What Is Coaching Leadership? (And When To Use This Style)
Leadership styles dictate how well employees achieve their goals and find satisfaction in their careers. Of the many styles that managers use, coaching leadership has become increasingly popular. In this article, we will discuss coaching leadership, how to become a strong coaching leader, the benefits and drawbacks of this particular leadership style and how it compares to other styles of management.
What is coaching leadership?
Coaching leadership is a style that involves recognizing team members’ strengths, weaknesses and motivations to help each individual improve. It is one of the four main leadership styles that managers use to motivate employees and achieve success.
Defined by Paul Hershey and Kenneth Blanchard in the 1960s, coaching leadership is highly common in today's workplace because its positive nature promotes development of new skills, revisits company objectives and fosters a confident company culture. Leaders who coach are often seen as valuable mentors.
How to be a coaching leader
Knowing where to start helps you determine what to do next. Begin with a solid understanding of your team's current work habits and productivity, then create a plan to coach them in a way that addresses issues and teaches proper processes. Follow these steps to become a successful coaching leader:
1. Determine areas of concern
Make time to sit down with your employees and ask open-ended questions that reveal the details of any issues. This way, you'll be prepared to have productive coaching conversations. Speaking with them personally also helps you understand their perspectives and how they think. For example, some people approach work with different attitudes and goals. When you have a solid understanding of various personalities, it helps shape your strategy.
2. Balance praise and criticism
It is important as a coach to provide helpful feedback so that employees know how to improve and what they should keep doing. It is smart to begin a critique by describing what an individual did well. When you start a conversation on a positive note, it guides the transition into constructive criticism.
When providing feedback, you should speak in a way that feels genuine and compassionate. Ask how they prefer to receive recognition as some people don't enjoy being in the spotlight while others thrive on public praise.
3. Consider one-on-one sessions
Employees may feel more comfortable speaking and learning from you when they have one-on-one time. Offer this opportunity to them to gauge the level of interest.
4. Research thought leadership
Learning to become an excellent mentor takes time and research. If you're committed to the cause, you should seek out as much information as possible to improve your coaching skills. You may discover new techniques and trends through professional workshops, business books, online tutorials and more.
Network with other professionals to see if they'd be willing to share their experiences in coaching with you. Successful leaders learn through trial and error and likely have tips and tricks they've learned over the years that would benefit you.
5. Make time to reflect and prepare
At the end of the day, make time to analyze your coaching efforts. Ask yourself questions about the overall process and assess the responses you received during your teaching moments. If you learned something, make note of it so you don't forget it later. Reflect on any challenges and ways to improve them. Consider sending out an anonymous survey to learn how your employees feel about your coaching leadership.
6. Connect with employees
Coaching requires a high level of trust. If your employees don't feel that you respect them, they'll feel guarded and hesitant to listen to your advice. Establish a solid connection with them by engaging in positive interactions. Keep your commentary professional and supportive.
7. Follow up with designated tasks
Once you've established trust and taught your team members how to perform well, follow up with their efforts to keep them accountable. Consider scheduling regular follow-up meetings so employees understand that they're expected to implement what you teach. Think about the ways you might reward employees based on performance to help motivate them to do well.
8. Live a purposeful life
Even when you're not at work, you should strive to have meaningful interactions with people who may be watching your example. Successful leaders with a coaching style don't turn off their mindset when they go home.
9. Coach in the moment
Life is full of teaching moments that arise when you least expect them. When you take the time to teach someone through a complex process or define a difficult concept, you are empowering them with valuable knowledge that will enhance their work experience. Be prepared to recognize these moments and practice patience as others learn something new.
FAQs about coaching leadership
Here are answers to commonly asked questions about being a coaching leader:
What are the benefits of coaching leadership?
Coaching leadership provides many benefits, including:
Continuous leadership
Increased work productivity
Free thinking
Positive work culture
Empowerment
Improved communication
Enhanced performance
Heightened self-awareness
Above all, coaching leadership provides employees with the knowledge they need to realize their full potential. And when they feel confident in their abilities and in their leaders, it reduces employee turnover.
What are the challenges of coaching leadership?
While coaching leadership presents many advantages for business owners, there are some challenges to this style of teaching. Some of these include:
Unwilling or complacent employees
Unqualified leaders who lack coaching skills
Differences in opinion
Lack of teaching time
Time-sensitive priorities
Understanding how to address challenges like these is key to making the coaching leadership style work. Also, it helps to recognize that things may not always go as planned.
How is coaching leadership different from other styles?
Coaching leadership differs from other styles in that it is based on a collaborative partnership centered on achieving goals. It has become the preferred leadership style by many businesses looking to improve employee satisfaction and company culture. Coaching is often viewed as an investment in talent because it employs education and boosts overall morale.
Other styles of leadership have different goals. For example:
Autocratic leadership or directive leadership is based on power and authority. All decision-making relies on a specific person who does not ask for feedback from team members. It involves strict supervision and direct orders.
Democratic leadership follows values similar to those in coaching leadership. Leaders welcome participation in decision-making and often moderates group discussions.
Laissez-faire leadership leaves total responsibility to the employees without guidance. Leaders largely avoid directing employees and leave the fate of the group, including any conflicts, up to the team to handle.