The modern world of work requires a modern leader, someone with an adaptable skillset that can guide and inspire others to succeed. Research suggests effective leaders are made rather than born. To reach their peak performance, they require training and development, which is where coaching can be hugely valuable. The benefits of leadership coaching are vast and extend from the individual’s personal development to a positive impact on the business in which they work.
In this article, we will explore some specific benefits of leadership coaching to help you determine whether coaching is the right route for you.
The Benefits of Leadership Coaching
It is widely agreed that leaders sit at the core of a business. However, 71% of organisations do not trust their leader’s ability to support their organisation into the future. It’s unsurprising, therefore, that the top priority for 58% of businesses is to close leadership skill gaps, and a key method to achieve this is through leadership coaching.
The Manchester Review conducted a study on 100 business leaders, mostly from the top 1000 Fortune companies, to determine the benefits of leadership coaching.
It was discovered that 48% of leaders that underwent coaching exhibited an increase in work quality, with specific improvements in self-awareness, communication, confidence and performance.
Self-Awareness
One of the major benefits of leadership coaching is its ability to enhance a leader’s self-awareness. Coaching can be tailored to help leaders realise the impact of their internal beliefs or mindset on their leadership style. For example, a common issue is an ‘all-or-nothing’ approach, whereby anything other than perfection is seen as a failure.
If leaders have this mindset and a lack of self-awareness, it can cloud their judgement, so they are unable to recognise the value of others’ perspectives, limiting innovation and workplace diversity. However, if this negative mindset is addressed during coaching, leaders can acknowledge and correctly respond to those around them, improving workplace engagement and building trust within their team.
Communication and Connections
The Manchester Review’s study discovered that a leader’s ability to make sustainable connections was enhanced when they underwent leadership coaching. This included a 67% improvement in teamwork, 63% improvement in working relationships with peers and 37% improvement in working relationships with clients.
This can be attributed to their increased awareness of verbal and nonverbal communication, more specifically around defining expectations, being an active listener, providing constructive feedback and creating a more inclusive and supportive environment for their teams.
Confidence
A study by the International Coaching Federation found that 80% of people who receive coaching report increased self-confidence.
Coaching helps leaders create a fundamental shift in their approach to work by uncovering hidden strengths and setting achievable goals to improve potential weaknesses. Therefore, one of the significant benefits of leadership coaching is its ability to empower leaders to bring their best selves to work.
Enhanced Performance
Leadership coaching will target a leader’s pain points, helping them implement modern leadership techniques to develop their initial weaknesses and gain a better perspective about their strengths. In doing so, the leader is more likely to adopt a growth mindset and look positively to the future.
Leadership coaching is an invaluable tool used to develop individual capabilities. With the support of a professional leadership coach, leaders can take a step back and clearly assess their abilities to expand their leadership skills and enhance their work satisfaction. If, after reading the myriad of benefits of leadership coaching, you want to connect with an expert coach with proven results, book a free chat with NG Leadership Coaching today.
