Forget the Scoreboard
The inevitable extension of servant leadership is coaching.
Results are by-products. Forget the scoreboard. Focus on the process.
The belief that leading is telling blocks leaders from coaching. Command and control treats people like tools.
Coaching-leaders serve people.
Embracing a coaching style of leadership means:
- Delivering results through relationships.
- Embracing a growth mindset.
- Nurturing the strength of others.
See more input on coaching style leadership from Facebook fans.
Three investments:
- Self. Develop yourself so you can develop others.
- Team. Invest yourself in talent.
- The process. Play to win, but forget the scoreboard.
Jon Gordon, author of many books, including, “The Energy Bus,” and co-author of, “One Word,” talks about focusing on the process (1:28):
Short-term vs. long-term:
Focus on the process in the short-term. Keep an eye on the scoreboard in the long-term. Be careful how you define success.
Jon Gordon on short-term vs. long-term (1:34):
Know why:
Let purpose drive process.
Know why you and your organization exist and let that drive everything you do.
My purpose in life, for example, is to develop servant leadership in myself and others. (I’m still working on the best way to say that.) The more I contribute to your leadership journey, the more energy I feel.
I want to hang with people who are passionate about developing talent; theirs, mine, and others’. If you’ve arrived, you’re uninteresting and boring to me.
Everything I do – process and procedure – focuses on one purpose, developing servant leaders.
What qualities do successful coaching-leaders possess?
How can leaders navigate tensions between short-term and long-term success?
When I was a competitive swimmer growing up, I had a bad habit of looking side to side as I breathed to see how close my competition was. My coach threatened to put me in the lane closest to the wall if I didn’t stop (traditionally not a prestige lane). I stopped. The minute I stopped focusing on where everyone else was, guess what… I started winning, instead of coming in second. Go figure 😉
Thanks Karin. Your story made me smile. Thanks for illustrating this important point. You’re best came out when you focused on your own swimming. Hmmm, that makes so much sense. 🙂
Great example. What could you do about those other swimmers anyway? You just put everything in it instead of measuring how little you needed to stay ahead.
In our sales organization we purposefully refer to our leaders as coaches. As leaders and bosses we were focused on task execution – get this report done on time, see so many people this week, perform x, y and z; in other words, did someone do something in the way it was supposed to be done. As coaches, the focus is on creating learning opportunities. The “result” we now want is to see someone try something new or to try to find a way to get incremental lift out of what they are already doing. It’s about bringing out the very best in people.
In task execution, failure isn’t much of an option. It disappoints and the focus then becomes on preventing it from happening again. In a coaching and learning environment, falling down is expected and people are celebrated when they try. Success is simply measured differently. It is making a world of difference.
Thanks Alf. It’s impressive to read how your organization is learning how to live out a coaching culture with coaches rather than leaders. Very encouraging.
Dan,
Excellent points today. I’ve worked for (and sometimes replaced), the Command and Control mentality. A little listening, coaching and working together went a long way in developing the people and the team!
Thanks Peter. Great to read another illustration of the shift to coaching-leadership.
Morning Dan.
I’ve been reading your blog faithfully for some time and enjoy it immensely.
In response to your first question regarding qualities successful servant-leaders possess I would like to contribute this: I think one of the biggest qualities a successful servant-leader can possess is a life-long commitment to being a person who cultivates deep wells within their own life. Why? Because when you are a servant-leader of deep wells you have something worth offering.
Early on in my undergraduate studies my academic advisor asked me what kind of leader I wanted to be. He asked me whether I wanted to be a leader with shallow or deep wells. From that moment on I knew I wanted to be a servant-leader who intentionally cultivated deep wells within her own life. It takes commitment and discipline, but it is totally worth it!
Blessings.
Thanks Carmen. Powerful! Thanks for sharing your story.
Dear Dan,
A good interesting post!
A successful coach first understand the individual strengths of his team members and encourages them to excel using the same. He invests his time and efforts to get the best from each member. He is playing a role of mentor and does everything to motivate them and help them to overcome the hurdles on the way to success. He is knowledgeable and more experienced and has a crucial task of developing team members for continuous success.
A good coach is always available for the team all the time. He demonstrates the right behavior and desired actions to train and prepare the team for success and glory. He is courageous in acting tough with the trouble-makers who violate the rules of a planned game. He is fair in his treatment and never keeps any ego. He never insults yet he shows his annoyance to give the right teaching. He is a fatherly figure and takes care of all like his own children.
A coaching culture is desired at organization level wherein every superior [boss] will play a good role of coach in the interest of employee staff. The organization goals are then achieved with greater satisfaction and rewards.
Thanks Dr. Asher. The first sentence you wrote says so much. Coaching leaders focus their attention on others with a deep desire to understand their strengths. How can a leader maximize talent on the team if they don’t understand their strengths?
I think that they have a clear balance in knowing how you can drive success through people, through managing people and talking with them. Have a conversation with them. So probing skills, creativity, drive, vision and lots of courage. Risk taking with your people is important too. You should open up with people, I mean, honesty is good between two people. So therefore risk taking….because now and then others don’t want to hear what you’re telling them but in hope that it will change them and change the course of interaction they show.
Thanks Dennis. The term “vulnerability” came to mind as I read your comment. During my conversation with Jon, he talked about teams that truly care for each other. That means they take the risk to be open with each other.
Yes I meant that. Indeed.
Mr. Rockwell, I LOVE this post! It is extremely accurate and powerful information. I live this information every single day with life and death implications. There is a huge thick destructive line between only being a manager and being an inspiring leader. A leader is able to bring out the full potential of someone and show them the talent that they did not realize they possessed or maybe they knew they had something special but did not know how to use it. You are one of the first blogs I followed and because of posts like this I am excited to keep reading what you bring to the table. If you are invested in the process and not only the score, you do not care who gets the credit all the time as long as the team does well. Servant leadership in my opinion is the best and most sacrificial human interaction there is. Not only telling your people the way to go but showing them the way, and giving more of yourself then you demand of them. Dan thank you! Really enjoyed reading this and look forward to more!
Thanks Lavontay. I’m glad you added the idea of “getting credit.” Servant leaders who coach people aren’t in it for the credit but for the reward of being part of someone else’s success. Powerful.
There are some huge take away points here. I focused on results for so long and was so unfulfilled. It never even occurred to me there might be another way. It’s good to see people teaching leadership in from a different point of view.
Thanks Jessica. Getting stuff done is great. Doing things that fulfill purpose AND get stuff done makes all the difference! Best for the journey.
When you focus on the process and subsequently improving how you do things, it often ends up producing the results you were looking for in the first place. The old adage, “keep your eye on the prize” keeps us focused on our goals, but focusing on the process is the surest way to get there! So I really prefer the adage, “It’s about enjoying the journey not just the destination.” The “goal” is just a moment… the journey is where you live your life!
Thanks Vicki. “Keep your eye on the prize”… Maybe it’s better to say, glance at the prize but keep your eye on the journey.
“The goal is just a moment…” that’s gold.
Well said Dan. Coaching is one of the most powerful ways to serve people–and it does contribute to the long term goal and impact as well. Invest. Coaching For Engagement is one of the best books on coaching that is out there; I highly recommend it.
“I want to hang with people who are passionate about developing talent; theirs, mine, and others’. If you’ve arrived, you’re uninteresting and boring to me.”
Yes – this is so important. I’m absolutely in the developing talent group. There’s just so much to learn.
Staying connected to long term goals is certainly challenging. The concept of “decomposing” a result into smaller tasks is one approach I like from the project management field.
Thank you Dan. I agree leaders need to focus on the process and a huge part of this is building relationships so everyone feels supported as they explore the process and make the journey together. I believe curiosity is the fundamental key needed for leaders to be successful as they focus on the process. I believe curiosity occurs when we are present, focus on really listening to others and asking open questions that ensure all perspectives are heard and understood. Without curiosity, leaders cannot be inclusive, build collaboration or understanding.
You asked the question:
“How can leaders navigate tensions between short-term and long-term success?”
I think you answered (or suggested the answer) when you said: “…Know why … your organization exist(s) and let that drive everything you do…”
If this isn’t clear, then you can still achieve short term success (win a contract, make money, stay in business), but in the long term you can end up vacillating, not focussing on a clear strategy and wasting effort and enthusiasm as people do what seems best in a largely random fashion.
I have had the misfortune of meeting many high-level managers who either do not know why the organisation exists, or are totally incapable of articulating it.
“To make money for the company” isn’t a rationale that’s going to inspire many people down in the front lines.
Great Post
I have determined to Change my Leadership approach from My trying to Reach the Greatness in people To Helping them reach their Greatness
Changes My Position from Manager to Coach
Thanks for the Framework here it will help me in this approach
I’m revisiting these comments this morning and thought I would recommend a great book on leadership by Coach Bill Walsh titled “The Score Takes Care of Itself: My Philosophy of Leadership” that would make a nice addition to one’s leadership library.