Leadership Development
According to a 2011 poll of 30,000 executives worldwide, organizations that invest in leadership development get better results.
Great leaders focus on people, not just the bottom line. In a diverse, highly skilled and specialized workforce, being a leader is more about motivating and engaging than the more traditional command and control. Today’s leaders require a more complex skill set. They need the ability to influence others with or without formal authority; to inspire teams; to manage change, and to communicate effectively at all levels inside and outside the organization. It takes time, feedback and practice to hone these skills.
Insight to Action provides leadership coaching to help individuals develop and apply these skills. The result is better working relationships, improved job satisfaction and increased productivity.
When should an organization or individual invest in leadership coaching?
When there is a need to:
- accelerate the development of future leaders
- support the on-boarding and integration of senior hires
- transition employees from individual contributors to managers
- support valued leaders whose careers have stalled because of skill deficits in key areas
- reduce employee turnover that results from poor leadership practices
What are the benefits of leadership coaching?
For the individual:
- increased self-awareness and focus on skill development can minimize problems down the road
- opportunities to test out new leadership skills in a safe and guided environment
- increased confidence and performance
- smoother, faster and more successful transition for leaders transitioning into new roles
For the organization:
- leaders who are better prepared to meet challenges
- a more positive culture because the organization has invested in developing its leaders
- a more engaged and motivated team with greater productivity and results
- employees are less likely to leave the company, which reduces the high cost and negative impact of attrition and turnover
How does leadership coaching work?
While each assignment is unique, Insight to Action’s leadership-coaching process typically incorporates:
- meeting with the organizational client to clarify expectations, determine parameters for the project, and set out communication expectations to ensure that the results will meet the company’s requirements
- meeting with the coaching client to develop trust, clarify roles and responsibilities, and provide an overview of the leadership-development approach and process
- administering scientifically validated assessments of personality, strengths, emotional intelligence to develop self-awareness
- providing 360° assessment feedback to promote awareness of perceptions of the client held by direct reports, peers and managers
- prioritizing goals that emerge through the assessment phase, and creating an action plan to address these
- one-on-one coaching, including learning exercises that support clients as they practice new behaviours in a real-world context
- evaluation of progress and determination of strategies to sustain the learning
The final step in the process is a communication wrap-up, which ideally involves a three-way discussion among the client, coach and the manager to whom the client reports. The meeting will communicate outcomes, celebrate successes and discuss next development steps.
How leadership coaching has helped others
“Elaine brings all of her wisdom, energy and passion to the Leadership Intelligence Community and her client engagements. Our clients value Elaine’s contribution to their careers, and more importantly their lives, as she helps them to find their ‘true north’ building on their past successes. We appreciate how she readily shares her deep expertise in leadership development supported by assessment – thanks Elaine!”
Lynn Bennett, President, Leadership Intelligence, Inc.
“Elaine’s focus and positive coaching style was profoundly effective. She reinforced my strengths and worked on my internal comfort level to boost my energy and confidence. She introduced many interesting concepts and challenged me to use a systematic approach to structure, prioritize and organize my activity. This resulted in good solid wins and visible progress in my first 90 days on the new job.”
– Senior fundraising professional starting a job with a new team
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