Leadership development requires a commitment to change. The biggest measurement for any professional coaching engagement is effecting that change, regardless of whether it is an individual or company utilizing those services.
Throughout my career, many of my employees have sought guidance for growing their skill set as well as gaining new leadership attributes. Most of those requests included understanding how to gain experience and knowledge in managing people. First and foremost, I would explain that they need to be able to take a hard look at themselves and seek feedback from both their leaders as well as their team, with clear objectives on how to benchmark against their goals. Sometimes, it was about growing self-confidence or management attributes, such as framing up a topic succinctly, planning a concise meeting with a proper framework, or showcasing their team’s success. Other times, it was changing behaviors that were impeding their ability to make it to the next level, or improving how others perceived them. Making changes in one’s mindset and instilling new habits takes time and focus, and, most importantly, an individual who is willing to take control of their behavior and accept that they are human and therefore not perfect.
Like me, I am sure many of you have read books about leadership, organizational development, sales, or how to instill a positive mindset. I bet you take tidbits from these learnings and have aha moments where you recognize a need for change or to discover a great new idea. These are extremely productive advancements, and some of us are hyper-focused on self-development, building high-performance teams, and prioritizing and managing the output for change. But the reality is that most of us are just too busy with family, work, and community, and we prefer to prioritize these areas rather than looking inward.
Consider how many employees take the time to understand leadership positions or the impact they make on company culture. Forbes discussed assumptions that narrow perspectives: “You, like everyone else, hold assumptions about organizations and leadership. These often-hidden beliefs form frameworks that guide what you consider and how you act. Thus, they become the boundaries for what you can accomplish.” To open up your mind and see your boundaries is the first step, but to actually change these takes commitment, a deep desire to change, and the ability to hear what others are saying without judgment.
Professional Coaching for leadership development helps you discover new ways of thinking, accountability to create sustainable change, and ways to explore your strengths. Having an outsider perspective empowers you to implement these assets to the fullest and focus on increasing self-awareness in work and life; one small change can have an enormous impact.