Coaching Matters - Leadership in Times of Uncertainty, Vol III#5, pg4

Many studies have shown that the more styles a leader exhibits the better. Goleman says that those who master four or more styles create the best climates and performance. He identifies authoritative, democratic, affiliative and coaching as the four styles in combination as most able to influence organizational climate and performance positively. The most effective leaders switch flexibly among the styles as needed. They are sensitive to the impact they are having on others and adjust their style to get the best results. Leaders who don't have all the styles available at their command can augment their styles by working with others whose styles are complementary, as with leadership teams.

Another way is to expand one's repertoire of styles through development. Many experts agree that coaching is the most effective method of developing leadership styles.

Leaders are all life-long learners and have taken charge of their learning. They are all concerned with a guiding purpose, an overarching vision.

"Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other."
‚John F. Kennedy (1917-1963), from the speech prepared for delivery
in Dallas on the day of his assassination, Nov. 22, 1963

How is Leadership Developed?

How does one acquire and develop leadership skills? New strategies and implementation methods must be based on the fundamental idea that individuals and organizations are becoming self-organizing, self-directing and self-regulating. Everyone working in organizations should be working to gain mastery of the concepts and skill of reflective self-awareness. As they do, they will be more productive and display the features of self-efficacy described by Bandura (1977, 1982). Leaders and players at every level in an organization who display self-efficacy are more resilient and therefore better able to mitigate the effects of stress, burnout and impairment.

The wicked leader is he who the people despise. The good leader is he who the people revere.
The great leader is he who the people say, ëWe did it ourselves.í
‚Lao-Tzu

The question then is how to develop self-awareness. Those who know and understand themselves well have increased skills in social and networking arenas; this shows up on the bottom line.

Executive coaching plays a central role in enabling individuals, teams and organizations to develop capacities. Organizations using coaches will increasingly see human wisdom being created and practiced by larger numbers of individuals and groups of people.

Behavior change that is sustainable and dependable under stress requires consistent encouragement, practice and feedback. High-level behavior changes also need time to develop, time to be tested in action and time to be refined. This cannot happen in a vacuum. Development occurs out loud, in relationship with others.

Executive coaches help leaders to develop skills of self-observation, self-awareness, self-responsibility and self-mastery. These skills allow leaders to continue to grow long after the coaching relationship ends (Kesslin, 2001).

Good coaches provide thought-provoking questions, personal exercises and assignments to help leaders maximize their unique gifts and talents. According to Ken Kesslin, coaching develops extraordinary leaders, and extraordinary leaders produce extraordinary business results.

Leadership in Times of Uncertainty continued
<page3	Vol. III, Num.5, Page4 ~ Online	page5>
Leadership in Times of Uncertainty \| Leading or Managing? \| Leadership Styles \| How is Leadership Developed? An Important Message to Business Leaders


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