Coaching: an Approach for New Leaders | by Duncan Smith

Brilliant news… you’ve just heard that you are one of the 23%* Multiverse apprentices who get promoted or get given increased responsibility by the time they reach Gateway. Well done you. 

But what’s next? What’s going through your mind? What should be going through your mind? Should something be going through your mind? 

Unsurprisingly, the answer to the last question is yes. And since whenever it was that someone invented the concept of promotion, stuff has always been going through the minds of leaders. But as the workplace evolves, the sort of stuff that you’ll be pondering will be recognisably different to that pondered by those who have gone before.

This short considers how rapid changes in the workplace mean that leaders need to reflect on how they can get the best out of their teams. Whilst it acknowledges the link between captains on the sports field and captains of industry,  it explores how coaching is considered by many to be a powerful lever for change, engagement, and efficiency. Finally, with  Wimbledon on the horizon,  it introduces a tennis-inspired  coaching framework for new leaders.

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Sport and Leadership
There has never been a ‘one-size fits all’ leadership model. Leadership is about being authentic: it’s about being you - warts and all. 
All that being said, a glance around most organisations will support the notion that many leaders also like their sport. Research has linked sport with the capacity of an individual to communicate, to work with team members and to make decisions. It has linked it to heightened levels of physical, emotional, and mental capacity often found amongst higher performing leaders. And research undertaken on behalf of Ernst and Young Global Ltd in 2020, has shown that women athletes in particular, have a unique advantage in the boardroom as they thrive on competition and determination: it concludes that 94% of C-suite women have played sports. 
So a ‘sport- leadership’ correlation does appear to exist. But it’s important to remember that for every stereotype, there is an exception and if sport is not your bag, then this read is not about you needing to become a sporting hero in order to win the hearts and minds of your office team . 

Leaders don’t and can’t have all the answers.
As we move into a world of iterating organisational change, it’s important to recognise that the days are gone when being the shouty captain of a rugby or hockey team is a ‘must-have’ to become the office leader. Whereas leaders of the past could rely on their previous experience to develop, teach, and appraise their team members, it is now misguided to assume that today’s leaders will have all the right answers. They are very often even less familiar with software or techniques than their team members. A far more mature model of leadership embraces the importance of ongoing support and the ability of leaders to be curious, ask questions and summarise key ideas. In essence, leaders are required to become coaches.

Coaching: the ‘Soft Option’ or at the core of sustainable growth?
Coaching has its doubters. Some see it as a ‘soft’ option – after all – detractors argue, leaders are paid to make key decisions. Other surveys indicate that many leaders who acknowledge the relevance of coaching have an over-inflated opinion of their coaching prowess and the net result of their endeavours is not as impactful as they perceive. HOWEVER, all is not lost and given the right tools and some meaningful feedback, the development of an organisational-wide coaching culture  is considered by many  to be at the core of sustained growth.
When embracing coaching as a vehicle for change, leaders need to focus on  asking questions rather than giving answers; on providing support rather than standing in judgement and on facilitating development rather than dictating the next steps.

As a starting point, and to segway the earlier sporting focus with the pending start of Wimbledon, new leaders could do well to consider the DEUCE coaching framework  as outlined below:

• Development  - it’s important to consider the development needs of your team members. What do they want in the future? How can these needs be met through opportunities? Have they even considered where they want to be in the future? Proactive employees bring positivity. Positivity generates productivity which in turn generates increased engagement (which leads to positivity….).
• Emotional Intelligence (EQ) – leadership cannot be sustained as a blunt instrument and an insight into team members as well as having self-awareness is an important step towards the development of effective teams. Coach leaders need to know their team members. What makes them tick? How do they learn best? Who do they work best with? How should feedback be delivered?
• Unlock your door – leaders need to see and be seen. Access ensures that you remain in touch and not in your ivory tower. 
• Communicate with curiosity – ask questions and then ask some more. You do not have all the answers and your team members know much more than they think. 
• Energise through energy – you have been promoted for a reason and at the core of this lies the energy that you bring to the table. Use this to bring vitality to your team.

Leaders who don’t coach aren’t leading.

Duncan is a PM/BTF coach and is an advocate of placing coaching at the core of leadership. He is completing his L7 Senior and Executive coaching certificate.