Leadership Coaching
What is Leadership Coaching?
Here's what you need to know.
What is Leadership?
"Leadership is the art of getting people to do what you want them to do, because they want to do it."
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If you think about it (and I want you to do that!) nothing at all can get done without some form of leadership.
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If you're working on something alone – just you, with an outcome in mind – even that project won't succeed unless you learn how to lead yourself.
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If you're working on something with a team of people, each of whom has something to contribute to the work and to achieving a successful outcome, then one of you in the team needs to take the lead. If you don't, the result will probably be chaos. Everyone will go off and do their own thing, in their own time. Nothing will come together. Failure is almost certain.
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If you're managing a business, whether it's your own or you're working for someone else, then you're being called on to show leadership. A business is its workforce, and the workforce is made up of people, with all the strengths and weaknesses, hopes and fears, likes and dislikes, wants and needs that go with being human. Without effective leadership, the business is in serious trouble. Your chances are slim of making a profit, keeping your shareholders happy, and of still being in business this time next year.
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If you have been (or you aspire to be) elected to political office then your role is, first and last, all about leadership – leading the people and the communities and organisations who together make up your nation. Without effective national leadership, your country will descend into anarchy, lawlessness, chaos, even armed conflict. Take a look around the world today and you'll see plenty of examples of countries where this is happening right now.
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Leadership is the antidote to that kind of failure. But what is leadership and how do we go about it?
Leadership Principles
"Treat a person as he is and he will remain as he is; treat a person as he can and should be and he will become as he can and should be." – Stephen R Covey
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Leadership is about people – the leader, and those being led.
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Leadership is an activity. It's not a passive thing. It won't happen just because the sign on your office door says "Manager". It won't happen if you issue orders and demand unquestioning obedience from your people. It won't happen if you focus exclusively on the transactional aspects of your job whilst neglecting the people who are doing the nuts-and-bolts work. A leader isn't a leader without followers.
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Followership isn't a passive thing, either. Followers can't follow if they can't see where the leader is going, or how the destination is to be reached. They won't follow a leader who doesn't show that she cares about them. They won't follow a leader who isn't confident and who won't make a decision. Above all they won't follow a leader whom they don't trust, and who doesn't show that he trusts them.
Leadership v Management
"Management is about doing things right. Leadership is about doing the right things." – Peter Drucker
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Management is transactional. It's about rules, procedures, logistics, timelines, profit and loss.
Leadership is about the people. Their strengths and weaknesses, hopes and fears, likes and dislikes, wants and needs.
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Obviously if you're in a management role you're going to have to take care of both of these things. But the most important is leadership. If you neglect that then you're automatically failing on the management front, too.
Know Thyself
"Know Thyself" was one of the three maxims inscribed on the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, dating back over 3,000 years. The ancient Greeks had it right: if you want to succeed in your life, you must begin by getting to know yourself. If you don't understand yourself there's no way you can understand other people, and if you don't understand them then you can't lead them.
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When you work with me as your Coach, we'll start with you. Self-knowledge and self-awareness are the keys to becoming an effective leader - the kind of leader whom people want to follow.
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We'll talk about your specific personal and professional development needs and chart your course towards acquiring the skills and experience you'll need to effectively lead your people.
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If you'd like to test your leadership knowledge, try our Leadership Quick Quiz. The results might surprise you.
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My leadership coaching program is supported by my "Foundations of Leadership" workshop series. This series of six, 90-minute interactive workshops is available in two formats: live, presented via video conferencing, and in pre-recorded videos that you can view in your own time. See the Programs page and Upcoming Events on the Home page for further details.
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"Foundations of Leadership" is also available as an eBook that you can download from my online store.