When you think of the word “coach,” do images of a basketball or football team with a coach shouting instructions come to mind? Coaching is no longer confined to sports teams; it has become a vital concept in leadership and management. Why has coaching gained such popularity?

Coaching Levels the Playing Field

Coaching is one of the six emotional leadership styles proposed by Daniel Goleman. It is a behavior or role that leaders adopt in the context of situational leadership. As a leadership style, coaching comes into play when group or team members are competent and motivated but lack a clear understanding of the organization’s long-term goals. This involves two levels of coaching: team and individual.

Team coaching encourages collaboration. In a group, not everyone may possess the same level of competence and commitment to a goal. Differences in competence and commitment can lead to conflicts among members. The coaching leader helps members align their expectations and manage varying perspectives, ensuring that the common goal prevails over personal interests. In larger organizations, leaders must align the personal values and goals of staff with those of the organization to pursue long-term directions effectively.

Coaching Boosts Confidence and Competence

Individual coaching exemplifies situational leadership in action. It aims to mentor individuals one-on-one, boosting their confidence by acknowledging their good performance during regular feedback sessions and enhancing their competence by helping them assess strengths and weaknesses for career planning and professional development. Depending on an individual’s level of competence and commitment, a leader may employ more coaching behavior for less-experienced members, typically new staff. Initially, the supervisor assigns specific tasks and provides regular feedback, gradually reducing coaching, directing, and supporting roles in favor of delegating as competence and confidence grow.

Coaching Encourages Individual and Team Excellence

Excellence results from consistent good practice. The frequency of meetings and constructive feedback is crucial in establishing good habits. Members develop the habit of regularly assessing themselves for strengths and areas for improvement, determining the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to achieve team goals. In this process, they achieve individual excellence. Consider a musical orchestra: each member plays a different instrument. To create harmonious music from these diverse instruments, members hone their skills individually as instrument players.

Coaching Fosters Strong Commitment to Common Goals

A coaching leader balances short-term objectives with long-term goals aligned with the organization’s vision. By aligning personal goals with team or organizational objectives, personal interests are kept in check. Consistently communicating the vision through formal and informal discussions inspires and motivates members. Setting short-term team goals that align with organizational objectives and creating an action plan to achieve them sustains members’ increased motivation and commitment to common goals.

Coaching Develops Valuable Leaders

Leadership by example is crucial in coaching. A coaching leader must practice what they preach to maintain credibility. They should be organized, highly competent in their field, open to communication and feedback, and possess a clear understanding of the organization’s vision, mission, and goals. Through vicarious and purposeful learning, members adopt the same positive practices and attitudes from the coaching leader, ultimately becoming coaching leaders themselves. Positive coaching experiences encourage members to replicate the same behaviors when assuming formal leadership roles.

In conclusion, coaching is just one of several leadership styles. It can be combined with the other five emotional leadership styles based on the team’s profile. Coaching as a leadership style demands physical, emotional, and mental readiness, as it involves two levels of coaching: individual and team. Team members expect their leader to be the last to give up, especially in crises. A coaching leader must be aware that coaching requires time and effort for each individual and the entire team. Furthermore, coaching carries greater responsibilities because while coaching members, the leader is also developing future coaches.