HOW WE STARTED AND WHERE WE ARE HEADED: Two weeks ago, author, doctoral student, and life coach Jeni McIntosh-Elkins and I published our first leadership article on collaborative leadership. If you haven’t read it, please use the link at the end of this article to learn how collaboration can enhance leadership effectiveness and team performance.

Over the next several weeks, we will cover eight additional leadership styles. We invite you to share your experiences and questions in the comment section below or join the LinkedIn discussion. Our next article will explore autocratic leadership and its impact on performance.

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER: What is your leadership style? Is it clearly defined? More importantly, is it effective? If you are unsure, keep reading to learn how to implement the tenets of coaching into your leadership style.

Let us start this discussion by sharing that while we appreciate and respect the athletic and sports industry, we are not even close to being sports fanatics. However, we recognize that many individuals think about sports when they hear the term coaching. In our first article, we shared that we would infuse information about each of us so that you have an inside peek into who we are, what we value, and, now and then, a glimpse into our childhood memories, like this one. One of us avoided any activity that required getting sweaty and dirty. The other one of us lived on a block with more boys than girls and often played various sports; however, when she tried out for the baseball team and was placed on the girly girl softball team, she decided that formalized sports were not worth her time or effort.

Can you guess who is who?

SIDEBAR: If you think you know which is which, share your answer in the comments, and feel free to add an emoji representing your favorite sport.

When you are a coach in sports, you are helping players develop their skills, see their potential, and assist in reaching a common goal. Today, we encourage you to consider incorporating coaching tenets into your leadership style. 

A coaching leadership approach allows a leader to gain insight into team members and their talents. Alternatively, the team can prove their abilities while the leader provides support and guidance. This approach also helps to establish standards that provide accountability and ensure the team is cohesively working towards the same goal. In this effort, collaboration is a crucial component. Everyone involved needs to comfortably offer their recommendations or concerns without fear of retribution, judgment, or consequences. They need to feel comfortable contributing their talents and skills to the project and learning new skill sets when needed. With this in mind, what does a leader do when an employee in need of further development makes the statement:

“Put me in, coach.”

It is easy for us to allow our staff members to jump in when we know that their skills match the requirements of the task because we know that they are up to the challenge and that goals will be met. Nevertheless, what do we do when we are unsure they can complete the task?

Before making a decision, it is essential to determine the weight of the project and whether this is the right project to use as a learning tool. If all lights are green, provide insight into what they must work on to tackle the task and let the person tackle the project while providing guidance and support along the way. This approach ensures that the employee feels valued. In the process, the employee will grow professionally and increase confidence while developing trust, which profits all parties in future projects. 

You might think, “this sounds like a lot of work; why should I do it? Why can’t I tell them what to do and have them do it?” Yes, dictatorship is an option, but it is not the best option. A coaching approach garners more buy-in than an autocratic leadership approach. Employees will become more engaged in the process. Engaged employees tend to take ownership of their projects, and as a result, ROI, engagement, and productivity increase at much higher levels than with other leadership styles. Coaching also provides a structure to provide accountability and direction while creating an alignment between setting expectations and achieving goals.

Sports fanatic or not, utilizing the tenets of coaching in leadership can provide short-term and long-term benefits that can change a team’s trajectory and success levels.

TAKE ACTION

Now that you understand what coaching is and how to engage in the process actively, it is time to take action. Where can you implement what you have learned? We believe that everyone has the opportunity to grow when we participate in open and insightful conversations. So, don’t be shy; jump in, and be a part of the movement to impact how leaders lead positively! To learn more about how we can create a learning experience for your organization, email us at ala@deneenattard.com.

Learning on a Dime is a collaboration between DeNeen K. Attard and Jeni McIntosh-Elkins.  

p.s.

As promised, if you missed our first article on collaborative leadership, click here.

Click here if you are ready to schedule your 1:1 leadership strategy call.