It’s not
easy to teach people how to think, yet this skill is a must for effective
leadership. It requires patience and foresight and time. Yet if we don't teach
others how to think for themselves, we waste time in the long run because employees
will be forever dependent upon their leaders for answers and direction.
A leader who doesn't coach and teach hampers personal growth and the growth of
the team. A leader who coaches and teaches people how to be self-directed has
people who are partners and responsible followers.
The best leaders teach and coach people to think by following a coaching
model. Coaching and leadership go hand in hand. Coaching is a teaching model.
Let's take a look at how coaching competencies involve a form of teaching.
1. Listening - Through the gift of listening, leaders demonstrate
humility and respect.
2. Creating Awareness - Great questions create learning because they encourage
thinking.
3. Planning and Goal Setting - A good action plan teaches us to stretch beyond
what we might ordinarily think possible.
4. Managing progress and accountability - Done well, accountability teaches us
to celebrate success and improve our processes.
When we teach others to think through a coaching model, we ask rather than tell
and listen more than lecture. We free ourselves up to blaze new trails and
build up our trust and partnership in the process. As leaders, teaching the way
a coach teaches is a win-win for everyone concerned!
The Glowan Consulting Group was formed in 1993 on the premise that individuals and organizations needed more than just pre-designed, prescripted "training" to meet their human development goals. Organizations and our societies are changing at a rate never seen before in our experience and we need tools, techniques and support systems to meet those new challenges. Glowan has been meeting those needs via our broad and deep offerings of Leadership and Management Development Services and Products. Visit www.glowan.com for more information.
