Transforming Leadership Series #3
Inspiring Leaders to Invest in Personal Skill Development

I once coached a leader who used a ‘command-and-control’ style, who wanted to achieve better results with his team. My coaching aimed to empower him to change and develop his leadership approach. Throughout the coaching I used the technique of ‘holding up the mirror’ to reflect how his actions impacted me in our coaching relationship. (NB: I always contract for this at the start of the coaching process, as receiving feedback can be challenging). During our early sessions, he seemed to be permanently on ‘transmit’, making little attempt to connect or show any empathy for me. I gently pointed out this behavior likely mirrored his interactions with his team and within the organisation, which came as a surprise to him.

Over time, by maintaining a non-judgmental stance, together with a mix of challenge and support he gradually became more willing to let go of his ‘control’ style, and to explore a more ‘coaching and empowering’ leadership style. A 360° feedback exercise before and after coaching showed a significant shift in his approach, that led to a dramatic positive impact on both his team and the organisation.

In my experience there are two approaches to coaching: structured, and emerging. In structured coaching, the coach imposes a framework such as the ‘Grow’ model and guides the client to discover solutions. Conversely, an emergent style maintains the solid boundaries of confidentiality, ethics, and professionalism (shown by the black lines in the visual) but doesn’t place a specific structure onto the discussion. This allows the client’s thoughts and feelings to emerge naturally. Without the ‘blocker’ of my structure this often enables access to deeper and more profound responses from the client. As a coach, I prefer the latter approach and I encourage coaches to let go of their control to allow their client to discover their own unique process. Adopting this Emergent approach as a leadership tool across an organisation can help unlock the collective potential of a diverse and multi-generational workforce.