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We have all witnessed leaders operating in different walks of life - at workplaces, organisations, sports teams, and many other contexts. Leaders can be in paid roles or any area they are passionate about. But leadership also exists in our homes and within ourselves.
Coaching leadership – developed leadership
We often think of leadership being exercised by a company manager or a coach or captain of a sports team. We may not think about what it takes to be a leader, or that leadership is about much more than managing others.
Leadership is just as important when it comes to leading ourselves. This is self-leadership. You can read more about self-leadership elsewhere on our site.
Here we examine what coaching leadership is and how you can develop your leadership qualities with the help of our coaches.
What set our therapist apart was her genuine empathy and personal insight. Not only did she possess a deep understanding of neurodiversity, but she also shared personal experiences that resonated with us, creating an instant connection and fostering a sense of trust!
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Leadership now and then
Leadership has evolved from being a single, or several, elected, appointed or self-appointed leaders. Today, leaders have multiple different functions so the term ‘leader’ has been merged with that of ‘manager’.
Of course, the same person can be both a leader and a manager. However, previously no distinction was made between the two. Both represented a person who was high up the hierarchy with a lot of power. Someone who would be obeyed without question.
A changing world for leaders
Today, we increasingly separate the concept of a leader and a manager. Organisations require different things from each role and workplace environments have drastically changed, especially since Covid. Employees often work remotely or on a hybrid basis. People are also more quick to change jobs if they are not satisfied or have issues with management and colleagues.
The same conditions apply to the world of sports, although teams need to be in the same place to train effectively. Leadership requires more than hand-waving and intimidation.
Coaching leadership supports the individual who, in turn, concerns themselves with making the group work. A functioning and committed group creates meaning and cohesion. This leads to team players that choose to remain at their company, organisation or team.
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Manager or leader?
Both. It is simply a matter of two different functions. Roles intersect at times, but are still quite separate. Many times we think they are one and the same, but it depends on the priorities and functions of the role. Some situations and tasks require managerial skills while others require definite leadership.
What is a good manager?
A good manager should be clear, fair, and attentive. Managers should be impartial and look out for the best interests of an organisation. The organisation can be a company, association, family or any other group. Protecting the interests of the organisation is a priority. Goals have been set and are expected to be achieved. It is also important that finances are correctly managed and the business is performing well.
There are always established rules to follow and the manager’s role is to ensure these are known and followed.
What is a leader?
Think about a scout leader, a choir leader, or possibly a captain of a sports team, then the role of a leader may become clear. They are the person who looks after that particular group of people. To operate well, a group or family needs to work together and pull in the same direction. This requires a leader with a vision and an ability to create commitment and motivation among the group so it can achieve its goals.
Every individuals in a group is valuable and necessary for that group to function well. One of the things a leader needs to understand is that they must protect and nuture all individuals in the team.
People talk about leading by example, but this does not necessarily mean the leader is the one acting out the example. Individual group members can be highlighted as good examples for others to follow. Good leaders make it possible for employees or athletes to feel joy and desire to perform.
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Coaching leadership crosses the threshold at home
Coaching leadership can also apply in the home around the kitchen table. Authoritarian parental leadership will soon be a thing of the past. We don’t want to be feared by our children and they shouldn’t obey just because we have the power to tell them what to do. The wish should be that they grow up to be thoughtful and responsible individuals.
As a parent, you can exercise coaching leadership or take a more coaching approach. This will give children more opportunities to develop according to their abilities. It also gives them the chance to influence the development of the family. This, in turn, strengthens their self-leadership and self-confidence.
What does coaching leadership mean to you?
Coaching leadership and a coaching approach is a way of looking at cooperation and development. What that looks like for you and how you need to use it is something to be explored with our coaches. Together, you will work out what coaching leadership can look like in your particular situation.
We don’t say it’s easy as it does require commitment, courage, and perseverance, but we will help you make the difficult easier.
7 frequently asked questions about coaching leadership
What is coaching leadership?
Coaching leadership focuses on developing an individual’s potential, whether in the workplace, an association, or a family. This involves using a coaching approach that includes active listening, asking open questions, and avoiding readymade answers or solutions to support an individual towards independence. Increased self-confidence and co-creation are also prerequisites for success.
Why is coaching leadership important?
Coaching leadership promotes employee or member engagement and motivation. This leads to better performance and therefore greater success. Importantly, as coaching leadership provides ample opportunity for constructive feedback and encouragement, staff turnover is reduced.
What are the most common techniques in coaching leadership?
The most common techniques are – as mentioned above – open questions, active listening and feedback. In addition, leadership creates a culture of reflection, encouragement and challenge.
How can I develop my coaching leadership skills?
You do this by training, education and practicing the principles of coaching in your daily leadership. A good way to do this is by working with a coach and exploring with them what your needs are and how you can practice and apply the principles in different situations.
What are the most common mistakes in coaching leadership?
The most common mistakes are giving too much advice, not listening enough, and failing to follow up. In these cases, you might miss chances to tailor your leadership to an individual’s needs and characteristics. Identifying and connecting with an individual creates trust and confidence. This leads to the individual being encouraged to believe in themselves and reach their potential.
How can I use coaching leadership in conflict situations?
Coaching leadership focuses on communication and transparency. In a conflict situation, open dialogue is encouraged. As a leader, you need to listen to both sides’ perspectives and ask open questions to help them find solutions. In this way, constructive conflict resolution can take place. You can also create a culture of reflection by talking about how the conflict was resolved and how the parties should take these lessons learned into future situations.
How can you practice coaching leadership as a parent?
As parents, we want our children to grow into independent individuals who can make their own decisions. We want them to be strong and believe in their abilities. The coaching techniques of active listening and open questions are important, as are constructive feedback, encouragement, and support. When children reach school age, for example, it is better to focus on the child’s own experience, e.g. a test situation where he or she has prepared. This means not being primarily interested in the result or score. The focus should be on what made the child happy, and why they felt happy from it. You could then find out if there was anything the child would have liked to do differently. And if so, in what way? After that, you could explore what the child learned from this and how he/she intends to do it next time. By doing this, you would have shown you listened to the child and were interested in their thoughts about their learning situation. It’s easy as a parent to get caught up in yes and no questions that often end up killing a conversation as the child feels we are not interested in them.
Coaching leadership as a success factor
Coaching leadership means choosing a curious coaching approach. Having a coaching approach is the foundation of coaching leadership. It is easy for us to answer questions, give tips and advice but having a coaching approach means we take a step back. We are naturally curious and want to know if the questioner has thought about the answer or solution to the problem. A coaching leader chooses to let employees, participants and family members take their place and be co-creators of success.
By being involved in thinking about solutions to problems, answers to questions and the choice of action together with a coaching leader, you grow as an individual. This makes it easier to continue to take the initiative. As a result, joy, commitment and togetherness are awakened. Components that are the basis for success. Success that provides both financial and emotional benefits.
A coaching approach
Whether you are a formal leader or not, you can benefit from a coaching approach. What is a coaching approach? Basically, it’s common sense but with a greater awareness of what you are doing.
Several studies conducted by the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC) show that coaching leadership can help improve relationships in the workplace. It increases an employee’s ability to solve problems and has a positive impact on learning and development.
- Active listening is the first component. It is about listening properly and letting the speaker get their point across. By doing this, you can digest information useful for supporting others or provide yourself with a better understanding. In active listening, you need to put aside your own thoughts about solutions and answers and try to remain as neutral as possible about what is being said. This can be difficult when we consider ourselves the expert or think something said is completely wrong. Therefore, it is important to put aside our own pretensions. Nobody will solve something in exactly the same way as you. Everyone is unique.
- Ask questions. Ask, ask and ask more. Your questions should stem from a curiosity about what is being said. Does the person in front of you understand what is being said? It is important that you are on a similar level to be able to move forward. If someone talks about focus – let them think about what focus means to them. Once this has been explored, it is possible to move on to find the answers/solutions because you are starting from the same point.
- The questions should preferably be open and, above all, honest. Open questions are those that do not have a yes or no answer. These are questions where the other party needs to think and explain. Be curious about the what, where, why, who, how.
Honest questions are those where you have not thought about an answer in advance – a question where you try to fish out an answer. Your answer. This is not easy, either in work or family, but the more you practice, the better you get. - Curiosity is the filter for everything. To be genuinely curious is to really want to know and understand how the other person thinks.
In collaboration with your coach, you can get a lot of inspiration for your own coaching approach. This is the basic prerequisite for coaching leadership. Explore your needs and situations where you are consciously required to use the coaching approach. Based on this, it becomes easier to set goals, create a plan and start being a coaching leader.
Is it time to take the first step?
Do you have to deal with conflicts or find it is difficult to motivate and engage employees or family members? By clarifying how you can adopt a more coaching approach, you have taken the first step towards coaching leadership. This increases your chances of achieving success both personally and professionally, for your employees/family members and yourself.
Working with a coach
Through coaching, you gain insights and perspectives that help increase your awareness. The coach helps you explore what coaching leadership means for you. Furthermore, it becomes increasingly clear to you in which situations both you and your employees/group members/family members can benefit from the coaching leadership. Being seen and listened to is the best fertiliser for commitment and joy, which then creates success.
In collaboration with the coach, you also explore your knowledge and insights about those you lead. These are important to allow you to meet them where they are and support them in their own development.
In the end, it’s all about putting these insights, perspectives and knowledge into action.
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