
Clear Confident Leader Weekly Observer, Issue #55
From the Greenbelt of Boise, Idaho, Gray skies and rain
It used to be that having a coach was a sign of failure or under-performance. Nowadays, having a coach is seen as a sign of commitment to improving your performance. – Richard Barrett
We define coaching conversations as those that expand the other person’s awareness, thinking and capability.
– John Zenger & Kathleen Stinnett
Coaching is a personalized vehicle for supporting people in ‘stepping up and into’ their own development.
– Neil Stroul & Christine Wahl
Last week I was co-facilitating a program with 34 leaders, developing their skills in coaching others. In the middle of the second day, one person not feeling well stepped out of a couple of practice sessions. I was fortunate to join in to practice with two leaders with coaching requests of my own.
I had two separate events coming up, and I was concerned I was not ready for them.
One leader helped me think through preparing for a presentation later that week. I was worried my co-presenter who led the last time might not be available. In ten minutes they helped me clarify my fear, and create a clear action plan to navigate the situation. The next day I discovered that indeed he was not available. I found a new partner, revised the content and we delivered an effective presentation on Friday.
The second leader helped me prepare for setting up an exhibitor table at an event where I’m volunteering. I was all over the map, and didn’t have a clear idea of what I would put together. Again, in ten minutes they helped me clarify my intentions, and establish a clear pragmatic plan. Now, I’m ready to set up my exhibit table tomorrow morning.
I’m grateful to help leaders develop their coaching skills, to assist themselves and those around them. And as it frequently happens, I was the beneficiary of the coaching skills they developed.
Coaching provides a gift of learning and growth, and supports us in preparing for challenging situations in a complex world.
Let’s cultivate our leadership capacity to coach, and create better results today!