Over the course of my career, I’ve encountered a variety of different leaders and leadership styles. Some stand out as incredible, inspiring, motivational and others stick in my mind as well, let's say, not-so-incredible (I’m sure you know the ones).
What about you? Looking back over your career, which leaders stand out as the best, and why? Were they great at telling you exactly what to do? Did they assert their status? Frequently impose their knowledge and expertise?
Or were their superpowers encouragement and support? Did they have a great knack of really listening? Or giving you the space and trust to develop your capabilities so you could shine?
We're all unique as leaders. And how we lead is impactful, not only to the organisation, our team members or direct reports, but to ourselves too. And, in today's dynamic and competitive business landscape, effective leadership is crucial for organisational success. It has the power to empower.
In this article we explore how leaders can adopt a coaching style and the benefits it brings to both themselves and their teams.
Contents
What is a Coaching Leadership Style?
One leadership style increasingly being recognised and valued is the coaching approach. By adopting a coaching style of leadership, leaders can empower themselves and those around them, fostering a culture of growth, innovation, and high performance.
Coaching leadership is a style that focuses on developing individuals' skills, abilities, and potential. Rather than simply directing or managing, coaching leaders work alongside their team members to help them grow professionally and personally. Their priority is to help their team members reach their full potential. This approach emphasises asking questions, active listening, and providing constructive feedback to guide employees towards their goals.
A leader who adopts a coaching style typically:
Actively listens to others: This means paying full (full, full, full) attention to team members, seeking to understand their perspectives, ideas and challenges.
Asks powerful questions: Using open-ended questions to stimulate thinking and problem-solving skills.
Encourages self-reflection and problem-solving: Promoting self-awareness and learning from experiences.
Provides regular, constructive feedback: Offering specific, actionable feedback that helps individuals grow and improve.
Strength spot: Helping team members identify and leverage their strengths.
Supports employees in goal setting: Working with team members to establish and achieve meaningful goals.
Creates a safe environment for experimentation and learning.
Benefits of Coaching Leadership
What's so great about adopting coaching leadership? Well, a coaching leadership style can create numerous benefits for leaders, their teams and, ultimately, the entire organisation:
For leaders
Enhanced leadership skills: Coaching others improves communication, empathy, and emotional intelligence.
Better team performance: As team members grow and develop, overall performance improves, reflecting positively on the leader.
Increased job satisfaction: Oh, it can feel good! Leaders often find more fulfilment in developing others than in traditional command-and-control styles.
For team members (and the organisation)
Enhanced performance: By focusing on individual development, coaching leaders can help team members improve their skills and performance. This often leads to increased productivity and better overall results for the organisation.
Improved employee engagement: Coaching leadership fosters a sense of value and investment in employees. When team members feel supported in their growth, they're more likely to be engaged and committed to their work. In fact, a recent study suggests that “coaching leadership has a direct and significant positive impact on employee engagement” (Tang et al., 2024, p.10).
Stronger relationships: The one-on-one nature of coaching helps build trust and understanding between leaders and their direct reports. This can lead to improved communication and collaboration across the organisation.
Increased innovation: By encouraging experimentation and learning from failures, coaching leaders create an environment where innovation can thrive. Team members feel more comfortable taking calculated risks and proposing new ideas.
Boosted confidence and skill development: Coaching helps individuals acquire new skills and refine existing ones. And as team members overcome challenges and achieve goals, their self-confidence grows.
Better retention: Employees who feel supported in their professional development are more likely to stay with their organisation. This can lead to reduced turnover and associated costs.
How to Adopt a Coaching Leadership Style
A coaching leadership style has its eyes on the long-term prize, rather than short-term gains. So, how can you get started?
Here are five steps leaders can take:
Develop active listening skills: Practice giving your full attention to team members, asking clarifying questions, and truly understanding their perspectives.
Ask powerful questions: Instead of providing immediate solutions, ask thought-provoking questions that encourage self-reflection and problem-solving.
Provide regular feedback: Offer specific, timely, and constructive feedback to help team members grow and improve.
Set clear goals: Work with team members to establish meaningful, achievable goals that align with both individual and organisational objectives.
Create learning opportunities: Encourage experimentation and view failures as learning experiences rather than setbacks.
Leadership Group Coaching: A Powerful Tool
Complementary to these steps, leadership group coaching can be an effective way to develop coaching skills among leaders. This approach brings together small groups of leaders to learn and practice coaching techniques under the guidance of a professional coach.
Benefits of leadership group coaching include:
Peer learning and support
Diverse perspectives and experiences
Cost-effective development for multiple leaders
Consistent coaching approach across the organisation
Inclusive Leadership and Coaching
An important aspect of effective coaching leadership is inclusivity. The American Psychological Society defines inclusion as:
“an environment that offers affirmation, celebration, and appreciation of different approaches, styles, perspectives, and experiences, thus allowing all individuals to bring in their whole selves (and all their identities) and to demonstrate their strengths and capacity.”
Placing this in the context of leaders, inclusive leaders create environments where all team members feel valued, respected, and empowered to contribute their unique perspectives and ideas. First introduced as a concept in 2006, leadership inclusiveness was defined as “words and deeds by a leader or leaders that indicate an invitation and appreciation for others' contributions” (Nembhard & Edmondson, 2006, p.947).
The concept has developed over the years. A recent review of the research suggests that inclusive leadership even goes beyond fostering uniqueness and strengthening belongingness. It is also showing appreciation and supporting organisational efforts.
Deloitte’s research identified six signature traits of inclusive leadership, often referred to as the six Cs;
Curiosity
Cognisance
Cultural intelligence
Collaboration
Commitment
Courage
Diversity within and across the length and breadth of an organisation plays a fundamental role in today's business landscape. If you're a curious Kinkajou and would like to understand why inclusive leadership matters, we cover the ins and outs more deeply here.
Coaching can also play a crucial role in developing inclusive leadership skills by:
Increasing self-awareness of biases and blind spots
Improving empathy and understanding of diverse experiences
Developing skills for creating psychologically safe environments
Encouraging leaders to seek out and value diverse perspectives
Challenges and Considerations
While coaching leadership offers numerous benefits, it's not without challenges. It requires a time investment from busy leaders for skills development and providing the space for team members to learn and develop. It can be tempting for a busy leader to dive in and solve challenges, especially under pressure to deliver solutions fast.
For coaching leadership to be effective, there needs to be organisational support and a culture that values learning and development. A coaching leadership style may face resistance if the broader culture is very hierarchical or focused on short-term results.
Summing Up
Adopting a coaching leadership style can be a powerful way for leaders to empower themselves and their teams. By focusing on individual development, fostering a growth mindset, and creating an inclusive environment, coaching leaders can drive improved performance, engagement, and innovation within their organisations.
As the business world continues to evolve, the ability to coach and develop others will likely become an increasingly valuable skill for leaders at all levels. By investing in coaching skills now, leaders can position themselves and their organisations for long-term success in an ever-changing landscape.