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IOM Blog

November 16, 2016

3 Actions that Transform Leaders Into Coaches

Everyone is a leader, but not every leader is a coach. Like many of you, I have worked with leaders who led out of fear, who micromanaged, and whose ego made it miserable for everyone else in the office. But I’ve also worked for leaders who were coaches, too. Their presence challenged me to do better, be better. Those are the individuals you and I look back on and admire.

The International Coach Federation defines coaching as partnering in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires the client to maximize his or her personal and professional potential.

You are not a coach just because you ask questions or get results. It’s about the TYPE of questions you ask, HOW you get results, and your ability to move people forward.

Here are three actions you can take to transform from a leader into a coach.

Action #1: Take Responsibility for Your Energy

Your presence makes it safe for others to take risk and be transparent, or it cultivates an environment of fear where people will protect themselves at all cost. Coaches understand that their credibility is largely based on their character, so they use their body language and their words to make sure other people feel heard. Coaches understand that everything meaningful happens through conversation and relationships, so they are intentional about making emotional deposits throughout the entire organization, which leads to building stronger influence and brand advocates.

Action #2: Ask Empowering Questions That Move the Individual and Organization Forward

Not every conversation is a coaching conversation, and all questions are not equal. Close-ended questions skim the surface. Open-ended questions challenge the responder to elaborate, but they do not necessarily move him/her forward and can keep the client stuck in his/her story. Empowering questions are open-ended questions that challenge the client to look at the core issue, often addressing what’s not being said, so he/she can make choices and move forward with accountability. Your impact as a coach is not in how much time you spend asking questions. It’s in how much value and insight your questions provide.

Action #3: Acknowledge People’s Experiences  

Coaches know one of the biggest ways to build trust is to be present and acknowledge people’s experiences. Acknowledging does not mean agreeing. It is honoring. As Brene Brown would say, “The lens through which you see the world is just as true and real to you as mine is to me.” Leaders who do not acknowledge other’s experiences tend to be judgmental and show up with a “I win, you lose” mentality. In the process of driving results and being the smartest person in the room, they make one of the biggest mistakes possible: they fail to take other people along with them.

Leaders are not coaches just because they give themselves that title or the organization uses it to describe their leadership culture. Coaching is an art and it requires thoughtful intentionality. Learn to apply these three actions into your day-to-day and you will set yourself apart from other leaders in your organization.

Everyone in your chamber or association benefits the moment an individual transforms from a leader to a coach.

Justin Patton
Justin Patton
Executive Coach, Justin Patton, LLC
Faculty, Institute for Organization Management

Justin Patton is an international speaker and growth-coach who specializes in helping leaders show up and communicate with stronger impact and credibility.

The unexpected death of his dad when he was only 18 years old taught Justin about perseverance and refusing to be a prisoner to your past. This experience catapulted him into a career in teaching and ignited his bold mission to help people find their courage and their voice.

It is Justin’s ability to make training interactive and thought provoking that has allowed him the opportunity to coach some of the top Fortune 500 companies in the world, facilitate Taco Bell’s largest leadership development program in history, and be a faculty member for Institute of Organization Management. Additionally, his expertise in body language has landed him appearance on local newscasts – and creates regular paranoia in the professional community and among his friends. Before launching his own company in 2011, Justin designed and facilitated leadership and communication skills programs across the globe for Yum! Brands, managed the national sales training department at Anthem BlueCross BlueShield, and taught high school English and creative writing. On his journey to become an acclaimed empowerment coach like his idol Iyanla Vanzant, Justin has received certifications in body language, emotional intelligence, performance consulting, consultative selling, and conflict resolution.

Justin believes if you can change your mindset then you can change your results, but you must be willing to get uncomfortable. It has worked for him. It has worked for his clients. And it can work for you!

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