Leadership Coaching Tip

Leadership Coaching Tips / November 2001

What are the kinds of questions that can be raised with a business leader when coaching them that relate to their role as entrepreneur? Be alert to their view of their role. Does it include this capacity for entrepreneurship? What are their critical stakeholder interfaces? How are conditions for stakeholders the same, changing? How do they know? Here is an arena where testing assumptions may be very important. What do they assume about stakeholder requirements and potential responses?
Many executives have years of experience and relationships with the stakeholders they work with. Their knowledge runs deep. This provides a wonderful opportunity to help them reflect on what is truly important about these relationships, how they are changing and where the entrepreneurial potential is. This relates to the role of the coach in engaging with executive clients in strategic conversations. It is here that the relationship between coach and executive can flourish.
But, beware! The most powerful insights and ideas will most likely come from the executive, not the coach. To the degree that the coach is able to support the executive in development, even through problem solving, the more effective the coaching relationship is likely to be.

> Russ Volckmann