You never know your brightest colours, until you listen to someone who observes you with a kin interest.
BY SUSAN NGULA
Can a leader succeed without a coach? This is one of those questions where the answer is not a straightforward yes or no. Coaching, as we know it now, is a relatively young profession. Thomas Leonard, an American financial planner, is generally acknowledged as the first person to develop coaching as a profession in the 1980s. Yet we have had many great leaders in the past that may not have experienced professional coaching as we know it today.
A thought-provoking process
Let us explore what coaching is first. International Coach Federation (ICF) defines coaching as partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential. A coach is someone trained in this process where they provide a confidential place for an individual, group or team to explore their current reality and possible options in light of a desired objective, referred to as the coaching agenda or coaching goal. A coach is trained, among other things, on how to create trust and intimacy, listen actively, be present, ask thought provoking questions, communicate directly, elicit actions or awareness and hold the client accountable to their commitments.
John Whitmore in his book on Coaching for Performance highlights that where there is confusion, coaching brings clarity; where there is fear, coaching can build trust; where there is concern, coaching can bring hope; where there is isolation, coaching can bring connection; and where there is competition, coaching can bring cooperation.
Leaders are increasingly operating in an environment of constant change. We use the term “VUCA” (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous) in relation to our environment and more than ever, leaders need the skills to navigate this fast-changing environment. Training will close any skills/ technical gaps leaders may have and coaching will help leaders in their application of those skills in the market place.
The role of a coach
One major function of a coach is to increase self-awareness by identifying the leader’s core values, their leadership vision and how to leverage on their strengths. A leader who has experienced coaching becomes more self-aware and their leadership style changes causing a ripple effect in the organisation. They are able to transition from only telling and directing to more engagement and collaboration; they start having the right conversations and believing in their team’s ability to deliver which frees their time for more strategic visioning – a Win-Win outcome!
Secondly, coaching helps leaders in establishing new ways to engage others and build more productive relationships. A coach will help the leader identify any blind spots they may have on their leadership. In my over two decades in the corporate world, I have worked with leaders who were totally oblivious to their shortfalls and as a leader, I definitely have been blind too! Liz Wiseman in her book ‘Multipliers’ explores this concept of leaders who are multipliers and those who are diminishers. A coach can help a leader identify any diminishing actions they may be portraying without being conscious of it.
Coaching births transformational leaders
David Rooke and William R. Rorbert in their HBR article on Seven Transformations of Leadership (April 2005) say that every company needs transformational leaders – those who spearhead changes that elevate profitability, expand market share and change the rules of the game in their industry. Even with the current explosion of leadership schools and books, statistics show that there are very few transformational leaders in organisations. Coaching can help leaders move from being opportunists to alchemists – leaders who not only transform their organisations but societies at large.
Susan Ngula is a Leadership and Life Coach, current President of ICF Kenya Chapter and the Founder of Kindle Coaching and Consultancy. Website: www.kindlecoaching.co.ke
