One of the surprises you learn once you begin leading others is that 'telling them what to do,' is a recipe for terrible leadership. There are two primary reasons for this: (1) When you tell them what to do they become dependent on you and put more burden on you to be all the brains in your group and (2) Most people don't want to be told what to do and will become disengaged and unhappy if you're doing all the thinking for them.
So how do you help them do their best work, and grow into their potential while remaining engaged, without doing it for them? Most good leaders solve this puzzle by developing a coaching leadership style. Sometimes they have to make decisions and lead explicitly, but when they have the opportunity these leaders coach and guide their teams into their best work.
In the Coaching Leadership Tip we give you advice on how to be this kind of coaching leader. But what does it look like if you're doing it wrong? Henna gives some great examples and advice for how to coach your team effectively.
Get your journal out! Turn this course into a personal reflection journey!