Leading Like a Coach: When You Want Your Team to Grow but Still Need That Deadline Met
Leaders and Coaches
Many leaders today are on the cutting edge, always seeking new ways to leverage their organizations and improve team performance. In doing so, they might come across life coaching and think, 'Why not apply these strategies with my team?' Life coaches help improve productivity and support clients in reaching their goals—not by just giving instructions, but by actively listening and creating a space for clients to find their own answers. The appeal is obvious—but can a team leader truly become a coach?
Join CLCI Live for a discussion on leadership coaching as Jen Long (ACC), Mike James (ACC), Jerome LeDuff (MCPC), Lisa Finck (MCC), Anthony Lopez (MCPC), Misha Safran (PCC), and Brooke Adair Walters (ACC) tackle these questions and more.
Coaching is the Easy Answer!...Right?
Maybe the first question for a curious leader is: why would you want to bring coaching into your leadership style? The answer is often the results—reduced turnover, higher productivity, and improved team satisfaction. You want to create an environment where people feel more accomplished and engaged. But is it as simple as stepping into a coaching role to get these results?
Not quite. It’s a bit more complicated than that.
Differences, Similarities, and Building Trust
A leader is not the same as a coach. Even if someone is both a leader and a certified life coach, there are significant differences in the expectations of those roles.
First, let’s consider the differences. A coach doesn’t dictate or guide the client’s actions, whereas leaders often need to direct their teams towards specific outcomes. A leader has a vested interest in the success of their team because it directly impacts the company’s goals. Coaches, on the other hand, remain detached from any particular outcome—allowing the client to define their own goals and success. Leaders also have authority over the people in their organization, which fundamentally changes the dynamic compared to a coach-client relationship that is based on equality and partnership.
Despite these differences, there are notable similarities. Both a coach and a leader want to see growth, improvement, and success. Life coaches, like good leaders, empower individuals with autonomy, freedom, and responsibility. A strong team is built of strong individuals.
Leaders who incorporate coaching can focus on empowering team members on an individual level—actively listening, asking effective questions, and offering a platform for voices that are often unheard. This shift requires leaders to avoid micromanaging and let their team members grow, while also being open to feedback and willing to listen to the feelings and needs of their team.
However, there’s a key challenge here: trust. If a team has experienced high turnover and feels undervalued, it’s possible that they might be hesitant to buy into this new, coaching approach. Even with the best intentions, the leader may need time to build or rebuild trust with their team. This trust-building process could take a while, and in some cases, it may be helpful to bring in an external team coach who the employees might trust more easily to be a neutral party.
It’s also important to acknowledge that stepping into a coaching role as a leader doesn’t necessarily mean you have coaching experience. While applying coaching techniques might sound appealing, it isn’t always straightforward, nor is it always the best solution without proper preparation or knowing what your true goal is.
If you’re a leader considering hiring a coach, make sure to find someone trustworthy. But remember that no coach is attached to the outcome in the way you are, and you need to be comfortable with that reality.
Trying It Out
If you want to bring coaching elements into your leadership style, here’s where you should start: try it out for yourself.
Become a coaching client first. Experience firsthand how the process works. This can help you understand what your team might experience, and it’s a great way to build trust with your team—you’re not just asking them to buy into something abstract, you’re sharing your own experience. Your team will see you as someone willing to engage in the process yourself, making it easier for them to open up about their own needs.
Now, if you've experienced being the client, it’s time to take the next step: becoming the coach. Go for it! But understand that the role of a leader as coach is different from that of a pure leader or a pure coach. Embrace the dual role with an understanding of the similarities and differences. A leader as coach must balance both the guiding aspect of leadership and the open, client-centered nature of coaching.
Lastly, remember to let your team progress at their own pace. They may take to certain coaching elements and reject others. Leadership coaching isn’t about forcing change but about fostering an environment that allows growth at a natural pace. Drop the ego, and understand that building trust and fostering growth is a journey—not just a destination.
Thank you,
Jen Long (ACC), Mike James (ACC), Jerome LeDuff (MCPC), Lisa Finck (MCC), Anthony Lopez (MCPC), Misha Safran (PCC), and Brooke Adair Walters (ACC)!
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