Here are four coaching tips to accelerate your career development:
Understand what leadership is... Leadership is applicable to all facets of life: a competency that you can learn to expand your perspective, set the context of a goal, understand the dynamics of human behavior and take the initiative to get to where you want to be. Albert Einstein once said, "We should take care not to make the intellect our god; it has, of course, powerful muscles but no personality. It cannot lead; it can only serve."
To become an effective leader recognize that the higher up you go in an organization's hierarchy, the value of your technical skills decline, while the value of your interpersonal skills increase. People first connect with you emotionally before they respect you enough to hear what you have to say.
Emotion is the messenger of love; it is the vehicle that carries every signal from one brimming heart to another.
Share your vision of what can be. People need connection, belonging and meaningful contribution. They need to know that their life and work matter. Effective leadership coaching can happen on the dance floor of conversation. Conversations are not meant to be structured. Be open to conversations that you are unprepared for and focused on the interests of the other person (not your purpose).
Learn to speak from the heart. Show appreciation of the people you serve; your customers, employees, peers and suppliers. Encourage others to care by allowing them to observe your acts of caring. All businesses are ultimately people serving people and our life's work should come from the heart. Long after your products or services have been delivered, the feelings and knowledge shared during the business relationship remain.