Having helped hundreds of leaders achieve their coaching qualifications, it is always fascinating to me hearing leader’s language around coaching. Even those who have been fully trained in coaching, it is very common to hear phrases like:
“I went into coaching mode” or, “I put my coaching hat on” even, “I then tried some coaching”
On the surface the comments seem innocuous, perhaps being petty in my thinking around this.
However, these comments are quite telling. They show me that leaders often see coaching as separate to leadership, an added activity, and extra to their role. It demonstrates that coaching is not part of their natural thinking or approaches, more a checklist of activities. They don’t see themselves as coaching leaders. That ‘coaching style’ conversations might only be relevant for 121 or development conversations. That they might only ‘do’ coaching when they think it is needed. Rather than as an approach to their leadership.
It seems to me that many leaders ‘fight’ embracing coaching into what they do.
Organisational Causes for This Predicament
How many leaders can actually define their leadership role? This is not a silly a question. If leaders haven’t received any leadership development, then it is more likely to a be guesswork as to what their function really is. If they don’t know clearly their roles and responsibilities then it is less likely that coaching is near the top of their list. How often do organisations communicate and reinforce the role of their leaders?
What is the organisational narrative around leadership and coaching? What competencies exist to establish coaching with the leadership role? If there are no competencies and no measurement around coaching activities then why would people naturally aligned it with leadership? If coaching is not seen by the organisation as an organisational activity then it won’t stick.
If coaching skills are only given a half day slot within a leadership 12-month leadership programme, then why would these skills be embodied within a person’s approach to their leadership? Especially when they have had 5, 10 or 20 plus years of habitually ‘leading’ by not coaching. It is my view that if new skills and behaviours are not focussed on then pre-existing poorer habits will often return, and consume newer behaviours. Organisations aren’t really setting their leaders up for success.
Leadership and coaching skills
There is also the consideration within development that leaders do not see that coaching is simply an enhanced form of communication. About ‘dialling up’ listening, questioning, understanding and exploring. And that their leadership is primarily around great communication.
How does development and communication around coaching in organisations focus on and develop that leadership embodiment of coaching? Organisations often see it as doing coaching rather than ‘being’ coaching.
Interestingly, when examining leadership models, servant, situational, transformational and democratic leadership all require high degrees of coaching skills to do them effectively. So again, are we not fully pitching the place of coaching in leadership development? Is there a place therefore for coaching based leadership programmes? Now there’s an idea! In this way coaching (and therefore people) are reinforced at the heart of leadership?
Perhaps if more leaders were exposed to more coaching of themselves, then they would make the connection – leadership + coaching + communication = their role
Impact of this lack of coaching embodiment
The more often leaders see coaching as a separate entity to their leadership practice, the harder it will be for organisations to embed coaching as a way of working. Longer term with the increased pressures on leaders, they will continue to see coaching as not high on their priorities.
It can be argued that by leaders not fully embracing coaching they are not fully meeting the needs of their people. Will this lead to lack of engagement or perhaps active disengagement?
In an age where AI, is proliferating exponentially and being seen by many as ‘a silver bullet’, the need for honest, relationship orientated leadership is critical. People cannot grow and transition as fast as technology changes. The gap between technology and people will increase. Especially true with so many generations now in the workplace. This perhaps leads to the bigger question of what happens to people with the embracing of AI?
Lots of food for thought for organisations, leaders, HR and L&D.
Abintus, what we can do for you…
- We are experts at developing your people to become confident and competent leaders and coaches
- Working with you to realise your dreams around coaching for your organisation
- Maybe you like the idea of having a coaching based leadership programme, let’s talk
- Do you have some leaders that need some extra support? Perhaps some external coaching can help?
- Do your leaders need to invest some time on their team’s development to build the team dynamic and engagement? We can help here.
- Wanting to support your existing coaches with development or supervision, check us out here
Nick Howell is an executive coach, facilitator and author of best-selling book, ‘Great Coaching Questions’ Contact Nick on 07867 785314 or nick@abintus.co.uk for a chat about development in your organisation.