What is ‘Leader as Coach’?
The capability to listen and guide through discussion rather than telling people what to do is called being a ‘leader as coach’. The qualities that are improved by our Leader as Coach program are:
- Dedicated coaching frameworks and common language
- Increased engagement and motivation
- Increased open thinking
- Increased clarity in communication
- Increased consistent and supervised quality of coaching delivery
- Increased productivity and higher performance
Rapid, constant, and disruptive change is now the norm in business. And as such, organisations are moving away from traditional “command and control” practices and toward a model in which managers give support and guidance rather than instructions, and employees learn how to adapt to constantly changing environments in ways that unleash fresh energy, innovation, and commitment.
The role of the manager, in short, is becoming that of a coach.
The notion of Leader as Coach represents an evolution. Coaching is no longer just a form of sharing what you know with somebody less senior, although that remains a valuable aspect. It’s also a way of asking questions to spark insights in the other person. As Sir John Whitmore, a leading figure in the field, defined it, skilled coaching involves “unlocking people’s potential to maximise their own performance.” The best practitioners have mastered both parts of the process — imparting knowledge and helping others discover it themselves — and they can artfully do both in different situations.
It’s one thing to aspire to that kind of coaching, but it’s another to make it happen as an everyday practice throughout the many layers of an organisation. That’s why the Gram Leader as Coach program is a necessity for all.