Leader Coaching

Leadership development activities must change the context within which leading takes place as teachable moments that break old mindsets and shape individual leaders.

Effective organizations have a different way of looking at how people work together. They desire to build community; a sense that all are part of a team with a compelling shared purpose to accomplish. They resist the tendency to “just get the job done” and are concerned more with the relationships with the people doing the job.

Leaders MUST ensure that learning events include experiences that shape the right beliefs and build individual behaviors for maturity. Members and leaders talk about their own mistakes, insights they've gained, and their own quest for knowledge through lessons learned. Leaders advocate for sharing knowledge while empowering others through coaching them to build competencies and confidence through hands-on experience.

Leadership development depends not just on the kinds of experience one has but also on how one uses the experiences to foster the development of new beliefs and behaviors.

Effective leaders are diligent and deliberate about creating an environment that is conducive to learning. Learning aspects of informal and formal leadership in support of leadership culture.

Leaders MUST understand their own accountabilities as the leader. Both what you're accountable for, and who you're accountable to. In terms of what you're accountable for, obviously, your own work, but also your team's work. This you have to hold them accountable for delivering those results.

The leader keeps in touch with people through systematic habitual shop-floor visits, regular one to one and small group communication, follow up and confirmation of the process. While maintaining this close contact, the leader will coach and guide people by involvement in the process and problems – go see, be present with those doing the work. This “go see” provides the opportunity to model new beliefs and actions. This is followed by giving each individual the environment for innovation, risk-taking, and engagement which is risk-free/fear-free; thereby the new experience which encourages people to challenge and be creative in their efforts to improve the process while being accountability for behaviors, skills, and actions.

See people not as they are today but as their potential, encourage, teach, and lift to their full potential. Take the people and organization beyond the limits of management to leadership. Leadership is not about controlling people but serving and caring for people.