The most audacious leaders achieve success by inspiring and motivating their followers, rather than intimidating and berating them. True leaders develop a growth mindset to achieve their lofty goals.
Abraham Lincoln’s humility led America during its darkest times. Nelson Mandela’s willingness to spend thirty years in prison for the freedom of South Africa showed his dedication. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s touching and informative speeches displayed his conviction and empathy for all races, and Mahatma Gandhi’s strong stance for truth and equality, as well as his belief in humanity, was evident in his every action. These are just a few impactful leaders who used a growth mindset leadership approach to effect positive change for their people and nations.
If these traits can inspire nations, imagine how impactful they will be in your organization.
We may hear about these innovator’s incredible feats without reference to those who supported their aspirations, but none of them were able to achieve success alone. It requires mentorship, guidance, and support to create an Extreme Leader. In today’s ever-changing business landscape, you can’t go alone. You need a mentor, and that begins by hiring an executive coach.
Why is a Coaching Mindset Important in Leadership?
We’ve all heard some variation of the phrase, “Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime.” This is the concept behind coaching.
Rather than just handing over the playbook, a true coach trains an individual in their chosen field, sport, or domain so that they ultimately gain the confidence needed to be victorious.
An effective leader employs this coaching mindset to support employees’ individual goals, which contribute to the organization’s overall growth and success.
Great Coaches Energize and Motivate
An organization’s work culture is established by its leader. By leading with a growth mindset and cultivating a positive and productive environment, you will energize employees and inspire them to be their best.
Allowing passion for your work to shine through, and adopting an approachable manner and friendly demeanor, will make employees feel comfortable. Great leaders empower employees to unearth the ‘why’ behind their work and leverage a coaching mindset to facilitate the ‘how’, leading to them undertaking an effective problem-solving process.
Believing in your team inspires them to strive to improve and be their best.
Executive Leadership Coaching Increases Energy and Drives Team Engagement
An athlete’s skills and abilities evolve as they learn more about and practice their sport, but you will never see them tell their coach, “enough is enough” and strike out on their own. Continuous coaching, whether in sports or in an organization, is a powerful driver that increases engagement and builds upon the success already achieved.
When you focus on leading with a growth mindset and infusing energy into the workplace, it creates a sense of self-direction in your team. This is an essential driver of innovation and empowers your employees to focus on solutions, rather than working in fear of making mistakes or the wrong decisions.
Extreme Leaders recognize the need for coaching in order to be the best leader possible, and they seek out mentorship and guidance from an executive business coach. This executive leadership coaching serves to maintain a leader’s own engagement and helps develop a growth mindset, which is instrumental when striving to motivate others.
Engagement Boosts Work Performance and Productivity
When employees feel connected to the organization, they are not only happier and more productive at work, but their efforts also make the business more profitable.
Engaged employees are more likely to remain committed to their job and take pride in the work they do. They are also more proactive, innovative, and collaborative. These positive traits lead to increased productivity and can inspire other employees to achieve the same. Individuals who are engaged in their work also typically cultivate good relationships, which contributes to a positive work environment and increased communication and collaboration.
How Can Leaders Leverage a Coaching Mindset?
It’s clear an organization’s success depends on a leader with a coaching mindset, but what steps can you take to acquire an impactful and engaging leadership mindset?
Follow the practical tips listed below to elevate into growth mindset leadership. Once you work with an executive business coach, you will be well on your way to being the Extreme Leader your organization needs to reach the pinnacles of success.
Self-Awareness
Self-awareness is one of the most critical growth areas that executive leadership coaching focuses on. Every leader has at least one blind spot when it comes to their own performance, and an executive business coach will help bring it to light so you can work to improve it.
While you may believe you are effective in every area, your team may feel differently. It’s imperative that you are open and accepting of constructive feedback in order to grow and improve. You may not recognize how a belief you hold, or a mindset you might not be aware of, could be affecting your leadership approach.
Self-awareness is the most challenging but critical trait needed for true growth.
Making time for self-reflection to understand the areas you can improve upon delivers a huge return on investment in your organization’s success.
Showing Love
Showing love in the workplace is a key component of a leadership mindset.
Approaching your team with curiosity and a true desire to help them grow into their potential sets the stage for a growth-oriented relationship. This impactful approach to leading with a growth mindset allows employees to feel safe. Therefore, they are more likely to take risks, experiment, and learn.
When you model this leadership mindset, your team will be more likely to adopt it themselves, which creates a ripple effect of transformation across your entire organization.
Leading with love always guides you, your team, and your business in the right direction.
Developing People vs. Meeting Deadlines
It may seem counterproductive, but as a leader, it’s crucial to recognize that developing your employees is just as, if not more, critical than meeting deadlines.
When you invest in your team, your organization will become more valuable.
When faced with deadlines and work is piling up, it’s easy to think you can’t afford the time to connect with others or invest in your own personal growth. But the return on your investment is massive. Not only will you counteract your own potential feelings of isolation and loneliness as a leader, which can lead to burnout and reduced productivity, but by investing time in your team, you show them you care, which inspires loyalty and hard work.
Lead by Example
The great leaders mentioned earlier all possessed a wealth of impeccable leadership traits, with one particular trait shining through among all. They each led by example, which is one of the most effective ways to motivate people to follow you.
Start by creating a safe environment where everyone has the opportunity to be a learner and explore new skills. Additionally, offer challenging tasks without providing solutions, which sparks the excitement needed for growth and innovation. Giving your team the answers right away may be more efficient at the moment, but it halts their interest in learning, leading to future challenges and dependency.
Lead by example and teach your team how to complete a task, rather than taking away a learning opportunity by doing it for them.
Ownership and Accountability
Leaders who want to leverage a coaching mindset need to take ownership and accountability for their decisions and actions. Be clear about your goals and objectives and express acknowledgment of your responsibility in achieving them.
Extreme Leaders show they are committed to continuous improvement and growth, and they understand that this begins within. By taking ownership and accountability for your actions and goals, you create a positive, productive, and cohesive team environment where everyone feels invested in the organization’s success.
Showing Appreciation
Appreciation is the foundation on which relationships, trust, and results are built. When we appreciate someone, we show them that we see them as they are, not as we wish they would be. We recognize their potential, talents, and strengths without any caveats.
As a leader who desires greater success and satisfaction at work, it is imperative to cultivate a coaching mindset and learn to appreciate those we lead. Through this, we create a limitless potential for greatness.
Creating Opportunities to Learn
Creating learning opportunities for yourself through leadership development coaching is just as important as offering them to your team. Engaging an expert to mentor, guide, and support you in understanding your own strength and weaknesses, as well as those in your team, is vital to your success.
Leadership development coaching will assist you in creating a vision for your team and help determine how to motivate them through successful achievement of that vision. You’ll also learn to master the art of resolving conflict between employees and building a more productive and effective team.
Leverage Your Leadership Coaching Mindset with an Executive Business Coach
Extreme Leaders recognize that true success cannot be achieved alone and that engaging with an expert guide is the most efficient way to reach your goals. As the leader of your organization, those goals span everyone on your team. Hiring an executive coach to support your efforts is critical.
Enabling an expert to coach you as you coach your team is the best strategy for success.