Leaders cannot help but hear the “voice” in their heads that second-guesses everything they do. The voice that represents everything that could go wrong under their guidance and direction. It is a loud and persistent voice both for new leaders and for those forced out of their comfort zones (all of us). The voice speaks not only about what could go wrong—it also dares to challenge you as an imposter. It says things like, “You don’t even know where to start.” “Even if you did, why would people listen to you?” “The people on the team know more about what needs to be done than you do.” “What made you think you could do this? Were you out of your mind?”
The same persistently aggravating voice will also challenge you when things are going right, “You’ve made it through the first year, but the organization is bigger now and you’ve never led anything this complicated.” “You made a great hire, but she has much better communication skills than you. You screwed up again; she is a threat.” “Even if you make it through another year, you won’t be able to sustain it long enough to get your kids through college.”
This is fear showing up as an unwelcome interrogator, peeling back the façade of your leader persona and exposing your shortcomings. Giving in to this voice for too long can sustain fear, uncertainty, and doubt, and keep a leader from making timely and balanced judgments.
Professional leadership coaching is available, accessible, and affordable, everywhere. Most of the top business leaders all around the globe have coaches for a reason. Engaging with a coach provides them with a trusted listener, truth-teller, and guide, outside the organization they lead. An objective and non-judgmental sounding board, with no agenda except being in your corner. Most leaders, especially ones that don’t have internal support to anchor them, need a place where fears and self-doubt can be safely revealed and objectified. A place where the leader can show up as a “whole person” and check their armor at the door.
The best leadership and coaching are based on thoughtful, clear, compassionate communication, including deep listening. These skills improve with greater awareness and practice and have long been the foundation for successful coaching. Working with a skilled coach is one way to plan and practice how to show up as a leader, no matter the size or resources of your organization.
~Will Keiper, co-author (with Steve Chandler) of The Leader and The Coach—The Art of Humanity in Leadership
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Credit: This is a blog post by Will Keiper at www.theleaderandthecoach.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/willkeiper/
