The leadership practices are not keeping up with the dynamics of organizational life. This is leading to a growing disconnect between traditional management styles and employees' expectations of leadership. Numerous studies have revealed concerning trends, with headlines stating that "Six out of 10 workers are miserable" and "74 percent of staff not engaged at work." A closer look at these studies frequently places poor leadership quality as a primary grievance among employees.
A key aspect of modern leadership is the development of self-awareness, particularly regarding the impact they have on others. Incorporating effective coaching as a core competency is crucial. It helps leaders not only to understand and respond to their employees' needs and motivations more deeply but also to practice self-management, an often-overlooked aspect of leadership
COACH TO THINK
Historically, work was predominantly physical, guided by a master-apprentice system focused on refining manual tasks. The mid-20th century saw a shift towards process-driven work due to advancements in electricity and mechanization. Employees performed repetitive tasks, and the dominant leadership paradigm became the management of processes, prioritizing efficiency over individual intelligence.
In recent decades, automation and outsourcing have significantly reduced the need for process-based work. The proportion of knowledge workers has been increasing due to factors such as digitization, technology, and the growth of the service sector. No matter the industry, 100% of the mid-level and senior management are knowledge workers. Despite this shift, many organizations continue to apply process-era management techniques, rather than teaching our leaders how to improve thinking.
Today's employees are markedly more educated, independent, and financially secure than past generations. The proliferation of MBAs, continuing education, and self-paced learning reflect this trend, transforming what was exclusive to a small population of people to a democratization of knowledge for all. So not only do leaders need to improve thinking, they need to do so with extremely knowledgeable individuals.
The aspirations of Gen-X, Y, and Z further complicate this landscape. These groups seek personal development, autonomy, and diversity within their professional lives, necessitating a management style that empowers and nurtures individual potential, and improves their thinking.
We must shift the paradigm of performance management to effectively lead and engage skilled workforce. This means tapping into people’s intrinsic motivations, developing awareness of ones’ thinking and behavioral patterns, and unleashing individuals’ potentials. It starts with understanding what’s hidden beneath the Iceberg.
PERFORMANCE IS THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG
A metaphor I often quote is the Iceberg model, used by cognitive behavioral therapy and various behavioral sciences. Performance, as understood in the context of the Iceberg model, is the visible tip displayed as behaviors and habits. These are driven by our feelings, thoughts, and beliefs, that are hidden below the surface. And at the base of all this is the way we think.
In other words, what we achieve at work is driven by how we think. Traditional leadership addresses performance above the surface without engaging with the underlying drivers. However, the most effective way to enhance performance is to start at the bottom – by improving the way employees think. When coaching is done right, it facilitates this deeper engagement and personal development.
The rapid pace of change in today's society and marketplaces presents challenges that require people to think and adapt differently. For example, product life cycles that once spanned 18 months now last mere months, or even days. This accelerated pace requires leaders to focus on evolving employees' mindsets rather than merely adjusting processes. Coaching supports leaders and their employees in this adaptive process, guiding them in the development of more agile and responsive thinking patterns.
In my coaching practice, I work with clients on developing awareness of their habits, behaviors, and thought patterns. We go beneath the surface and get curious about what may be some underlying drivers influencing decision-making. Developing awareness is the first step before making conscious choices and taking actions toward one’s life goals.
I will dive into the neuroscience behind coaching in the article Neural Pathways to Peak Performance, and why it can produce lasting and transformational shifts for individuals and leaders.
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