Coaching for Leadership

Abstract

Thomson shows how a leader can use a coaching approach to improve performance, develop people, build teams, and enhance organisational resilience—all especially critical skills during turbulent times. He contrasts a traditional command and control management style with a primarily non-directive coaching approach. This seeks to build awareness and encourage responsibility, a combination which can yield high performance. Coaching is based on a relationship of rapport and trust, and draws on three key conversational skills—listening, questioning, and playing back. Thomson explores the idea of a coaching dance where a leader moves skilfully from telling people what to do across to asking them for their ideas in order to draw on their creativity and enhance their commitment to achieving goals. He shows how a coaching approach can be used with teams and can shift the culture of an organisation.