As a leader, you face complex and intricate challenges every day. At times it can be hard to pinpoint or even articulate these challenges. But until you can fully address and resolve them, they have the potential to stall your professional and personal growth, your career, and your team’s success. This is where professional coaching comes in.Anne’s coach helps her to understand that her team needs to be empowered; letting them step up and take on the responsibility is about giving them the autonomy and trust they need to thrive in their roles.
Anne initially expressed surprise at some of the feedback from her colleagues. While she understands the need to broaden her leadership aptitudes, she is dismayed that her ability to focus deeply on the needs of her unit is not as valued as it was in her previous role. Talking to the coach, Anne makes two discoveries. First, the culture in her new organization is very different: where long-term thinking, intellectual capacity, and specialization were highly valued at the consultancy, her new employers expect her to be more proactive about immediate business and growth objectives. Then there’s the question of style.
At the level of CFO, her employers expect her to be more direct and forthright with recommendations that touch the whole organization and not to wait for guidance and information from her peers or superiors. Anne has not adapted to this way of doing business.
The coach suggests that to attenuate this gap, Anne tries reframing her role. She is encouraged to think back to her consulting days and look at her organization and its stakeholders as clients again: to come into meetings with the board and other unit managers and proactively present ideas and recommendations. Anne readily agrees, but there is a problem.
Because Anne finds it hard to delegate to her team, she has so much on her desk that she will struggle to find time to prepare. She must learn to hand over work to her team and have them deliver the data she will need in meetings. Delegating is new to Anne, and she’s unsure where to begin.
Anne’s coach helps her to understand that her team needs to be empowered; letting them step up and take on the responsibility is about giving them the autonomy and trust they need to thrive in their roles. This is a breakthrough moment for Anne. She is able to reframe her relationship with her organization and her direct reports in ways that feel positive and achievable.
“She has made time to prepare for meetings such that her input is strategic and forthright, and she has noticed a significant transition in the interpersonal dynamics with peers.”
Anne has started to delegate far more to her team, and feedback from them and senior leadership has been universally positive. She has made time to prepare for meetings such that her input is strategic and forthright, and she has noticed a significant transition in the interpersonal dynamics with peers.
As Anne makes this shift, she is prioritizing conversations with her own manager to monitor her progress and performance. She feels empowered and in control of her career, and more confident about fulfilling her longer-term goals.
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In this series, we share real-world cases that come from our work with leaders. Read on to discover the specific challenges that face each of the leaders we have coached – and the insights that have helped them navigate their multifaceted challenges to find their own solutions. How might these insights and questions apply to you?
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