Our Coaches on Leadership: What leadership means to them

Since our work at Padraig is to help organizations develop leaders who are talented, confident, resilient and successful, we thought it would be interesting to share thoughts from our coaches on leadership. 

Here’s what they had they had to say about leadership:

There’s a ripple effect

“Leadership is a privilege. In working with many leaders over the years, I’ve realized that often they are unaware of the incredible impact their leadership can have, not only on those they lead, but all those around them—including colleagues, friends and family,” says Cathy McConnell, Certified Executive Coach (PCC) and Padraig Facilitator.

“That impact can be positive or negative. When it’s positive, so many people benefit. When the impact is negative, the ripple effect of that can range from dissatisfaction or disengagement to serious health issues. Leadership must be nurtured, sharpened and developed to ensure that the ‘wake’ leaders leave behind them is positive. It is a privilege that cannot be taken for granted.”

(Reflection: Accelerate leadership with the power of peer learning.)

Leading by example is critical

Janet Wright, Certified Executive Coach (PCC) and Padraig Facilitator, shares that she considers the most important leadership qualities and behaviours to be: “Integrity—doing the right thing and being deserving of others’ trust—and ‘walking the talk.’ Effective leaders follow the same ethical guidelines, policies, procedures, etcetera that they’re asking their team to follow and demonstrate the values they say their organization stands for. Ask and listen more; tell and sell less.”

Another Padraig coach also says that leadership is about integrity.  Tom Newton, Certified Executive Coach (PCC) and Padraig Facilitator, explains, “Great leaders ‘walk the walk’ and ‘talk the talk.’ They are open about themselves and show empathy for others. The values they talk about are real and you know what they stand for.”

(Reflection: Are you a boss or a leader? It matters. Plus, it’s possible to boost your leadership emotional intelligence.)

There’s more to leadership than a title or role

“I’ve always seen leadership as a practice, not a position,” says Eve Gaudet, Certified Executive Coach (PCC) and Padraig Facilitator. “It’s a way of being where we bring our authentic selves to guide, develop and inspire others in balance with using one’s full view to gather information, provide vision and make sound decisions on behalf of the system in which they work.”

Similar ideas came up from two other Padraig team members when we asked thoughts from our coaches on leadership.

“To me, leadership is about relationships. Relationship with yourself, and relationships with others. Understanding your values, core beliefs, communication style, and how you relate to others is foundational to how you carry yourself as a leader with your colleagues, your teams and in your community,” says Kathleen Cameron, Certified Executive Coach (PCC) and Padraig Facilitator. 

“It’s about how you operate with others, not about the title or role. The most effective and authentic leaders take time to reflect on who they are and what’s important as they cast a vision for others to follow. They understand where their growth edges are, and they support others to explore their own.”

Ryan Quesnel, Certified Executive Coach (ACC) and Padraig Facilitator, says, “Leadership starts with personal leadership, leading oneself, trusting oneself—having self-understanding and paying attention to your own values to align thoughts and behaviours. It involves managing your social and emotional intelligence and a desire for continuous learning.”

Then, he continues, there’s the leadership of others. 

“Leaders need to build trust to generate positive relationships and partnerships. Building trust should include using good judgment when making decisions, seeking input from others, being adaptable and responsive to problems.”

(Reflection: It’s possible to build a stronger team with a COACH Approach to leadership.)

True leadership has to be earned 

“The fragility of the position of leader is what makes leadership purposeful. Leadership is not about the leader but is about the team or community,” says Jim Simms, Certified Executive Coach (PCC) and Padraig Facilitator, who shares what he observes when caring for his honeybee hives.

“In the end, the Queen Bee is only the leader because of her commitment, her clarity in communication and her competence. If any of those three are missing, she will be replaced by the hive—just as the executive or team manager can be replaced at any time.”

Jim acknowledges that we all lead in our own unique way. 

“Awareness of our leadership brand—including our strengths and growing edges—is key to effectively leading a team regardless of the size and complexity of the environment. Kind and respectful leaders are powerful leaders. This is how emotionally intelligent leaders show up authentically.”

(Reflection: How to encourage learning new leadership skills.)

Effective leaders empower others

“Leadership to me is providing a space for people to show up as their best selves,” explains Geneviève Clément, Certified Executive Coach (ACC) and Padraig Facilitator. 

“What a gift it is to walk alongside people on their journey and empower them to shine their light, have their voice be heard, create and have the courage to write their own story.”

(Reflection: There are ways leaders can cultivate strong work relationships.)

Coach’s Questions:

What thoughts from our coaches on leadership resonate with you? How would you define leadership? What steps can you take to strengthen your leadership and that of your team members?

CTA: To set up a short complimentary call with me, click here.

This article was originally published on the Padraig Blog.