Better Business Coaching

In the recent months of turmoil leadership skills have been tested to their limits.  It has become apparent that not only is the global economy in crisis but those in leadership positions have been exposed and shown an inadequacy of coping techniques.

Some business leaders have shown a breathtaking lack of vision, wisdom and integrity.  It is clear that our leaders need to develop new skills and qualities to enable them to move on from their short-sightedness.

I believe business coaching, which supports leaders in developing and refining their own inner strengths can rise to this challenge.

It is said that the purpose of great leadership, and indeed any human endeavour, is to help people to replace disempowering beliefs with empowering ones.  To bring unity where there is division.  To bring harmony where there is turbulence and wisdom where there is fear.

The more you focus on fear, the more afraid you will become.  The more you focus on obstacles, the larger they will loom.  The more you focus on today’s global economic doom and gloom headlines, the less time, energy and faith you’ll have to focus on building the prosperous, successful business you really want.

In the ‘me, me, me’ and the ‘more, more, more ‘ business culture of the past 10 years, executives coaches often found themselves working with ‘high potentials’ and senior leaders to focus on personal career visions and personal leadership skills.  It was all very ‘personal’.

The principle of following the coachee’s agenda in a confidential setting became paramount.  At its best it did create openness, trust and facilitated self awareness.  However, at its worst this environment tempted all parties into self-interest, and sometimes a worrying lack of accountability.

As organisations  ‘delayer’ their structures to give each layer a higher degree of autonomy and responsibility, there is a clear need for managers to develop a management style based on the principles of best coaching practice; namely high awareness and high responsibility.  Despite tireless efforts of a growing army of coaches, human resistance to change has proved difficult.  It takes a crisis to force people to accept the real need for change.

The best responses to crises of any kind are made by people with resilient inner strength, vision and compassion.  These are the very qualities that at least some of our present recently departed leader seem to so conspicuously lack.

Business coaching can help leaders to access this inner strength through adapting and learning quickly.  The nature of these challenging times means we should expect ‘risk’ to be replaced by ‘responsibility’ in leadership values.  We can expect ‘us, us, us’ to replace ‘me, me, me’ as our collective dependence on the wider economic and environmental agendas overtakes our self-interest.

Carole Davidson is a business coach & mentor who supports mangers in achieving their business goals.