The Coach: Your Partner in Mindset and Momentum

Our Coaching Chapter has been engaged in a discussion on how best to articulate the value that our role brings to leaders and teams. We've had great, in depth discussions, and while we are still finalizing our shared framework for articulating our value, the exercise has caused ME to think deeply about the topic. Here's my take!

It’s easy for a leader to get caught in the daily swirl of doing. We all feel the pressure to have the right answer, to make the right decision, to deliver results and to justify the resources we've been entrusted with. But true leadership isn't about getting the team to produce faster; it's about empowering the team to produce results efficiently and indefinitely. 

A coach doesn’t just show you what to do, they help to challenge your assumptions about how things should work. They bring an external lens and a focus, not only on your growth, but to help you to step back and reflect. By partnering to explore new ideas, and challenging biases or assumptions, a coach helps a leader identify opportunities to improve and experiment. They can help with mindset shifts needed to move from a stressed and overwhelmed manager to an inspiring, enabling, empowering leader- a leader who is a reflection of the team they want to build.

For teams, the coach’s value is found in the sustainable pursuit of greatness. Many organizations push relentlessly for efficiency, trying to squeeze more speed out of the pipeline. But efficiency without Effectiveness (are we building the right thing?) or Engagement (do our people feel empowered safe and valued?) is a recipe for burnout and failure. 

A coach helps teams find a healthy, sustainable balance between effectiveness, efficiency and engagement. They facilitate the uncomfortable conversations. They ensure there is psychological safety to challenge ideas. They provide the frameworks and tools necessary to enable a team to own their process, solve their own problems, and achieve their goals, not just today, but for the foreseeable future.  

Put more concisely, a coach helps you and your team find ways to achieve your goals more efficiently, while learning skills that will help you to continuously improve indefinitely!

The value of a coach is not a one-time injection of expertise; it’s the making of a commitment to continuous improvement. They are there to help you and your team discover that you don't have to try for a home run every day. Meaningful, continuous growth comes from intentional, small experiments. 

What is stopping you? Commit to improvement today. Partner with your coach.  Start with a single reflection, set a goal and make a small change. You’ll see the momentum build toward remarkable outcomes for both your leadership and your team.

We all win together!

Coach Dan