Coursework "Key Concepts of Leadership in Coaching"
Introduction
This coursework is about leadership in coaching. Coaching is defined as a personal process of development which is designed to enhance leader’s objectives within a business framework. It focuses on an individual within a firm or an organization. Leadership coaching has significant benefits for both the individual and the whole organization. Some of the benefits of leadership coaching include increase in productivity, having greater job satisfaction, achievement of organizational aims and objectives, high level of performers’ development, and retention of talented employees (Snell & Bohlander, 2013). The super keepers are those individuals who have demonstrated high superiority in terms of accomplishing tasks. Moreover, they have inspired others within a working environment to embody them into developing core values and competencies within a given setting. These are the key leaders or candidates of leadership coaching.
Most of the organizations have invested a lot in potential contributors of coaching. Just to borrow a metaphor from agricultural field, coaching can be referred to a way of selecting a seed, understanding the environment in which the seed should be planted at the same time assessing it. Coaching has been established as a tool of creating leadership in business. It has been found to have roots in psychotherapy and was initially used by organizations with talented individuals who had traits or performance issues which needed to be fixed.
Overview of Leadership Coaching
Coaching has acquired a more positive developmental application that addresses issues in problems up to sharpening skills in performance as well as developing them in full leadership. The trend is towards achieving and delivering increasing value of people’s potentiality in firms. Currently, where this coaching skill is practiced, it has encouraged delivery of quality to the clients. Coaches have to complete tasks in any field. Those who expand their minds, performance, and emotions will always come to the inner relationship in their work places.
Mindful coaches should strive for perfection and develop conscious relationship, which can help them solve simultaneous issues with their coaches, create and develop healthy mental, relational, and emotional working relationships in an organization. There are three pertinent aspects of mindfulness in leadership coaching. They include non-reactivity, an empty mind, and permissive attention. In non-reactivity thoughtfulness and meditation are the greatest key issues which help in coaching. Therefore, when these individuals apply such features, they can operate in a vast mental and emotional space. Mindful thinking is crucial as it helps coaches to distinguish between wrong and right.
The second aspect is about an empty mind. Coaches should have empty minds to enable them to act like pertinent chatters who are cognitive thinkers. Unfortunately, most of the coaches enter into this profession since they wish to give advice to most powerful people so that to receive gratitude in return. This guiding image does not benefit the coaches. Developing coaches also need to receive permissive attention from the group they lead in any business or working environment. Coaches should design strategies of paying attention to their subordinates so that work can be taken seriously.
The interest in the history of leadership has recently increased. Early leadership theories focused on the qualities that distinguished between the followers and the leaders. On the other hand, subsequent theories look into other variables apart from the ones looked in the early twentieth century. Therefore, they consider situational factors and the level of skills. The eight theories, which have been suggested, include the following:
Leadership Theories
The first theory is the Great Man theory. Some people are born with leadership characteristics. Leadership traits include intelligence, social skills and charisma which make people inborn leaders. Thus, in this theory, it is assumed that illustrious leaders are born and not made. The theory portrays eminent leaders as being mythic, heroic, and destined to lead and rise with the leadership skills they possess.Trait theory is related to the Great Man theory in that it assumes that leaders inherit characteristics which make them suit as legitimate leaders. They identify certain characteristic portrayed by some leaders and then inherit that trait (Marquis & Huston, 2009).
For example, some of the traits which can be shared by leaders are self-confidence, courage, and extraversion. Some people possess qualities of skillful leaders, but they are not leaders. Contingency theory is related to the environment in that the variables in an environment determine styles of leadership. Success of the leaders depends on many variables, which include the qualities of the followers, style of leadership, and situational aspects.
Situational theory proposes the ways leaders choose the best things in their course of actions. Different leadership skills may be apposite in diverse situations based on the situational variables. Behavioral theory postulates that great leaders are the ones made and not born. This is tremendously contradictory to the Great Man theory since the later states, good leaders are born and not made. According to this theory, individuals can become leaders by learning and observing. Management theory in other terms is called transactional theory,focuses on organization, performance of groups, and supervision. It is based on punishments and rewards and often applied in business organizations. When employees demonstrate successful performance, they receive rewards, and when they fail, they are obviously punished through reprimanding them.
Relationship theory focuses on connections that link the followers and the leaders. It is also known as transformational theory of leaders. They motivate people, inspire them and help the group members to see the significance of wholesome tasks. They depend on the potentiality of the group members. Leaders with such leadership skill, often have high moral and ethical standards of living. Participative theory is considered suggestive as it ensures that people participate in any leadership processes. Group members should make their contribution and help others in decision making through commitment. In this theory, a leader will retain the right to allow on contributions of other group members.
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The reference theory will be the participative theory. As discussed above, it requires from leaders to participate within a working environment so that to encourage workers and other followers to improve their performance. Leadership skills required in such a rotary foundation will be essential in assessing the club’s progress in stewardship by paying attention to members, acknowledging member involvement in funding of grants, and leading to contribute personally to the club’s rotary progress.
Effect of Power and Influence which Leaders Have
Leaders should learn to practice the concept of leadership. Therefore, leaders should not just lead by hitting followers on their heads since this will be treated as assault, they should use power in an effective way through personal attributes. Influence may affect followers in the sense that they may consider as a way of bullying them into working. Power should be transformed into influence by cogent reasoning, applying the reciprocity concept, and retribution technique. Moreover, power should be used to engender the trust in a working environment, use of retribution and reasons in a working area such as in a pharmaceutical company.
One of the scholars asserted that, leaders who share power and time would complete a lot of extraordinary tasks. Best leaders are the ones who understand that leadership is liberation of gift since they gain power by not just from giving away, but also by not grabbing it from somewhere. The receptive individuals take instructions as given, thus they cannot propose their own ideas to the leaders. This idea is paramount among most of the followers since they need to confine to the rules without any contradictions.
As a result, another strategy can be recommended for leadership in coaching which is the spirit of openness. Leaders should be flexible and lead by accepting their followers’ ideas since no leader can be 100 % perfect in management issues. A trustworthy leader should be led by workers/ followers since they are the ones who can either improve organizational performance or bring losses.
Transformational Theory Versus Transactional Theory
Transformational leadership is a process that changes or transforms individuals in terms of improvement and leading them. A reputable transformational leader will make his company successful by valuing its associates. The following are the four ideas in transformational leadership, which motivate individuals in any working environment, inspirational motivation, individual consideration, intellectual stimulation, and idealized influence.
Effective leadership of transformation helps an organization exceed its expectations. Secondly, transactional leadership theory focuses on roles of supervisors, group, and organization performance. Its basic assumptions are as follows: workers are motivated by rewards and punishments; obeying rules and leader guidelines are the primary goals of the followers,;subordinates need to be careful to ensure expectations are fulfilled, and lastly people will perform well when the command chain is clear and definite (Ciulla et al., 2013).
An example of this application in a rotary club will be profound. To start with, workers should be motivated in that when they do better, they need a motivation from their leaders. In the other part, transactional leaders, workers will be motivated through punishments and rewards. When a worker demonstrates poor performance in a certain section, he should be punished according to this theory, and also if a worker’s performance is excellent, there is a need of recognizing that by rewarding the worker.
Characteristics and Traits of a Good Leader in an Organization
An effective team leader ought to possess a number of traits and characteristics which encourage team members to follow him / her. There are some traits and characteristics that leaders can possess naturally or those that they acquire through formal training and experience. Some of the traits that leaders can possess naturally include compassion and integrity. Compassion and integrity are paramount to inspire trust and respect among the members. Understanding employees’ strengths and weaknesses, while fostering integrity within the organization improve the company’s image as well as earn positive reputation (Nelson & Sassi, 2005).
One example of trait that leaders can both possess naturally or acquire through formal training and experience is effective communication. Effective team leaders must know the ways of clear communication with their team members. A team leader can utilize variety of means so that to communicate effectively. Quality verbal and written communication allows the team leaders to present their goals and targets to the team members in the form that they can easily comprehend. For a team leader, it is crucial to in-calculate the input of others in the decision-making processes. Effective communication can allow a team leader to listen and input ideas of the team members.
Another trait or characteristic that is vital for the team leader is organization skills. Organization skills imply the way an individual plans and executes his objectives and strategies. Exceptional team leaders should possess top notch organizational skills. This implies that they should strive to understand the mission, and vision of the organization so that to align individual and organizational tasks to successfully achieve long-term goals and objectives. For optimal performance per team member, team leaders should be able to plan and execute objectives and strategies. The ability to plan objectives and strategies derives from the team leader’s ability to place systems in place that guide and maintain the order. Therefore, the rules and procedures maintain the order while guiding team members towards achieving company’s goals and objectives.
The third trait and characteristic identifiable to effective team leader is confidence. Confidence refers to the feeling of belief in something. The ability of a team leader to be confident is commensurate to his attitude that cultivates positive and realistic perceptions in themselves or organizational values. Some of the attributes essential for building confidence include assertiveness, optimism, affection, independence, trust, enthusiasm, and the individual’s ability to handle criticism positively. Team leaders cannot acquire confidence naturally. Therefore, they have to undergo formal learning and training. Moreover, it is crucial for an effective team leader to be confident in his abilities and those in his team. A leader who is confident reassures team members of his authority so that to achieve set goals and objectives.
An effective team leader must be respectful as well. This helps to build an effective system that works towards achieving organizational goals. Team leaders need to earn respect from their followers, and this can be achieved if they treat each and every team member in a respectful manner. Consequently, when the team leader is appointed, the first thing he / she should do is to earn team members’ respect. This will help him / her to get to know the team culture, code base or the business domain.
Establishing respect for each other requires respecting team norms which are followed by the team while conducting their business. This requires the team leader to relate to the group members on an individual or group level. A sense of belonging can be achieved through encouraging each team member to offer ideas in the planning and execution of strategies. For team members it is essential to understand that their leader understands and respects their inputs and opinions.
Integrity is another characteristic of a skilled team leader. It also implies to high moral standards that are above the reproach of others. Therefore, effective team leaders should have high artistic standards of carrying out their duties. They should also be determined in maintaining the set standards. Integrity requires from a team leader to be fair in his undertakings. Fair treatment of all employees implies leader’s ability to be consistent in offering rewards and recognizing members’ efforts. Ensuring same treatment regardless of underlying factors to each team fosters integrity. Developing integrity promotes trust among the team members thus improves their performance. This requires a team leader to align his / her actions. The cardinal rule for an effective team leader is that he / she should treat others in the manner that he / she would wish to be treated.
An effective team leader must be a skilled facilitator. Being an upstanding facilitator implies the ability of a leader, within an organization, to provide a forum through which organization goals and objectives are met. Therefore, effective team leaders must be powerful facilitators. One way that team leaders can be obedient facilitators is by helping employees understand their goals. They can help team members to plan actions in a manner that helps them achieve their goals and objectives more effectively. This requires a team leader to be practical. The decision-making process should be based on the underlying variables while understanding that it is impossible to please everybody at the same time. The team leader should be practical in the sense that he realizes when the majority is right. He should be strong enough to take decisive action without the support of the majority when it is wrong. It is possible for a team leader to be practical since the two share considerable interrelation.
How Leadership Supports Vision and Strategies in an Organization
Leadership in an organization is crucial for supporting mission, strategy, and vision of the organization. Most organizations depend on leaders since they help them navigate through unprecedented changes in organizations. The changes are necessary to help the organization adapt, implement strategic plans, and plan for the future. Therefore, the leadership talent within an organization is essential to help it achieve short- and long-term goals and objectives. One problem that counters leadership development within an organization is the ability to develop leaders to take over from the current crop.
Every leader is aware of value for a well-defined business strategy. However, only effective leaders know what is required to strategize and implement them whenever changes are necessary. Without effective leadership, even the boldest and well-defined strategies fail to help in achieving the set goals and targets. Without an individual who understands the potential of the company, the strategies are bound to be unsuccessful. The objective of the firm is to develop a leadership strategy befitting to the organization. This will ensure the organization develops leaders to unlock new leadership capabilities (Ramanathan, 2009).
The ability of leadership to support organizational mission, vision, and strategies does not solely depend on the effort of a single leader. It also does not depend on the effectiveness of the company’s chain of commands. The leadership culture is crucial for supporting organization’s mission, culture, and strategies. Therefore, understanding the organization culture is vital for achieving success. Leadership culture implies to the collective actions of formal and informal team leaders to achieve organization vision, mission, and strategies. It is the ability of formal and informal leaders to understand and work towards the organization goals that help achieve high employees’ performance. This shows that it is not the number or quality of individual leaders that support the organization and help achieve its goals, mission, and strategies. Therefore, effective leadership refers to both the leaders and the interrelationships among them.
Personal Contribution/Conclusion
Leaders in the organization should bring positive changes in organizational leadership culture. Leadership culture goes beyond the abilities of a single prominent leader and effectiveness of the organization command chain. Developing rich interrelationships among the leaders to promote consolidation of efforts around the organization goals, strategies, and vision is one of the strategies. It is vital for leaders to develop leadership strategies so that to encourage new leaders to unlock the company’s potential . Encouraging personal leadership development while instituting a superior chain of commands is also important for the promotion of interrelations. This is closely connected with high performance of formal and informal leaders regarding the objectives.
Change of the organization culture is also necessary because it will help it to be effective and achieve better results. A reputable organization culture aligns the strategy to the firm leadership, roles, and capabilities. Emphasis should be put on this because most businesses fail to align their strategies to the organization culture. There is no need for creating sole strategies and processes in order to change the organization culture. However, the evaluation of existing culture on how it would affect the change would be necessary. The final step will be adjusting the culture, consequently supporting the change within an organization.
