Remember the old leadership style of command and control? Where leaders were expected to tell people what to do, have all the answers, closely adhering to the all-knowing superhero archetype?
This leadership worldview is outdated. This definition of a great leader is not true today.
We are in era where adapting our mindset and skillset is as necessary as donning on an oxygen mask to climb Kilimanjaro.
This means:
More coaching,
More collaborating,
More influencing, and;
Less hierarchy,
Less controlling,
Less directing.
But you don’t have to take my word for it. A comprehensive study conducted to date on the effects of an organisation adopting a ‘coaching culture’ showed some startling results.
Coaching led to:
• a 10 to 20% increase in employee satisfaction
• a 12% increase in customer satisfaction
• a 50% improvement in employee communication, collaboration, conflict management, and coaching
• Nearly three times the normal business impact on bottom line.*
And this is against a backdrop results from a recent UK study which showed:
• 50% of people would fire their bosses if they could
• 45% drop in profitability in poorly managed teams
• 40% of employees aged 25-34 and 44% of employees 24 or younger are considering leaving their employers
• 53% of organisations are facing talent shortages
Pretty concerning statistics. But also enlightening.
It makes sense from a financial as well as altruistic and selfish perspective to become a better coach as a leader. See here and here for starters.
Coaching is not an addition to a leader’s job, it’s an integral part of it.
*2010, Genentech employed The Advantage Performance Group