A senior leadership team that is in sync can and will adjust to changing market conditions, competition threats and can navigate the organization through a sea of uncertainty. In fact, effective strategy execution requires active and courageous leadership at many levels (they instill a “can do” spirit through courageous coaching, feedback and accountability). Talented leaders will create an environment that makes it easier to achieve innovations, improve productivity, and fuel superior value proposition for customers. The key to this is:

• information flow

• information about customers

• opportunities

• innovative ideas

• competitor moves

• operational problems

The leadership team has to sponsor vertical and horizontal information flow across functional silos. A successful vertical information flow allows everyone in the organization to understand, contribute, and hold each other accountable for completing tasks required to accomplishing the strategy. Leading horizontal collaboration and connectivity unleashes motivation and growth ideas as well as cost, quality, and process concepts to truly keep your organization on top of the heap and differentiate you from your competitors.

The senior leadership team has to work in unison to have successful strategy formulation and execution. Unfortunately, many senior groups are made up of high-performing individuals who haven’t learned how to be a high-performing team.

In order to add value to the organization and create long-term sustained growth, senior teams must have the following:

1. A deep level of trust and openness when ideas and data are being exchanged.

2. Willingness to collaborate and network within the team.

3. A seniorlead group who is willing to examine how it solves problems and makes decisions.

4. A group who supports the organization’s core rules and procedures.

5. Members who actively support the team consensus on key issues and do not undermine the group’s decisions.

6. Members who are comfortable with conflict and differences.

7. A willingness to give and receive feedback from each other.

8. Flexibility and sensitivity around the needs, personalities and thinking styles of the various members; members must understand and appreciate the unique nature of each member.

Achieving success with any strategy is a significant achievement.

In a previous organization, I worked for a manager who embraced new styles of leadership. Each time he attended a training workshop, he arrived at work the next day claiming it was a life changing event. Each time he would instruct his management team to immediately change their leadership style to incorporate his new learnings. While most of his initiatives were good and became part of our culture, unconsciously he created confusion, frustration, and finally he destroyed any trust his employees had in him as a leader.

This man’s intentions were true and good natured. He really wanted to be a great coach and for each member of his management team to be good coaches as well. So why did a man so intent to make the business better for all employees, through coaching, fail? Ultimately, he thought he had proved himself through physical and structural changes. However, it takes much more than just surface changes and training classes to make a good coach; it requires changes to the internal management style. Because he thought himself an expert and his role complete, he had become un-coachable.

A Look At Effective Coaching Behaviors

Dr. Steven J. Stowell and CMOE (Center for Management and Organization Effectiveness) through extensive research have identified 47 “Differentiating Behaviors that Distinguish Successful from Unsuccessful Performance Leaders.” Dr. Stowell then condensed these behaviors into eight categories that are taught in CMOE’s Coaching Skills Program.

Some of these significant behaviors that world-class coaches exhibit include:

• Gives recognition of employees worth
• Listens carefully, using reflective listening
• Provides positive feedback – gives credit
• Respects confidentiality
• Owns some responsibility
• Doesn’t point blame
• Asks questions to gather information, asks others to share their views
• Is collaborative and open to other methods to completion of tasks

As I reflect on these differentiating behaviors, I can identify that while my previous supervisor claimed to understand the importance of trust in a coaching relationship, his undermining behaviors with the other managers indicated it was not so. The following examples show his lack of trust.

The Wrong Methods

My supervisor had been told that employees need to take responsibility to grow both professionally and personally. His role was simply to “empower” his team and let them “figure out the rest.” Unfortunately when an employee failed in some capacity, the employee would be reprimanded by this supervisor. In some cases, the person would be ridiculed (he called it joking around) in front of the other team members, simply because he was left to guess his way to success, with no “true” coach helping him find the way.

Additionally, this manager seldom listened to his team. He made “snap” judgments without getting all of the facts or perceptions of anyone or everyone involved. He often cut into the explanations because he felt he had the answer even though he had heard only half the issue.

Finally, the most damaging trait was his inability to keep confidential remarks confidential. He often discussed his meetings with individual team members with other members, especially if some disagreement of thought was explored. With this type of feedback, it didn’t take long for communication from and within his team to cease.

The Making of a Disgruntled Team Member

If people within an organization are reprimanded, ridiculed, and have their confidentiality breached, it makes for a destructive environment. When managers “empower” others, it is critical to allot enough authority, support, and resources so that the employee can complete the task successfully. When a subordinate is asked to be a leader and then fails because they were not setup for success, that person begins to question his/her own judgment. That self-doubt can seriously inhibit their effectiveness to be resourceful or creative for the business.

Build a Positive Culture

To build and maintain a culture of trust, an effective coach must listen. A coach must hear out their employees so that conflicts, problems, and misunderstandings can be rectified. Further, a good listener must be calm and confidential. When there is a disagreement, personal beliefs need to be put aside so the beliefs of each party can be understood. A coach who doesn’t listen, doesn’t know what the real issues are and employees will not only distrust the supervisor, but each other.

In the case of my supervisor, his management team tried talking with him about his coaching and leadership style. Each time he explained that since he had the training, he understood the situation better than they did. Finally a Vice President called for a 360° survey assessment, and as a result, he left the company.

Does this mean all coaching training workshops will have the same results? No, not at all. What it does mean is that coaches need proven methods and processes in their training and education to become effective leaders. This man had many good traits; nevertheless they were overlooked because of his few bad ones. Had this man been given the right training he might have been able to develop his leadership approach that would create a strong personal leadership approach and team that would have taken the business to higher levels. Instead, the business faltered for two years before the team was able to rebuild itself.

There are many different types of leaders. There are those who are placed into leadership positions due to accomplishments such as consistently leading a team to success. There are also those who are placed in positions due to company politics. Others might be leaders because they are more senior and experienced within an organization. But simply being placed in a leadership position does not make you a leader. If you do not possess qualities of leadership, then people will likely only follow you because they are required to or they just want to keep their jobs. True leaders are those who make a difference and influence others as a result of the qualities they possess. They are remembered and cherished by those they influence.

Qualities of Leadership

True leaders are characterized by countless descriptions such as determination, sincerity, concern, drive, empathy, trust, hard work, passion, courage, wisdom, etc. Leaders inspire and motivate others using these qualities. These qualities are central to who a leader is and often become central to those who follow and what they become.

An Example of a Great Leader

When I think of great leaders, I think of Lawrence E. Corbridge, who is a prime example of a great leader and possesses many qualities of a great leader and has inspired me to be a great leader. Lawrence is a master mentor, coach, and communicator. He has passion for excellence and a drive for results. He does whatever it takes to succeed within his sphere of influence but not at the expense of others. During my opportunities to work with him, he communicated and clearly instilled the vision he had for our organization. This skill made a lasting impression on my mind and heart. Through this mentor, I was motivated and inspired to be proactive, work hard, be disciplined, and to have passion in what I was trying to accomplish.

As a leader, he would meet with each person within the organization he managed to discuss how they were coming along with their goals and to discover concerns or challenges. He would personally express his gratitude for my work and show concern for my welfare. When I made mistakes he would patiently guide me on how to resolve it and how to avoid making the same mistakes in the future. Never did he have to use coercion or force to compel me to work. He helped me see the critical part I played in the success of the organization. The organizations success was my success.

“The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and the self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it.” - Theodore Roosevelt

As you cultivate these qualities and integrate them into your life, you will see a marked difference in the response of employees with regards to quality of work and efficiency. You will see an increase in drive, initiative, and overall satisfaction from those you lead.