Pause To Ponder — Thoughts on Leadership
In his book, ‘ Quiet Leadership’ Author David Rock outlines why we need to focus on solutions to improve people’s performance. Most people are wired to go straight to problems! David explains that focusing on problems can lead teams to blame, find excuses and justifications thereby draining energy. Focusing on solutions though, opens up ideas and possibilities in our mind, thereby creating energy.
This does not mean that problems should not be addressed or the reason they occurred cannot be reviewed objectively. What matters here is our ‘Focus’ and ‘Continued Attention’. Some examples of problem-focused questions vs solutions-focused questions are:
Problem-focused — ‘Why did you not hit your target’ Solution-focused ‘ what do you need to do better next time to hit your target’. Another example Problem-focused ‘Why do you think you are not good at this’ Solution-focused ‘ What can you focus on, to develop strength in this area’.
We deal with the problem, by analyzing the way forward. With a solution-focused mindset, leaders open the doors to potentiality. They begin sparking and nurturing creativity, innovation and ideas by asking questions that open an individuals mind to think of choices, prospects and best solutions. Coaching as a solution-focused methodology is a great example of what focusing on solutions can do for an individual. It helps people make powerful choices and create new empowering habits.
Why the Visionary Style of Leadership is considered highly effective
In his book ‘Primal Leadership’ Daniel Goleman states “ our research suggests that overall, this visionary approach is the most effective. By continually reminding people of the larger purpose of their work, the visionary lends a grand meaning to otherwise workaday, mundane tasks. Workers understand shared objectives as being in sync with their own best interests. The result: inspired work.”
Visionary leaders articulate where a group is going, the direction and the evolving destination. They then empower their teams to innovate, experiment, be creative and take calculated risks. The sense that everyone is working towards the same goals, enhances team dynamics in a positive way. When people know why they do what they do, it increases their pride in their own work and the organization. As Goleman continues to say “ Visionary leaders help people to see how their work fits into the big picture, lending people a clear sense not just what they do matters, but also why.”
When a leader has a clear vision he/she shares, they earn the respect of their teams. Another key area that gets built is trust, people trust a leader who knows where he is going and how to get there. Inspired by purpose, people engage with work more positively and higher levels of retention are seen. I see many examples of Senior Managers who grew with a company from when it was a small entity to the current large organization. Driven by the vision of growth, the cohesive team worked as one unit towards the larger purpose and express a sense of satisfaction and fulfilment in what has been achieved.
Visions can start right where you are(in alignment with the organization's vision and goals) irrespective of whether you are leading an organization, department, unit or project.
Why are leaders opting for Executive Coaches?
“Coaching is in vogue: it used to be just athletes and entertainers who had coaches, but now we have leaders taking on executive coaches and employees learning from speaking coaches” — Adam Grant, Organizational psychologist. Executive Coaching is fast becoming a methodology that is being used by leaders to elevate their leadership skills.
Read this post by Adam Grant to know why executive and leadership coaches are in demand today!
Payal is an Executive and Leadership coach, bringing over twenty years of global corporate experience to her field. As a coach, she is passionate about helping leaders become the best version of themselves through discovering their authentic voice and create positive shifts in behaviours with practical steps.
Website https://www.empoweredleadership.in/
Email: payal@empoweredleadership.in
Originally published at https://www.empoweredleadership.in on May 6, 2019 by Payal Rajaratnam.
