208: Coaching Leaders through Change, Collaboration and Systems
Sep 16, 2024
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Julie Flower, a seasoned leadership and team development practitioner with a rich background in the public sector, provides valuable insights on modern leadership challenges. She discusses the importance of adaptability and emotional intelligence in navigating change. Julie highlights the balance between collaboration and influence within teams. Creative techniques like improvisation are showcased as tools to foster soft skills and inspire collaboration. Ultimately, she emphasizes creating supportive environments for effective leadership.
Coaches play a crucial role in helping leaders develop emotional intelligence and adaptability to navigate uncertainty and change effectively.
Effective leadership today emphasizes nurturing collaboration and influencing diverse stakeholders toward shared goals in interconnected work environments.
Deep dives
Emphasizing Human-Centered Leadership
Effective leadership today requires creating conditions for collaboration beyond traditional hierarchies, emphasizing the importance of mobilizing diverse groups toward shared goals. Coaches play a vital role in fostering this approach by encouraging leaders to embrace and inspire individuals from varied organizations and communities. The definition of leadership is expanded to include not just direct reports but also stakeholders and partners, reflecting the interconnected nature of modern work environments. This perspective urges leaders to view collaboration as essential, not merely an organizational checkbox.
Navigating Complexity and Change
Leaders are increasingly faced with navigating uncertainty characterized by constant change, including societal shifts and internal organizational challenges. Coaching supports leaders in becoming comfortable with ambiguity, focusing on taking one step at a time rather than needing a lengthy plan. This adaptability is crucial in a landscape marked by unpredictable economic factors and evolving community needs. Embracing this mindset allows leaders to respond effectively to dynamic environments rather than relying solely on rigid transformation goals.
The Power of Emotional Connection
Exploring the human side of leadership involves recognizing the importance of emotional connections and the factors that motivate leaders and their teams. Coaches facilitate opportunities for leaders to engage in meaningful conversations about what drives them, ultimately fostering a sense of purpose. Vulnerability in these discussions can lead to profound moments of insight that strengthen team cohesion and resilience. The emphasis on emotional intelligence reflects a shift towards a more compassionate approach in leadership, which is vital for navigating challenging circumstances.
Collaboration and Influence as Leadership Skills
Collaboration and influencing are critical skills for effective leadership, particularly in complex environments where diverse stakeholders interact. While collaboration revolves around working toward a shared goal, influencing involves steering decisions while considering ethical implications. Coaches can aid leaders in understanding these dynamics and ensuring productive collaboration without falling into ineffective patterns. This balance helps leaders foster teamwork while proactively guiding their teams toward outcomes aligned with their shared purposes.
Julie Flower, leadership and team development practitioner, joins host Simone Sweeney for an insightful discussion on how coaches can help leaders develop the skills they need to work with the ambiguity and change of the modern world. Julie has a long background of working with the public sector, government and third sector, and so understands the pressures leaders have faced in these sectors in recent years, describing it as a ‘perfect storm’. She shares the types of change she has been coaching leaders and teams with, what it means to lead today, its wider context and how coaches can help.
You will learn:
· The coaching skills needed for working in emotionally charged environments and support leaders to unlock and develop soft skills
· The role of coaches in supporting collaboration and influencing
· The use and impact of creativity, such as improv and embodiment techniques, in coaching leaders and teams
“I think leadership is about creating the conditions for everyone to work effectively towards a common goal. Thinking about how we can mobilise people towards a common goal and create the conditions where they can succeed and excel.”
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