Is Managing different from Leading?
Managers tend to use a “Command and Control” style. They are typically task and results oriented, rather than people driven.
By contrast, Leading, is much more people oriented. Good leaders will inspire others through good conversations and by being “authentic” in their own work. Good leaders know themselves very well, and because of that, they know how other people work too. Examples of good leaders are well known, like Mahatmas Gandhi.
How can I learn to delegate better?
Delegating well is one factor that many people misunderstand. It is delegation that allows leaders and managers to become more than they are as one person, to be able to properly utilize the skills that others offer. Several comments from the offending person will make lack of delegation easy to spot, comments such as:
“It is easier to do it myself!”
“No one does it better than me!”
“If I give up control, everything will fall apart!”
“I don’t know what to delegate!”
Delegation involves trust and respect for others. To delegate makes the team an efficient unit. Since the product of the team is always greater than any single person, why would a manager not want to delegate, and have the team optimize their performance?
What is Leadership or Executive Coaching?
Coaching is a one on one process, where the coach provides support for the client, likely in an area of leadership development. Coaching is a form of leadership development, where senior managers or executives utilize a coach to develop their skills as leaders. Leaders usually have a “gap” in their leadership skills, and coaches build on those gaps and develop those skills that are missing or maybe just not working in the way that they should.
Is Coaching a Profession?
Coaching is considered a relatively new profession. It is about fifteen years old, and it has gone through many trails in its early days. One recognized global body is dominant in the profession, the International Coaching Federation (ICF). Its rules of conduct and its ethics are followed by all professional coaches. SigmaGroup’s coaches are all member of this professional body. Many coaches come from a background of psychology, or psychiatry, or they have a Masters degrees in Leadership, and the experience to support their wisdom.
Leadership Derailment
Studies by valid research groups, such as the Centre for Creative Leadership, show that the top three reasons why leaders become derailed today are:
1. Poor Interpersonal Relationships. (60%)
2. Inability to Build a Strong Team.
3. Poor Ability to Accept Change.
This is true both in North America and in Europe. Approximately 60% of the leadership derailments occur because of poor interpersonal communications. This is one area where Leadership Coaching excels, since it is one on one and can deal with the issue in a pragmatic and focussed way.
What about Training versus Coaching?
Classroom “training”, webinars and just plain reading books typically takes a “Shotgun” approach to development. I am of the opinion that you “train” dogs, but you develop people.
There is definitely a use for classroom development though. When using the classroom developmental approach, the facilitator typically has a lot of materials that will serve sectors in the classroom, rather than provide the solution to every participant’s problem area. In certain skills development, such as in computer software, or accounting, this works well. In leadership development though, most leaders have a good set of skills already; that is why they are leaders. So another class in “Strategic Planning” isn’t going to be of great use. However, most leaders have leadership “Gaps”, and when there are gaps in the leaders knowledge, then coaching is the way to bring that forward and develop the skill to its best.
In Building Teams for example, the group development approach works best, but often the leadership benefits most from coaching on Team building, rather than a group session.
What is the Return on Investment (R.O.I.) on Coaching?
This is a common question. The simple answer is in the research, and is typically 200% to 1,200%. The results of most good “Coaching for Development” programs, bring about changes that would otherwise have cost the organization much more to repair after the fact.
Would I Benefit from Leadership and Executive Coaching?
Experience shows that individuals obtain substantial benefits from one-to-one Leadership or Executive Coaching. Coaching can be used where there is a need to:
• Create and communicate a clearer, more compelling vision of the future
• Build better team coherence and performance
• Enhance personal presence, become more authentic and influential
• Embrace core values and principles and 'walk the talk'
• Improve confidence, risk-taking and decision-making, handling conflict and addressing tough issues directly
• Boost creativity and maintain high levels of collaborative synergy and innovation during change
Am I too old to learn new leadership skills?
No-one is too old to learn! Humans are a learning machine; much of their existence is devoted to learning, and this apparently keeps the mind agile and fit just as sports does for the rest of the body!
What about the four generations in the workplace today?
Inter-generational differences are important today like no time before. We have four generations in the workplace, a phenomenon never encountered in history! So to understand the generational issues will really help leaders to manage the expectations of those different people. Much conflict is occurring because of misunderstandings of motives and differences in values between the generations.
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