Agility: Coaching Leaders during COVID-19
As our daily lives are rapidly changing, leaders are being stretched to new lengths in their effectiveness, approach, and decision making. To be an effective leader, one must be agile during times of crisis and rely on their emotional intelligence to meet the needs of their followers.
As a member of our Learning and Development team, I have the esteemed opportunity to train and coach leaders in the public sector across Colorado through our Leadership Practicum and exclusive coaching services. In a coaching relationship, clients are the expert in their own lives. Coaches are guides to help draw out that expertise and support clients in seeing perspectives, choice, and ways to move forward. It is a fulfilling and engaging experience to be in a coaching relationship.
Coaching becomes even more essential for leaders during times of heightened stress because it can seem more challenging to see oneself as an expert.
During heightened stress our brains put more energy into our fight-flight-freeze mode and less into problem solving and decision-making areas of the brain. The coaching relationship provides an opportunity to slow down, reflect, problem solve, and simply be in the moment of what is happening. As the resilience of leaders is being pushed to extremes, coaching focuses leaders into living consciously in this moment through honoring individual and organizational values, reconnecting with purpose and mission, and connecting with what’s important in life.
Leaders tend to be so focused on taking care of others, that when it comes down to what leaders need, what values do they want to honor, and what's important to that leader there is always something to explore. Amidst COVID-19, recent coaching conversation topics have included: communicating with staff around positive messaging, visioning for the future, and filling out a business plan, creating a plan for self-care; stepping more intentionally into conflict resolution aligned with personal values, and structuring work and planning with a to-do list differently.
As leaders continue to navigate these historic times, it can be helpful to make decisions aligned with your individual values. If you are feeling isolated, reach out to other leaders in your community to stay connected as others are experiencing similar challenges. Lastly, make your leadership transparent. Share what you're thinking and feeling and what's behind the thoughts/feelings with those around you.
Leadership is not meant to be practiced in isolation; leaders are more effective when they are drawing from the strengths of the people around them.