Coaching Leaders From the Inside Out
By Dale Biron / Core Action Assoc., Inc.
The Fully Developed Leader
Can leaders lead well, make good decisions and reach their full potential without a strong and well-developed center? We think not. In fact, based on years of working with, and observing managers and executives, we've discovered four timeless characteristics of effective leaders. As represented in our graphic, each characteristic is fully interrelated in a comprehensive leadership model that expands into the world from the inside out. Of course, every individual is different and will have a unique footprint and path in the world. Still there are critical criteria for measuring our most fundamental leadership capacities and skills.
We believe at the core of leadership is a characteristic we call centeredness. By this we mean a leader who is clear about his or her core values, purpose and vision. We mean a leader with healthy boundaries, allowing them to be in control of their schedule. A person of strong intention, focused on both short and long-term goals. And we mean a leader who is well-grounded, having a high degree of awareness of their natural gifts, strengths and, of course, their areas of personal challenge. And finally, because what we assume to be true about the world has such a profound effect upon our actual experience in the world, we mean a leader who is also aware of his or her deeply held beliefs and assumptions.
The second layer of leadership has as its primary characteristic connectedness. Here we're suggesting a leader must have well-developed EQ or people skills. We mean a leader with the capacity to skillfully coach and mentor others. And we also mean a leader who is able to create and sustain trusting relationships.
The third layer of leadership is characterized by collaboration, which literally means the ability to co-labor with others in the pursuit of sustained excellence. It means to invite and support the engagement of others toward worthwhile goals. As Ronald Heifetz, Harvard's famed Director of The Leadership Education Project puts it, true collaborative leadership is the ability to help one's team or organization face its problems and live into its opportunities. Lastly, a collaborative leader is one who is secure in their own observations and perspectives, yet who is ready at any moment to be influenced by others that bring compelling new insight and wisdom to bear upon the situation.
Our fourth and last layer of leadership has creativity as its central characteristic. Here we mean a leader acting as a catalyst and facilitator for innovative change in his or her team or organization. This is a leader who is known by the trail of accomplishments they achieve with others. Here we typically find teams that are exceeding their goals, customers that are exceptionally loyal and organizations that are enjoying ongoing innovation and sustained success.
Our unique method of coaching from the inside out is all about managers and executives becoming more centered, connected, collaborative and creative leaders. This journey is anything but easy. Yet it can also be rich with multiple rewards and sustainable success. We stand ready to help.
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For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, or a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life.
— Alfred D. Souza |
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