationships for the long-term.

Doing away with criticism

Doing away with criticism is very important when providing feedback. Rather than making criticisms that will make others feel inadequate, a good leadership coach should focus on making comments that are positive and helpful for their clients. 

In providing feedback, modern leadership coaches should try to describe situations based on the required outcomes rather than highlighting personal and character flaws. Comments should also not be generalized so the client can be clear on what needs to be improved upon.

Support and positivity

Great leaders are great encouragers and so should great coaches be. While leaders are expected to lead in a way that radiates positive energy, they are also expected to provide some forms of support and encouragement to inspire others.

Healthy support along with positivity will be vital to establishing trust and connection between two parties. This will be almost impossible if any party operates from a point of negativity. The modern leader/coach should focus on providing resources and support that are beneficial to the progress of their employees/clients.

Specificity with targets and expectations

Just like leaders have to clearly define their expectations from each member of the team, leadership coaches should also focus on specific areas where they expect to see significant changes in their clients.

Increasing open-mindedness

Modern leadership is about giving a voice to everyone on the team. That’s why leaders have to be open-minded and receptive to other members’ points of view. Modern leadership coaching will help you find the balance between empathy and decision-making in this case. 

It’s certain that you’ll have to make decisions that won’t sit well with everyone. You’ll, however, have to manage the fallout effectively so everyone feels like their opinions matter and have been heard.

Consistent presence and accessibility

Leadership coaching is only effective when done on a one-on-one basis. For coaches working with multiple individuals within and across different organizations, it’s still very important to maintain a consistent presence with their coaching clients.

Thanks to technology, we are no longer limited to face-to-face office meetings. Coaching sessions can now be held over the internet giving more room for flexibility and personalization. 

Accountability

Effective leadership development does not stop at coaching leaders. It should also incorporate a strategy that allows easy monitoring and tracking of the progress of the coachees.

Unlocking your potential with leadership coaching

Your success as a leader in the modern workplace will largely depend on your relationship skills. While relationships are certainly not everyone’s forte, leadership coaching online can help you improve your emotional intelligence to improve your relationship skills. 

Investing in leadership coaching will help you attain higher emotional intelligence so you can empathize with others and understand their major drive and motivations. 

Modern leadership coaching will help you identify your own and other’s patterns. It will help you navigate your emotions and induce mindset and behavior shifts that show consistency and control while also boosting the trust and confidence your team members have in you.

© New To HR