Who is following you?

A common theme for individuals seeking coaching is the transition into a significant leadership role. If this transition is managed effectively, it provides an opportunity to reflect on one’s leadership philosophy, define what team members can expect, and, crucially, determine how one can add value to those they lead. However, when this shift is left to chance, it may not be irreparable, but it certainly begins from a deficit. In such cases, leaders often find themselves having to overcome early missteps and make up for a lack of clarity, trust, or consistency with their team.

When working with a new client, my first step is to understand how they are experiencing their leadership role and uncover the beliefs they hold about effective leadership (mindset). I explore what aspects of the role they feel confident in versus those they may shy away from (skills). Additionally, we discuss the routines, communications, and documentation they have implemented to ensure clarity and consistency within the team (tactics).

In my work, I typically support clients in industries where technical expertise is highly valued. The shift from being evaluated for technical skills to being assessed based on leadership ability is often one of the most challenging transitions. While it may seem intuitive to focus primarily on skills during coaching, experience has shown me that the mindset shift is even more critical.

If you’re embarking on a leadership transition - or helping someone through one - taking time to explore your mindset about leadership will be invaluable. Reflecting on your past experiences of being led can offer profound insights.

What is great leadership?

We all have memories of being led, and those experiences - both positive and negative - shape our understanding of leadership. To begin calibrating your definition of great leadership, consider these reflective questions:

• Who has inspired you?
• What did they do?
• How did they communicate with you?
• How did they involve you?
• How did they offer recognition or feedback?

These reflections will help you develop your definition of what great leadership looks like.

The Leadership Transition

Once you have developed your definition of great leadership, it’s important to consider how you’ll approach your own leadership transition. This is where I often provide the most challenge. If a client can’t remain steady within the confidential, supportive framework of our coaching relationship - they are unlikely to remain steady when facing challenges from their own team.

This challenge might look like:

• Why do you believe you are the best person for this leadership role?
• How do you plan to add value to those you lead?
• How will you stay steady when your team is disappointed in this appointment, or they believe they should have been chosen for the role?

These questions test whether someone understands leadership as service rather than power. They also build self-awareness that inconsistency in leadership makes it incredibly difficult for others to follow.

?

Exploring Motivation and Scaling Expertise

Finally, there is value in exploring why you want this leadership role and if there is truly upside for you in this transition. For many, this requires a shift in thinking - moving from individual value creation to developing others and scaling your impact through your team. ?It can also lead to increased thinking time and new skills development.

This transition is both challenging and rewarding. Stepping away from the things you have been the go to person for in service of building those capabilities within your team, can be tough. Those I have supported to make the transition often go from a state of at least mild trepidation to a place of wishing they had changed the way they operated years before.