This post kicks off a series on leadership competencies, each explored individually as they carry their own weight. While the insights I’ll share aren’t groundbreaking, they’ve been highly reflective for me as I continue my journey into professional coaching, leveraging my upper management experience in the business world. I hope it sparks that same reflection in you in support of becoming an increasingly effective leader — whether as an individual contributor or with personnel management responsibilities.
Going through my coaching program, I recognized many parallels between coaching and leadership competencies — “aha” moments, if you will, where coaching concepts resonated with my leadership experiences. It thrust me into past roles as a discipline and executive leader where I often moved quickly through my endless to-do list between addressing urgent issues and countless meetings. The pace and routine’s impact had me not pausing to identify opportunities where taking small, impactful actions could have helped:
- Enhance my effectiveness as a leader,
- Cultivate growth in peers and direct reports, and
- Improve overall organizational performance further.
I realized that with more intentional effort, I (and all of my leadership peers) could have created an environment where everyone was accountable to performing at their full potential.
Unfortunately, most professionals are moving at the same swift pace, so don’t take the time to adopt and incorporate these competencies. The best leaders, however, continuously seek ways to improve and lead with intention. This, too, is a skill. Integrating these competencies into your leadership style can be difficult, especially to sustain, but that’s where coaching can help. It’s about understanding what to change and being held accountable for how to take action.
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