The Power of a Coach

Karen’s thoughts…

Two weeks after graduating from college, I had the opportunity to manage and lead a team of over forty people in an early childhood program. This was my first experience to be in a position of true leadership.  I can remember experiencing all the emotions: fear, exhaustion, stress, and vulnerability, along with excitement, joy, pride, and gratefulness. I owe much of the success to my first boss, mentor, and coach for my development and for guiding me through the good and bad days.  He along with my husband, ultimately coached me through that trying and pivotal first year.  My boss, Jay, had all the qualities of a high-performance leader and coach.  Fortunately, he willingly and graciously took me under his wing and taught me all the ropes.  

Jay was always kind, never bossy.  He led his teams by example, with transparency, explained in detail, and expected excellence---always.  Although he was approachable and had an open-door policy, he wasn’t a micro manager and preferred for me, as a leader, to take charge.  The trait I admired most was that he led with his heart first, considering all individuals involved.  It reminds me of the quote by Eleanor Roosevelt- “To handle yourself, use your head; to handle others, use your heart.”  He taught me the importance of having an open mind, listening to both sides and leading first--with empathy.  He was a terrific listener and truly valued my opinion, yet he wasn’t afraid to provide constructive feedback whenever I needed it. He would be there to talk through things or just provide words of encouragement.  

Jay motivated his leaders to read leadership books together, and to dedicate individual time to self-development.   During the many years we worked together, I knew he had my back, and was on my side (we often worked by shouldering up - as Scout would say).  To this very day- he is still my mentor, leader-coach, and dearest friend. I feel like I was one of the lucky ones who received the amazing experience of having a fantastic leader-coach like Jay to help jump-start my career.  The opportunity to have a coach in your corner is a powerful thing.  When a company invests in coaching, whether it is with an executive coach, or a coaching program, it shows they care about your personal and professional growth.  It goes beyond a financial investment, it’s a strategic part of your journey as a high-performance leader. Do you currently have a leader-coach who has directly influenced your life?  If so, what qualities do you reflect on the most?  And are you currently providing the leader-coach mentality to the people you lead? 

Scout’s thoughts…

Both team players and their coaches can no longer sit around tables with their mouths full of talk and their hands empty.  They can no longer fail to respect each person for their talents and their differences.  The old style of leadership reveled in performance problems.  Great coaches in our 21st-century businesses are talented at noticing WHAT IS WORKING and being very specific about GROWING IT!  They create ways to appreciate and acknowledge others. Their appreciation is sincere.  They are thrilled, excited, and fired up with enthusiasm, which takes us farther than talent or skill.  Coaches praise freely and on the spot. 

A coach takes responsibility for the creation of oneness on their team. They know that “contentment” is the highest form of team alignment and leadership.  They know that their own “state of mind” is more important than all other strategies. Coaches are optimistic through all opportunities to improve, raise the bar, or bring the game to a higher level.  All true coaches are optimists.  No exceptions!  Optimism is pure power.

They are concerned with vision more than “goals and objectives”.  They are concerned with integrity.  They are stewards of basic values, more than “priorities”.  They are GIVERS, not “getters”.  They deal in culture and a sense of community, not “organizational form”.  They acknowledge and appreciate contributions, more than “evaluate and correct performance”.  They establish a presence that makes their influence, guidance, and values felt throughout. A great coach works with energy, heart, and spirit, rather than “effort”.  They carefully and intentionally DEVELOP their team and each player to be the best they can be.