I recently took part in an interactive forum with Mark
Gerzon introducing his latest book, Leading Through Conflict –How Successful Leaders Transform Differences into
Opportunities. And I noticed that while Gerzon’s theme is global
leadership, his model of leadership relates closely to the model of coaching
for leaders. And it extends the coaching model even further using beautiful
language that gets to the core of the practice. It serves as a very useful reminder
of the core skills of coaching.
–How Successful Leaders Transform Differences intoBelow are the global leadership skills named and briefly
described by Gerzon. Where he mentions ‘conflict’ we can use the word ‘problem’
to make it relevant to a coach-leadership situation. Do you see these as
important skills for coach-leaders?
Integral Vision
“Committing
ourselves to hold all sides of the conflict, in all their complexity, in our
minds –and in our hearts”
This is the attitude of non-judgment extended to what it
really is. Coaches not only accept the differences in people, they appreciate
them and relish the opportunity to broaden their own thinking (and feelings) through
understanding others. People who use this skill have evolved to a higher level
of consciousness that allows them to see issues from a broader view. (See past
article on Evolving as a Leader by Practicing Coaching)
Systemic Thinking
“Identifying all
(or as many as possible) of the significant elements related to the conflict
situation and to understand the relationship between these elements”
Like global leaders, coaches work with their coachees to
clarify all the dynamics of a situation, to identify root causes and possible
leverage points.
Presence
“Applying all our
mental, emotional, and spiritual resources to witnessing and transforming the
conflict”
The hallmark of excellent coaching is this kind of presence.
It includes engaged listening where the coach strives to understand, and
intuitive listening where the coach observes his/her own feelings or inklings
as a source of more insights.
In addition to witnessing the problem, the coach applies all
of his/her resources to transform the problem. I don’t think Gerzon means the
leader necessarily solves the problem or fixes the conflict. But there is a
very high level of commitment, especially in terms of how the leader is willing
to think and communicate with an aim to create a longer term solution. The
problem can only be truly transformed when the players are transformed, and
that is certainly the job of the coach.
Inquiry
“Asking questions
that elicit essential information about the conflict that is vital to
understanding how to transform it”
The coach’s questions share exactly this purpose. Again
Gerzon uses the word ‘transform’ to emphasize a longer term solution.
Conscious
Conversation
“Becoming aware of our full range of choices about how we
speak and listen”
This point is another reason personal development is so
important for coaches. We must be highly aware of ourselves so that we can
consciously select from the full range of communication choices.
Dialogue
“Communication in
order to build trust and knowledge that maximizes the human capacity to bridge
and to innovate”
The best coaching conversations are dialogues sharing the
highest thinking and sensing of the coach and coachee.
Bridging
“Building
partnerships and alliances that cross the borders that divide an organization”
Using coaching skills, a leader will naturally build strong
affiliations with a wide diversity of people and become a bridge-maker.
Innovation
“Catalyzing
social or entrepreneurial breakthroughs that foster new options for moving
through conflict”
The key word here is
‘catalyzing’. Coaches may not have the big ideas themselves, but they do help
to discover and encourage the formation of new ideas. They do this by being
encouraging, optimistic and open to possibilities while also being willing to
challenge and call for excellence.
Which of these skills do you use in your own leadership?
Which one of these skills would do the most to strengthen
your coaching? Let me know and I’ll write more on that skill next month.
Well, it's really interesting to answer this question (even though I asked it myself!) because it forces me to think about the people I am coaching and what I need to focus on to improve my coaching.
With that perspective I will choose to focus on Inquiry because I like the words 'elicit essential information'. I am often trying to help my clients gain the perspective to realize what's truly happening around them. And it's more than just asking questions that can be answered immediately. It is even more powerful to identify assignments for the client to seek the information that have not yet seen. That's what I will try to do.
And for you?