Leaders Need to Coach and Have a Coach

Every four years during the Olympics, I am glued to the television. In the summer Olympics, my favorite sport is gymnastics. In the winter, I am mesmerized by the various forms of ice skating. But whenever I watch professional sports, I am reminded of the value of coaches. Athletes at the top of their game have coaches. And when they are not performing at their best, they often change coaches. Musicians are another example. They usually continue to take lessons and study even when they are masters in their field.

While executive coaching is becoming more common for leaders at the highest levels, why don’t all leaders have a coach? A coach is someone to help guide them, provide honest feedback, and share ideas or brainstorm options. It amazes me at how many people are in positions to influence the lives of others and have not studied the field, so they don’t know the best way to positively influence people.

If leaders haven’t studied leadership, where do they learn to be effective? When I ask leaders in workshops if they have ever worked under an ineffective leader, hands shoot up in the air. Yet, in my coaching experience, I’ve discovered many leaders tend to imitate behaviors they’ve experienced. This can result in poor systems and in a toxic culture without realizing the damage.

Please check out the full article in Trainingmag.com