What’s In It For The Leader..

What’s In It For The Leader..

As the debate gets more intense on what should go into the making of a good Leader , -- the Firm and the patrons of organizational and personal development are used to doing  some really tough brainstorming …

Indeed ,amongst the various attributes  one looks for in a modern day Leader , be it in the organizational realm or elsewhere, is his ability to Inspire and Motivate..and among the various hats that a good leader may be required to don at any time …is that of a good “Coach” .

A "coach" by definition supports a learner , sometimes called a "coachee", in achieving a specific personal or professional goal. 

So what’s In It For The Leader To Become A Coach.. .

One would  identify with a Leader  , and stand motivated  towards a change or a level of achievement only if the Leader is able to understand his / her situation  exactly the way it stands. There are so many out there to dole out advice and literature , but those who offer to ‘be the Coach who walks the path with you’ are the ones who can genuinely inspire…because they are the ones who demonstrate  the courage to do Action !

It is indeed pretty logical when said that partnering and collaboration are more gratifying than directing and controlling, and shared responsibility means the  sphere of "influence" can be much broader for the Leader who is also a Coach !

There are so many who speak and speak well, but in performing his responsibility, the Coach shall be the one  who listens and listens well with the intention to fully understand others rather than to dictate.

He is the one who believes that others are of immense value to this Universe and to the Organization, and everyone has  abundant knowledge and wisdom to make meaningful contributions on their own.

The Coach Leaders  shall portray  the ability to be Unconditionally Honest in-spite of their stature and are able to state the truth; they have a high level of awareness of themselves and of their impact on others. Their honesty enables them to get to the depth of any situation with extreme clarity and without any prejudice or bias.

They  develop trust by letting others see them for who they really are, admitting their own shortcomings and demonstrating genuine interest in other people.

These qualities allow them to completely embody themselves the change that they wish to see in others…and thus enabling  others,  visualize truly and clearly  the world of achievement , change and transformation !

Pause for a moment and read the excerpt from a story below from the life of Mahatma Gandhi, on Breaking the Sugar Habit –

A young boy had become obsessed with eating sugar. His mother was very upset with this. She decided to take her son to see his idol – Mahatma Gandhi; perhaps her son would listen to him.
One day, she finally shared with Gandhi ji her predicament. Gandhiji listened to the woman carefully, thought for a while and advised her to  come back after two weeks when he  would talk to her son.
The woman looked perplexed and wondered why had he not asked the boy to stop eating sugar right away. Two weeks later they revisited Gandhi ji. Gandhi looked directly at the boy and said,
“Boy, you should stop eating sugar. It is not good for your health.”
He  told him all about the harmful effects of too many sweets and the importance of stopping bad habits.
The boy nodded and promised he would not continue this habit any longer. The boy’s mother was puzzled. She turned to Gandhi ji and asked,
“ Why didn’t you tell him that two weeks ago when I brought him here to see you?”

Gandhi ji smiled, “Mother, two weeks ago I was eating a lot of sugar myself.”

This simple story from the life of one of the greatest  Coaches  and Leaders, the World has ever seen, and who has inspired and motivated so many to transform from darkness to light- answers so many questions.

It is indeed a great testimony of how important it is to be honest, humble and connect with anothers’ situation as closely as possible…,.and Walk the Talk.,.yourself !