Collaborative Leadership Includes Hiring a Leadership Coach

American journalist, Connie Chung, is noted for saying, "You cannot juggle 100%. You don't have to be perfect. You don't have to do everything." Connie is most noted for breaking the gender barrier to permit more women in the national anchor spotlight. Yet, her words ring true for leaders, too. Often when I meet with clients, I find leaders who are not willing to seek out the right source to solve a problem. They feel that all solutions lie underneath their roof.

Therefore, it brings me so much joy that one of my recurring clients possesses the opposite mindset. He first attempts to bring about collaboration and resolution in-house. However, when he has exhausted his resources, he reaches out to me as a Leadership Coach to work with him, or an employee. Because of his awareness, we have had great results in his environment. Recently, I was asked to step in and assist an employee who had risen the ranks and was in their first mid-management position and was not working well in building relationships or delegating tasks. This was causing a great strain in the collaborative environment as it thrives on working together, rather than sections of independent silos.

In the first meeting, it was clear that the individual found delegation and relationship-building challenging. They shared little information about the individual and shared communications were more work-centric than getting to know their strengths and potential. She wanted to excel in her new role but needed a gentle nudge in how to build authentic relationships and take a risk by intentional delegation of tasks.

In our sessions, we delved into why collaboration was highly valued in this work environment, and the benefits of collaboration. Collaboration is more than a shared workload, it is vital in building a culture of trust, mutual respect, and open communication. During our sessions, we focused on strategies to increase collaboration between her team and herself.

Generational Gap Awareness: Effective leaders know that we are not to treat one another the way we want to be treated (the Golden Rule); rather we are called to treat them in the way in which they want to be treated. To do so, we need to understand what each generational follower brings to the environment. Creating this awareness bridges communication style gaps, and perspectives of the purpose of work while fostering mutual respect and cohesion.

Trust Building Through Communication: Transparency and consistent communication are vital to building trust among a team. When leaders openly share information and actively listen, it creates an environment where all feel valued and understood.

Intentional Delegation: All delegation should be intentional. Delegated tasks should be a match for the recipient - allowing them to maximize their strengths or grow into a new position. When delegating, the goal is to empower another person. Therefore, communication must be clear with an end goal and timeline; yet allowing them to take full ownership and responsibility.

The above strategies were shared with the mid-management client and were accepted with enthusiasm. If implementation aligns with the strategies, a notable transformation will occur within the mid-manager, her team, and the organization. This coaching experience affirmed my belief that the most effective organizations are ones that prioritize collaboration. It is the cornerstone of personal and organizational growth.

I encourage leaders to reflect on their collaboration practices. Is there room for improvement? Through collaboration, we can all become better leaders - empowering our teams and achieving great success!

Share your collaboration experiences and insights in the comments below.