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Coaching for Leadership
A Summary by StoryShots
Introduction
Many leaders achieve success through a combination of talent and hard work, yet often find themselves plateauing or even derailing due to behavioral blind spots. "Coaching for Leadership" by Marshall Goldsmith provides a powerful framework for identifying and changing these behaviors, transforming good leaders into truly great ones through a structured, feedback-driven coaching process. This book is an essential guide for anyone looking to unlock their full leadership potential and foster a culture of continuous improvement.
Key Idea 1: The Power of Feedforward Over Feedback
Marshall Goldsmith champions "feedforward" as a more effective tool for behavioral change than traditional feedback. While feedback often focuses on past mistakes, which can be demotivating and defensive, feedforward looks to the future, offering actionable suggestions for improvement in specific behaviors. For instance, instead of telling a leader they interrupt too much (feedback), a colleague might offer a feedforward suggestion like, "In your next meeting, try pausing for three seconds after someone finishes speaking before you respond, to ensure everyone feels heard." This approach, detailed in "Coaching for Leadership," makes the process positive, forward-looking, and less confrontational, fostering a growth mindset.
Key Idea 2: The Importance of Stakeholder Centered Coaching
Effective leadership coaching, as outlined by Goldsmith, isn't just about the coach and the leader; it's a stakeholder-centered process. This involves engaging the leader's colleagues, direct reports, and superiors in providing both initial feedback and ongoing feedforward. By involving those who directly experience the leader's behavior, the coaching becomes highly relevant and impactful. The leader commits to specific behavioral changes, and these stakeholders then observe and provide further feedforward on the leader's progress. This continuous loop of commitment and observation ensures that changes are not just theoretical but are genuinely perceived and appreciated by those the leader interacts with daily.
Key Idea 3: Measure What Matters and Follow Up Relentlessly
A core tenet of "Coaching for Leadership" is that sustained behavioral change requires diligent measurement and relentless follow-up. It's not enough to identify a behavior to change; leaders must actively track their progress and solicit ongoing input from their stakeholders. Goldsmith emphasizes that consistency and persistence are paramount. This often involves weekly check-ins with stakeholders, asking simple questions like, "What did I do well this week regarding X?" and "What could I do better next week regarding X?" This disciplined approach, focused on clear, measurable goals and consistent engagement, prevents leaders from reverting to old habits and ensures that new, positive behaviors become ingrained.
Final Summary
But the most surprising strategy in "Coaching for Leadership" contradicts conventional wisdom entirely by suggesting that leaders often need to stop doing certain things rather than start doing new ones. This book reinforces that true leadership transformation comes from a disciplined, stakeholder-driven process of identifying key behaviors, committing to change, and relentlessly following up for sustained improvement. Anyone in a leadership role, from emerging managers to seasoned executives, will find Marshall Goldsmith's practical, results-oriented approach invaluable for mastering the art of behavioral change. Want the complete breakdown? Download the StoryShots app for the full summary, visual infographics, and animated video summary of "Coaching for Leadership."
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