What makes the best teams flourish with engaged, productive colleagues? What accounts for the fact that other teams may have highly skilled, smart individuals but they cannot bring about meaningful team-driven results? Psychological safety was coined by Harvard researcher Amy Edmondson and propelled into the spotlight by a Google study. The concept of psychological safety is now regarded as a key element in high-performing, high-engaged teams…

In a recent coaching conversation with a senior leader, he started our session by expressing frustration with casual chit-chat at the beginning of meetings. He has an extensive to-do list which never gets shorter, and often works long hours, so getting down to business is a priority for him. He considers his strengths to be his ability to execute effectively and quickly, and to be someone who is reliable, trustworthy and competent. These qualities are meaningful leadership traits and important to his work in strategy and finance.

However, there is a flaw in this leader’s thinking about how to build his influence and trust with the team. Decades of research show that trust is not gained by showing only competence and excelling at execution…

Many organizations use external, professional coaches to provide leadership development support to their executives. In additional there is growing trend in companies looking to create internal coaching cultures, where leaders and managers are skilled at coaching their reports. Well-executed, a coaching culture can have a significant impact on performance and results.

What is a coaching culture? Companies with strong coaching cultures have leaders who are skilled at giving and receiving feedback, encouraging potential and performance, and stretching and challenging each other’s thinking. A strong coaching culture has been shown to create positive business impact. One client reported that, at the end of a yearlong effort to create a coaching culture, the transformation had brought about a high-performance environment that holds people more accountable for delivering results while fostering a climate of full engagement, personal development, and mutual support.

How to create a coaching culture. Based on research and analysis, here are some of the basic steps that can be taken to create a coaching culture.

Leadership Bookshelf
Oct 7
Written By mb sigler

This month we look at three books that discuss how to succeed for three different audiences: those transitioning into a new manager/leader role, company founders, and early in career achievers.

The First 90 Days: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter, Watkins.

Scaling Up: How a Few Companies Make It...and Why the Rest Don't, Harnish

The Unspoken Rules: Secrets to Starting Your Career Off Right, Ng

Over the past two decades, organizations have redefined the roles of C-suite executives. Traditional capabilities, such as the management of financial and operational resources, are still relevant but when companies today search for top leaders, especially new CEOs, they prioritize one criteria above all else: strong social skills.

Recent research published in HBR shows that the critical skills needed for success in the C-Suite, and to rise up to the C-Suite, are indeed social skills.

What social skills, specifically?