A leader or manager is no longer just an authoritative presence in the workplace. It makes more sense that managers today throw off the constraints of traditional and outdated styles of leadership, revealing their authentic selves and adopting a companywide inclusive and coaching style of leadership to foster positive change among their employees and achieve long-term vision for the business and its people. Understanding and implementing coaching skills will help managers carry out their role more effectively for the greater good of the whole team and organisation. Here are some of the benefits of coaching in leadership.
Setting the Tone
Using a coaching style of leadership and leading by example ensures that employees will be far more engaged and susceptible to guidance from a leader who actively practices what they say and has good awareness of themselves and those around them. A leader is value driven and focuses on the collective values of the whole company. A coaching approach ensures the managerial team, and the company are inspirational and motivational in the eyes of their employees and to outside connections and organisations.
Giving and Gaining Respect
Incorporating a coaching style leadership not only garners mutual respect but can increase the leader’s credibility, influence, and motivation. This will then have a positive effect on ease with acceptance of guidance. This goes further to create stronger connections, increasing morale, loyalty and willingness for employees to go the extra mile.
Keeping an open and sincere vein of communication alive at all times will ensure that everyone feels respected and an integral part of the organisation. This also helps to reduce conflict by reducing friction, building bridges, and strengthening team cohesion.
Building Trust
Trust is the heart and soul of any coaching relationship and needs to be built before changes can be made. Leaders who promote a coaching style are open, and lead with genuine and true intentions. Building a rapport with employees is an important step towards this and sharing experiences makes interactions more personal and tailored to each individual.
Promoting Flexibility and Adaptability
One of the most important elements of a coaching style leadership is flexibility. Flexibility allows for the company and its leaders and staff to grow, pivot and adapt to situations as they arise and change. Growth is a difficult goal to achieve without varying degrees of flexibility and always taking into account the core needs of the business and its employees when adapting to new environments.
Honesty in Feedback
Giving and receiving constructive feedback in a respectful way is a big part of a coaching culture and ensures each staff member feels secure and respected in the workplace.
Creating a psychologically safe environment where honest feedback and vulnerability is encouraged creates trust and no fear of judgement.
In a coaching leadership, feedback is provided in a constructive and non-critical way and has a clear purpose. This increases creativity, innovation and establishes a growth mindset within the team/organisation that will lead to improved performance.
These are just some of the benefits a coaching style leadership can bring…
This article might have got you thinking on how adopting a coaching leadership style in your own organisation to bring about the benefits covered above. If you would like to know more about our coaching services, courses, or business support, we would love to hear from you and are happy to answer any questions you have. Please contact us here for further information.