The coaching leader and why it is important to me
The coaching leader is very important specially for new employees and people that have changed careers. This person understands that you are developing people for the future. The message of "try this and get back to me" is very powerful. The coaching style works best when the leader wants to help teammates build lasting personal strengths that make them more successful overall.
If you read the book "Work Rules," by the head of HR at google, he agrees that coaching is one of the most important things a manager can do in order to be a good manager. I know leadership and management are different things, but I think in almost every case, managers would benefit from solid leadership skills.
For me in particular, coaching also affords me an opportunity to establish my authority as a knowledgeable figure. Of course, in order for coaching to work this well you have to actually study a lot and know what you're talking about!
The coaching leader is efective because he or she can model the behavior that is expected of the employees. I always let my team know that I would not ask them to perform a task that I would not also do myself. As a leader, you must be willing to work as hard or harder than everyone on the tem in order to have the credibility needed to build a great team.
