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sionals, 81 percent of respondents indicated that coaching does indeed im-
prove the effectiveness of leaders. 262 Ken Blanchard, a noted expert on
leadership coaching, has stated that leaders who utilize coaching skills have
more effective teams, higher morale, and better bottom-line results than those who
don't.
263

The leader coach generally is much more effective in his/her leadership
role in the organization, especially as the organization works toward
improved internal involvement. It is the opposite of the “command and
control” type of management. The purpose of coaching is to help each
employee grow in his/her capabilities, ownership of assignments,

responsibility, authority, and purpose to improve the organization’s
quality of work. Employee empowerment as part of a highly functioning
264
“team” is the goal of effective coaching.

Leadership is accepting people where they are, then taking them somewhere.

C. W. Perry, Quaker leader.

Some people are fortunate enough to get formal training in coaching.
However, many leaders have to develop this important competency
themselves. This begins with one’s self-awareness as an effective leader.

You have to be aware of who you are, how you are perceived by others,
what your own strengths and weaknesses are, and learn and develop
yourself before you can begin to help others do the same. You must be a
model of what you want to see in others. This issue of self-awareness and
self-assessment was dealt with in Chapter 5.

The second stage of developing as a leader coach involves creating your
own development plan to take advantage of your strengths and work on
any weaknesses. Once you have a personal development plan, you are in a
position to begin working with your team members to develop similar
plans with them.

262 Leader Coaching: A New Model to Accelerate Performance. http://www.right.com/thought-
leadership/research/leader-coaching-a-new-model-to-accelerate-performance.pdf.
263 The Ken Blanchard Companies, “Coaching Essentials for Leaders,”
http://www.coaching.com/public/Coaching_Products/Coaching_Skills_Training/.
264
Tom Hornsby & Larry Warkoczeksi, New Roles for Leaders. Franklin TN: Hillsboro Press, 2000, p. 45.
David Kolzow 260