Coaching and Leadership: What’s the Difference?

Coaching and leadership are skills required of anyone who wants to make a big impact in this world. Leadership involves developing a compelling vision of the future, and sharing that vision in a way that draws followers who become dedicated to turning the vision into a reality. Coaching involves gaining insights into what makes individuals and groups do what they do. It also involves working with people to help them breakthrough barriers that hold them back from achieving their own goals and the vision of the leader. Clearly, a leader needs both.

Leadership –Forming and Casting the Vision

Strong leaders naturally see beyond the current state. They not only see alternative views of the future, but they do not see the barriers that stand in the way. They almost seem detached from reality at times. Because of this, they exude a level of certainty that, quite literally, is contagious. Whether eloquent or inarticulate, all leaders convey their message by the sheer scope of their belief in the inevitability of their vision.

Coaching – Selecting the Core Group of Followers

Coaching includes skills and tools that let the leader understand the style, motivation, values and talents of potential followers. By understanding the needs of each role on the team, as well as the way these roles interact, the leader is able to guide followers into roles in which each will be happy and successful. The leader can also balance the members of the group so they work together harmoniously. In addition, the leader will know when to bar potential members who will be divisive. Coaching and leadership skills complement each other.

Coaching and Leadership – Sustaining Followers through Difficult Times

Leaders don’t pursue trivial goals. And any worthy vision will challenge the leader and the followers. Because of this the leaders must renew and recast their vision, and demonstrate again and again their unshakable confidence in achieving it. In short, leaders need to lead every moment of every day. Followers, on the other hand, are almost made of doubt. Because of this, the leader must use their coaching skills to understand their followers’ inner workings and remove the doubts and blockages in ways that go far beyond “motivating.” Once again the successful leader must combine the skills of coaching and leadership to achieve their vision!

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Dave Iuppa
JTS Advisors Strategy and Accountability Coach

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