Why 21st Century Leaders Seek Organizational Coaching
In their sometimes temporary and sometimes long-term leadership roles, 21st Century women and men face challenges of many different kinds, coming from many different sources. The system around them may have varying and often contradictory expectations regarding how this person is likely to perform as a leader, as well as how they would like this person to perform as a 21st Century leader. The leaders often find themselves making difficult decisions that impact not only on their lives, but also the lives of people about whom they care deeply. The leaders’ fundamental values and the relationship between these values and those of their organization are always being called forth—and challenged. Are the leader’s values and those of the organization aligned or does the leader repeatedly have to trade off what is most important in her life for that which the organization most values? Conversely, can the leader always consistently role model the noble values that make up the specific organizational culture in which he works?
In the flattened 21st Century organization, leaders often live in solitude, working in emotional isolation as performers, decision-makers, and people who must relate their own personal values with those of their organization. Even though these leaders may receive input from many sources, ultimately they alone must perform, make choices with unprecedented speed and align values and interests among dizzying numbers of stakeholders. These organizational responsibilities, often coupled with a need for confidentiality and support from equally over-extended peers and bosses, leave the leader with few, if any, outlets to share these burdens. We have noted with alarm that burn out occurs with great frequency among leaders at many different levels and in many different kinds of organizations—big and small, for profit and not for profit, high tech and low tech, manufacturing and service-oriented.
Our challenged leader might read an article about coaching or talk with a colleague about their successful use of a coach. Perhaps this will motivate the harried leader to contact a coach for help with her day-to-day work. She may use other words, but at the heart of the matter is a desire to break down the isolation. Increasingly, perceptive and strategic leaders and talent development professionals are learning to identify when a leader needs and deserves coaching. The coaching resources – external or internal – that are made available at that point hold the potential, if well prepared, of having a greater impact on the work life of the leader than any other single developmental activity that could be offered.
Certainly, sympathetic listening, a willingness to observe the leader in operation, and the skills needed to provide helpful feedback are essential in this situation, but these skills might not be at all sufficient. What does a planned, logical and sufficiently in-depth sequence of organizational coaching services look like if the leader is to be helped rather than harmed? This book will offer the reader a variety of suggestions regarding masterful organizational coaching strategies for today’s leaders.
