What Is Leadership Coaching And How Is It Beneficial?
A strong leadership team can make a huge difference to businesses. According to research on the most important skills for employees to learn from Learning & Development (L&D) from Statista, 65% of respondents claimed that leadership skills were the most important. Communication, collaboration, role-specific skills, time management and program or platform usage were all cited, but leadership skills stood out from the rest.
So what is leadership coaching and is it an area your business should focus on within L&D resources? The answer is yes, so keep reading to find out more.
The Definition Of Leadership Coaching
Leadership coaching is a professional development process that involves a one-on-one partnership between a coach and a leader or aspiring leader. With the aim of enhancing the leader's skills, it can improve their effectiveness and self-awareness to better support teams. The focus of leadership coaching can vary depending on the needs of the leader and the organisation. Psychometric assessments and aptitude testing can be used in different ways to identify inherent skills and potential gaps. This then helps the coach to create a strategy based on the business leadership coaching needs of the individual.
Leadership coaching, business leadership coaching and executive coaching tend to be used interchangeably, but they are all very different areas. Executive leadership coaching, as the name suggests, focuses more on those at the C-suite level, or top-level management. Business leadership coaching incorporates a lot of the elements of leadership coaching, but also brings in business strategy and enhances the overall business acumen of those leaders.
What Types Of Businesses Use Leadership Coaching?
Given the skills and abilities that leadership coaching can enhance and develop, it isn't surprising that it can be used in any type of organisation. No matter the industry, if there are people in leadership positions, leadership coaching can help.
It has become increasingly popular in corporate settings such as finance, technology, retail and healthcare. However, professional services are seeing the benefits of leadership coaching, such as accounting firms, consultancy organisations and recruitment agencies.
Why Might Businesses Coach Future Leaders?
Leadership coaching, business leadership coaching and executive leadership coaching are hugely beneficial, not only for those potential leaders but also businesses overall. Businesses may choose to coach future leaders for the following reasons:
- Preparing individuals for leadership roles - The demands, expectations and complexities of leadership positions can be challenging to understand at first. Effective coaching can help those future leaders understand their responsibilities and learn best practices to lead more effectively.
- Supporting succession planning - It can be extremely jarring for other leaders and employees when current leaders transition into new opportunities without a successor in place. Leadership coaching ensures a smooth transition by developing those future leaders early on, providing much-needed stability.
- Improving employee engagement and retention - Coaching can benefit everyone, but this support can make the difference between retaining future leaders and losing them. Enhancing their skills, maximising their potential and promoting engagement in the wider business can keep employees engaged.
How Psychometrics Can Enhance Leadership Coaching
Psychometrics is a field of study and practice that focuses on psychological attributes, including personality traits, attitudes, and cognitive abilities, and measures them using standardised tests and assessments.
This information can be used to complement leadership coaching. The findings of psychometric assessments provide objective feedback to guide coaching and set realistic goals in line with a person's interests. When used effectively, psychometrics can enrich leadership coaching skills, the overall process and contribute to the growth and development of effective leaders.
360-Degree Feedback
Gaining 360-degree feedback can help you guide business leadership coaching and ensure that candidates have a comprehensive understanding of their pathway to success. threesixty° is a powerful and completely customisable 360° assessment tool from eras and is used to gather meaningful feedback from a range of people about behaviour. By identifying the strengths and development needs of individuals, you can create development interventions and support them as they enhance their leadership coaching skills.
Leadership Diagnostics And Assessment
There is no 'one size fits all' solution for effective leadership. At eras, we can can help you enhance your leadership coaching skills and ensure that future leaders are given the resources and support they need to succeed. We will work with you to combine leadership skills, behaviours and competencies to create a recipe for success.
Personality Questionnaires
The Quest Profiler® is one of the fastest-growing personality questionnaires in the UK. We use this tool as part of the leadership diagnostics and assessment to give you easy-to-follow detailed recommendations. With a variety of different levels on offer, you can gain valuable insight into behavioural preferences, leadership styles, team styles and so much more!
Using A Psychometrics-Based Approach To Improve Leadership Coaching UK
No matter the type of coaching you are seeking, whether you want more general leadership coaching or you are looking for executive leadership coaching, psychometrics can help. When used correctly, psychometrics can enhance leadership skills and provide individuals and candidates with the feedback they need to succeed.
Leadership coaching can benefit everyone, so create your own custom training solutions to get the best out of your leadership team and those they work with. Want to learn more? Contact the eras team today to see how we can help.