Are You a Leader or a Coach?

1.????What’s your work style? Leadership or Coaching?

2.????Do you know how a Coach is different from a Leader?

3.????Do you want to restrict yourself as a Leader or do you want to grow as a Coach?

“When you are a Leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a Coach, success is all about growing others”

Introduction

In the past few years, we have moved into a fast-paced corporate world where today’s Leaders are playing a pivotal role in garnishing and enhancing an organization’s success with their excellent?and well planned Leadership qualities and strategies.

?

We are all aware that each Leader adapts to a leadership style and implements it to generate desired results. Out of all the qualities and traits of a Leader, the Coaching Leadership style has been approached and recognized as a crucial aspect to influence the employees to perform at their best. It provides employees with endless opportunities to improve themselves and learn continuously?without the fear of missing out on the fundamental skills and competencies and it allows them to explore and widen their scope of interests and talents.

?

A Leader chooses to help the people and his organization through change and transition with the aid of technique. However, he restricts himself to the technique factor only. He prefers sticking to one aspect and outlooks all the others. However, a Coach prefers to expand his reach to more than just one factor. Along with the technique factor, he emphasizes on –

·???????authenticity

·???????vulnerability

·???????empathy

·???????healthy work environment

?

A Leader tends to stick to the basics. Whereas, a Coach is always hungry to learn more and teach others something new. This coaching skill supports a Leader’s abilities to reach a new and influential level that goes unexplored otherwise. A Coach not only grows and develops himself, but also brings out the Leader in others, whether it be his team members, clients, vendors, family, friends, community members and perhaps even people they are not even aware of.

Let’s find out below how being a Coach is any different from being a Leader and why Coaching skills are important along with having Leadership skills:

Create a safe and supportive work environment

We are all aware that an employee ends up spending atleast 1/3rd of his day at work. Considering the amount of time each employee spends at work, it is essential for a Leader to create a work environment which is pleasant, non-toxic and peaceful. A Leader may or may not focus on the work environment as his focus is mainly on just the outputs. A Coach on the other hand, creates a conductive and growth oriented work environment as the well-being of his team members is a priority along with the desired results. A Coach choses to focus on the mental health of his employees and makes sure that each team member enjoys their work and looks forward to the next day.

?

This approach helps the employees to stay engaged and contribute better to the workplace. We must have all experienced that lack of motivation has a domino effect and may soon lead to a morale dip in the team at a macro level. Therefore, a Coach is well aware about how important it is to take care of each associate in the team and truly understand their aspirations through active listening so that he can help them in whatever way possible by taking genuine steps to make them successful.

?

Acknowledge unique talents instead of comparison-based feedback

We know that not every employee is the same, as everyone brings a different perspective and value to the table. A Leader may expect the same kind of results from everybody. A Coach however, chooses to focus on the strengths of each team member and use it to enhance the outputs required benefiting the team as a whole. A Coach realizes that it is important not to compare the weaknesses but to leverage the strengths of each team member and give them feedback as well as opportunities based on their capabilities and interest. Wherever required, put them into coaching and skill enhancement programs and mentor them. This way one can bring the best out of them, provided they are equally interested to learning and growing.

?

Coaches are open to constructive feedbacks

A Coaching attitude supports you to learn to sit with feedback, without being defensive about it, allowing yourself to get curious about your personal responses to the external feedback to understand what is there to learn and improve for yourself. And then using the insights to make new decisions about-

·???????who you want to be?

·???????how you want to show up?

·???????how you want to enhance your strengths?

·???????what you want to do differently and improve your abilities and ways of being?

Conclusion

Leaders guide people, whereas, Coaches influences and creates a life lasting impact on people.

Are you just a Leader or do you have qualities that make you a Coach too?

Feel free to discuss and enhance your Leadership and Coaching skills by connecting with me on [email protected].

Cheers,

Jagmohan Rishi Singh