Many leaders often talk about 'understanding' their leadership styles and whilst this is an important consideration (as there are a few of them...coercive, authoritative, affiliative, coaching, pace setting and democratic) it is also critical to understand what you bring and what you stand for.
As a coach who often plays with strength based coaching concepts I often ask leaders to identify what strengths they have that could positively influence their current situation.
It is a truism that we all have strengths and that it is useful to be familiar with what they are and, so, it is with leadership talent. Everyone of us have a variety of leadership behaviours that will assist us to lead both ourselves and others at different times.
The real skill is to know what they are so that you can easily access them when required. Sometimes it is helpful to list them down so that you really familiar with them and conversely it is also true that every leader (and indeed everyone) has blind spots and underdeveloped skills which might play havoc with them.
Again, forewarned is forearmed.
This is the essence of what you bring as a leader...a combination of strengths and blind spots with the capacity to increase your impact with the right team around you to keep you leading authentically.
Another critical component in powerful leadership is also understanding what values you bring which largely defines what you stand for.
There is an oft repeated phrase which goes something like...
"If you stand for nothing then you will fall for everything"
I would encourage every leader of self and others to be very clear about what three values they currently believe define them. Once you can identify the three core values that make up your current existence you then have something to measure your behaviours and their effectiveness with.
Accountable and responsible leaders enjoy the opportunity to define their effectiveness and authenticity with the behaviours they display that align with their chosen values and they also rely on strong, courageous conversations and decisions to maintain their chosen course. #performancecoach #executivecoach #facilitator #lifecoach #lifecoachmelbourne #teamcoaching
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