The dearth of talent speaks to self-absorbed leaders who focus more on results than people.
Dedicate yourself to developing people. Great people deliver great results.
The coaching-leader is the leader of the future.
15 qualities of great coaches:
- Grow themselves. Know-it-alls make lousy coaches.
- Practice self-reflection. Growth requires reflection. Successful coaches know how to observe themselves and others.
- Enjoy people.
- Ask more than tell. Curiosity drives the coaching process. Knowing, at least in the beginning, gets in the way. Even if you think you know, pretend you don’t.
- Leave space for responses. Silence precedes enlightenment.
- Reveal their own journey when it’s helpful, but don’t need to out-do, one-up, or talk about themselves.
- Have their own coach. Great coaches have coaches.
- Show compassion. Compassion builds foundations for tough conversations.
- Challenge bull crap. Great coaches challenge one-sided perceptions, narrow perspectives, and inconsistencies.
- Embrace your goals. Coaches who don’t accept your goals are manipulators.
- Keep secrets.
- Feel optimism about people and progress. Great coaches believe progress is probable with work.
- Focus on behaviors within control.
- Let go of past failures and disappointments. Growth requires starting over.
- Don’t need to be right; explore options.
Bonus: Press for improvement, progress, and results.
The difference between hand-holding and coaching is high expectation.
Which coaching qualities could you practice today? How?
What qualities would you add to the list?