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Leader As Coach: Strategies for Coaching & Developing Others
'Leader As Coach' is a straight-forward, practical book that can help you lead your people and your organization to greater success. The tips and practices in 'Leader As Coach' will enable you to sharpen your coaching skills so that you can attract and retain the talent you need for success, foster growth in others, provide effective feedback, orchestrate learning opportunities, and groom high-potential performers. After all, your people are your most important asset. Within these pages you’ll find:
--Five high-impact strategies for effective coaching.
--Useful insights on how to deal with resistance and motivate others.
--Hundreds of tips and action steps to make you a better coach.
--Five high-impact strategies for effective coaching.
--Useful insights on how to deal with resistance and motivate others.
--Hundreds of tips and action steps to make you a better coach.
143 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
11 people are currently reading
135 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 9, 2017
‘Leader as Coach’ is geared to those in managerial positions at white colored businesses. It could be read by anyone, setting aside all of the managerial advice. This book would also be good for those going into business coaching.
The writers are very thorough in mapping out a plan to make the reader a greater leader and coach. Most books of this type tend to spew out words and move on. This one checks you many times throughout in many ways. Though not obviously. Great for motivation.
The book looks short & simple, but care should be taken to have a note pad ready and to set aside the book and work on what is presented. Otherwise, this book may not have the results it could for the reader who tries to just read through it.
A drawback is the layout. It’s way, way too stylish and type font, colors, text size, text setting are all wrong. Those with any eye problems will have trouble getting through the book and may end up with a headache. Who had the idea was it to have text laid in with white and gold???? Might look good from a world view. But extremely stupid from a practical view. The layout also makes it very hard to mark passages.
Bottom line: I recommend this book: 7 out of ten points.
The writers are very thorough in mapping out a plan to make the reader a greater leader and coach. Most books of this type tend to spew out words and move on. This one checks you many times throughout in many ways. Though not obviously. Great for motivation.
The book looks short & simple, but care should be taken to have a note pad ready and to set aside the book and work on what is presented. Otherwise, this book may not have the results it could for the reader who tries to just read through it.
A drawback is the layout. It’s way, way too stylish and type font, colors, text size, text setting are all wrong. Those with any eye problems will have trouble getting through the book and may end up with a headache. Who had the idea was it to have text laid in with white and gold???? Might look good from a world view. But extremely stupid from a practical view. The layout also makes it very hard to mark passages.
Bottom line: I recommend this book: 7 out of ten points.
December 24, 2022
This is one of the first books I recall reading after college upon entering corporate America. Some may criticize that there is "nothing new or mind-blowing" in this book; however, what's simple in concept, few are able to effectively implement. This book serves as a great reminder on what leaders need to do for long-term success. Too many leaders neglect the coaching elements of their job!
Leader as Coach focuses on the methods of self-discovery and how we, as leaders, can coach our staff to achieve personal and professional potentials never imagined. In developing our coaching skills, we develop future leaders and further ourselves as leaders and role models, and, thus, the circle of knowledge and development evolves in a continuum. The authors reiterate throughout that new information is necessary in order to move forward and promote change, and the path to achieving new information is neither an easy road nor straight in its direction, but traversing it is the reward.
The book stresses five strategies: Forge a Partnership; Inspire Commitment; Grow Skills; Promote Persistence; and Shape the Environment. Here is my summary:
Forge a Partnership
Although we may think we have partnerships with our staff, unless we are taking the time
to mindfully listen to what their values, goals, fears, and aspirations are, we are not a true partner in their development. The partnership is not only on the listening side, but also it is a visual partnership in how the staff perceives you as a leader and as part in a trusting partnership relationship. This puts you as a leader to the test—do you do as you say, and do you know your limits? We desire to be everything to everybody, but reaching beyond the limits of your professional and personal capability and capacities only diminishes your effectiveness. However, if you fear you are moving someone or yourself in a direction they are not willing to go, refer to the advice of Malcolm Forbes, who said: “Nobody can make anybody someone he or she doesn't want to be.”
Inspiring Commitment
Inspiring commitment requires a goal-setting process, coupled with a reflective process.
The authors developed the GAPS acronym: Goals, Abilities, Perceptions, and Success Factors. Using this method helps the coach to unveil blind spots in where they are now, and where they want to be in the future. One needs to write down one's own abilities, goals, values, and perception of others, and what is needed for their success. The authors give another acronym—FIRST—to assist the leader in helping the employee sort out their GAPS and plan for the individual's development. FIRST stands for: Focus on priorities, Implement something every day, Reflect on what happened, Seek feedback, and Transfer learning to next steps.
Grow Skills
This strategy discusses building new competencies that ensure people know how to do
what is required of them. Here is where the reconstruction and development begins in earnest.
Asking those to move beyond their comfort zone to learn and expand on their knowledge base will be very difficult for those whose work is comfortable in habit. Note the Vernon Law: “Experience is the worst teacher; it gives the test before presenting the lesson.” Although you may know it, you are the guide to knowing where others can find the information. Others need to learn for themselves, experience it, and reflect on it. Encouraging others to seek opportunities to repeat the experience, while you are their safety net, enables others to move beyond their comfort zone and gain knowledge. Mistakes, when handled correctly, are opportunities for growth. Be it success or a mistake, growth requires reflection on the event. Together you diagnose the cause, and assess what factors within the person's control contributed to the outcome (including skills, preparation, and attitude). This assessment leads to further learning and expanding knowledge. Finding the lesson allows the person to decide whether to repeat, improve, or avoid the next opportunity. Transferring the lesson allows the person to identify at least two similar situations or new opportunities where the lessons can be applied. Yet, so many times we want results that are quick and measurable. Leadership that employs the use of effective coaching skills will facilitate the person toward progressive evolution in their position and creates a growth process, a commodity more valuable than the quick measurable results we usually gauge as success.
Promoting Persistence
Promoting persistence breaks down the barriers of fear of success. As Henry Ford said, “Failure is the only opportunity to begin again more intelligently.” We want to give our employees permission to be novice. Allowing time to build confidence and convey their confidence in their newfound abilities continues to forge a strong and trusting relationship between employee and leadership. Too many times the actual event of success is bypassed by time or inattention on both the parts of employee and coach. In our coaching, we can link their success to their personal skills and efforts so they begin to trust in their abilities, and in doing so, we develop the cause-and-effect connection needed so they see the why of their success.
Shape the Environment
Build organizational support to reward learning and remove barriers. Leadership must
build visibility as a role model by setting an example for how you act and how you develop
yourself so that others see leadership push beyond their comfort zone and see the progress they make through success and failure; this gives confidence to others who perceive these efforts. Sharing in success and failure also hones the relationship building process. An environment that gives feedback must also accept feedback in order for the learning continuum to be effective and real on all sides. “Start by simply letting people know that you value learning and intend to make it a priority.”
Leader as Coach focuses on the methods of self-discovery and how we, as leaders, can coach our staff to achieve personal and professional potentials never imagined. In developing our coaching skills, we develop future leaders and further ourselves as leaders and role models, and, thus, the circle of knowledge and development evolves in a continuum. The authors reiterate throughout that new information is necessary in order to move forward and promote change, and the path to achieving new information is neither an easy road nor straight in its direction, but traversing it is the reward.
The book stresses five strategies: Forge a Partnership; Inspire Commitment; Grow Skills; Promote Persistence; and Shape the Environment. Here is my summary:
Forge a Partnership
Although we may think we have partnerships with our staff, unless we are taking the time
to mindfully listen to what their values, goals, fears, and aspirations are, we are not a true partner in their development. The partnership is not only on the listening side, but also it is a visual partnership in how the staff perceives you as a leader and as part in a trusting partnership relationship. This puts you as a leader to the test—do you do as you say, and do you know your limits? We desire to be everything to everybody, but reaching beyond the limits of your professional and personal capability and capacities only diminishes your effectiveness. However, if you fear you are moving someone or yourself in a direction they are not willing to go, refer to the advice of Malcolm Forbes, who said: “Nobody can make anybody someone he or she doesn't want to be.”
Inspiring Commitment
Inspiring commitment requires a goal-setting process, coupled with a reflective process.
The authors developed the GAPS acronym: Goals, Abilities, Perceptions, and Success Factors. Using this method helps the coach to unveil blind spots in where they are now, and where they want to be in the future. One needs to write down one's own abilities, goals, values, and perception of others, and what is needed for their success. The authors give another acronym—FIRST—to assist the leader in helping the employee sort out their GAPS and plan for the individual's development. FIRST stands for: Focus on priorities, Implement something every day, Reflect on what happened, Seek feedback, and Transfer learning to next steps.
Grow Skills
This strategy discusses building new competencies that ensure people know how to do
what is required of them. Here is where the reconstruction and development begins in earnest.
Asking those to move beyond their comfort zone to learn and expand on their knowledge base will be very difficult for those whose work is comfortable in habit. Note the Vernon Law: “Experience is the worst teacher; it gives the test before presenting the lesson.” Although you may know it, you are the guide to knowing where others can find the information. Others need to learn for themselves, experience it, and reflect on it. Encouraging others to seek opportunities to repeat the experience, while you are their safety net, enables others to move beyond their comfort zone and gain knowledge. Mistakes, when handled correctly, are opportunities for growth. Be it success or a mistake, growth requires reflection on the event. Together you diagnose the cause, and assess what factors within the person's control contributed to the outcome (including skills, preparation, and attitude). This assessment leads to further learning and expanding knowledge. Finding the lesson allows the person to decide whether to repeat, improve, or avoid the next opportunity. Transferring the lesson allows the person to identify at least two similar situations or new opportunities where the lessons can be applied. Yet, so many times we want results that are quick and measurable. Leadership that employs the use of effective coaching skills will facilitate the person toward progressive evolution in their position and creates a growth process, a commodity more valuable than the quick measurable results we usually gauge as success.
Promoting Persistence
Promoting persistence breaks down the barriers of fear of success. As Henry Ford said, “Failure is the only opportunity to begin again more intelligently.” We want to give our employees permission to be novice. Allowing time to build confidence and convey their confidence in their newfound abilities continues to forge a strong and trusting relationship between employee and leadership. Too many times the actual event of success is bypassed by time or inattention on both the parts of employee and coach. In our coaching, we can link their success to their personal skills and efforts so they begin to trust in their abilities, and in doing so, we develop the cause-and-effect connection needed so they see the why of their success.
Shape the Environment
Build organizational support to reward learning and remove barriers. Leadership must
build visibility as a role model by setting an example for how you act and how you develop
yourself so that others see leadership push beyond their comfort zone and see the progress they make through success and failure; this gives confidence to others who perceive these efforts. Sharing in success and failure also hones the relationship building process. An environment that gives feedback must also accept feedback in order for the learning continuum to be effective and real on all sides. “Start by simply letting people know that you value learning and intend to make it a priority.”
September 6, 2016
A book that has been sitting on my business shelf for years but that I pulled out to re-read while working on a performance development workshop. Leader as Coach is a quick and easy read, nothing earth-shattering but very helpful and easy to follow for one-on-one coaching. FIRST is an acronym: Focus on Priorities, Implement something every day, Reflect on what happens, Seek feedback and support, and Transfer to the next steps, each area has information and steps to achieve behind it. It doesn't go into great depth but this is a good resource when you want something quick and actionable--especially for new or under-skilled managers and leaders.
August 5, 2017
This is a very good book with a lot of pointers on self-development, coaching and team developing. A must for people that manage people.
September 4, 2018
Easy to read, with simple, practical steps to help guide folks in management toward becoming better coaches. I'd like to give it to some folks above me, that's for sure! lol
May 18, 2008
I am currently trying to get through this, but am finding it hard to hold my attention. It is full of cliche catch phrases that are widely used in the business work.
I will continue to struggle and let you know if I find any original ideas within.
I will continue to struggle and let you know if I find any original ideas within.
August 8, 2008
A good resources for helping organizations begin developing their leaders into coaches.
February 7, 2010
This book started with two great chapters and then repeated the same advice over and over. Too bad.
January 3, 2011
A very good book that made me think about aspects of coaching that I had not thought about before.
September 8, 2014
Ok, nothing mind blowing.
Currently reading
August 29, 2017.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews