I read an article , The Secret to Great Leadership – October 2012 edition of Success Magazine, where the author said that great leaders “don’t act like managers; they act like coaches”.  I believe the author has a good point but I would like to take it even a step further…great leaders don’t “act like coaches” they are coaches in some capacity.

This is a subtle distinction but one worth diving into.  As a business coach, the bulk of my work is on supporting clients in being who they need to be for ultimate success.  It is about acquiring the mindset, skills and actions for success and fulfillment.  It is about doing the right things but more importantly about believing and taking actions that are in alignment with their values, purpose, and vision.  Coaching is creating awareness, developing strategy, and set up action plans that work!  Being a coach is about curiosity, support, collaboration, cheerleading, and co-creation.

If you are a leader and want to be a coach, here are 5 keys to being one:

1. Understand that coaching is about helping others find their answers.  If you are giving them the answers, you are consulting or mentoring.
2. Be inquisitive (about coaching and about your team) – The first and foremost important trait of coaches is being inquisitive.  When you truly are curious, it removes judgement and allows for maximum learning connecting to whomever or whatever you are curious about.
3. Hire a coach – the best way to become a coach is to experience coaching first hand.
4. Learn to coach – Educate yourself on what coaching is through reading books, taking workshops or enrolling in an accredited coaching school (COACH U is my school of choice).
5. Commune with Coaches – Engage in the conversation with other coaches so that you are more often in the coaching mindset.

Coaching question:  What are you most curious about for each member on your team?

It’s the first week of January and you probably have already finished your strategic planning, completed your vision board, wrote down your goals, have your action plan and are ready to go.  If you haven’t, no worries, you still have time to get your plans in place 🙂  You are likely excited about your future and have bigger goals set than you have in quite some time.  This is going to be your year!  I know because that is exactly what I am feeling.  It is exactly what I feel every New Years day.

You my be wondering why the “now what” question.  Well, after years of coaching clients that feel this same thing, I have heard many of them say “my plan is great but what if I lose my momentum?”.  And every client that says this to me hears the same answer “That’s why you hired me…to help you keep your excitement, momentum,drive and action through all of changes, challenges and transitions that this new year will bring”

We all know that well laid out plans are the start of effective execution AND we also know that life and business happens.  The key is to know your purpose, stay focused, keep in the right action, and have the right mindset.  It’s really a pretty simple equation.

SUCCESS = PURPOSE + RIGHT MINDSET + FOCUS + RIGHT ACTION

You hire a business coach to support you with all of these things plus….drum roll please….HOLD YOU ACCOUNTABLE!  You have to be accountable, not just in your action, but in your mindset, purpose, and focus.  You have to be accountable to BE the person who accomplishes great things!

Coaching Question: Who do you have in your corner that can help you BE the person who accomplishes great things!

 

Election day is almost here and whether you are a conservative or liberal or somewhere in between I am sure you have experienced the bombardment of campaign commercials, ads and political discussion.  While some of the discussion and media coverage can be tame, much of it is high spirited debate if not just plain ol’ arguing.

Now, I have never been really engaged in all the political discussions.  Mainly because one side of the family are liberals and the other conservatives.  And while my husband and I are on the same page, my mother and father are on opposite sides, as are my in-laws…makes for interesting silent pauses in conversations, for sure.

As I have thought about the issues at hand and the various perspectives, one thing is apparent, political discussions trigger something in me.  The reason is that they challenge my values, morals and perspectives.  Political discussions force us to determine which side of the fence we are willing to commit to and defend with our debate and actions.  And we are ultimately triggered to respond at some level.

So how does election affect business?  Is so many ways, both internal to your business as well as external.

Internally

• Awareness of your personal values and standards are likely more present than in non election seasons
• You are likely operating with heightened sensitivity to be “politically correct” or politically sensitive
• There is an additional layer of tension due to the controversial climate
• Daily distractions of political discussions and campaigns have become, or are becoming, tolerations that ultimately affect your state of consciousness

Externally

• Clients and prospects are also being challenged as to their values and standards. They are likely, consciously or subconsciously, wanting to align more with those who have similar values and standards
• Clients and prospects are operating with the same sensitivity and tension that you are
• Prospects could be in a buying or decision making holding pattern until after the election or new year

And what are business owners to do with all this?  Here are a few things that I am doing to manage the affects of the election on my business:

1. Internally focusing on alignment of values both personally and professionally
2. Embracing that everyone comes from and operates by their own perspective
3. Providing space for supportive conversations of business values, standards and perspective for clients and prospects
4. Eliminating words, tone and conversation that unnecessarily adds to the existing tension filled climate
5. Adding more humor and light heartedness to my day

As a business coach, it is my job to provide an environment for business owners to be supported, be creative and expansive.  The best way to do that is to help them eliminate those things that don’t serve them well including tension, anxiety, and frustration from external sources.

Coaching question: What can you do to eliminate the distraction and tension that affects your business?