Leadership is about people. As leaders, we are responsible for helping our team grow and develop. Our goal as leaders is not simply to get more output and performance but to help them discover and grow in their talents and gifts.
Good leaders will coach their people for performance while great leaders coach them for development. To coach your team, it’s important to have tools to help their development move forward. Here are the five qualities I focus on as I coach people for growth and development.
COMPETENCY – For many leaders, this is the only skill they focus on. This is especially true in environments where output and productivity are king.
Competency Questions: Do they have the skills and abilities needed to perform the job or task they are assigned? What areas are they weak in? What new skills, technologies, and processes do they need training in? Are they teachable and eager to learn?
CHARACTER – Character is equally important to competency, but is much more difficult to develop in someone. Character are issues of the heart and someone’s moral compass.
Character Questions: How is their emotional intelligence? Do I trust them? Do others on our team trust them? Do they act with integrity? Do their values align with the values of your organization? Do they take shortcuts and cut corners?
CHEMISTRY – No one works in a vacuum. Interpersonal skills are extremely important. No matter how gifted and talented someone is, if they’re miserable to be around then your entire team will suffer.
Chemistry Questions: Are they a fit for our organization’s culture? How do they get along with their co-workers and clients? How are their people skills? Can they handle conflict? Do they communicate well with others? Do people like being around them? What annoying tendencies or blindspots do they have?
CAPACITY – In a growing organization job responsibilities often change and grow as well. It’s unfortunate when someone’s role exceeds their capacity. I always look for someone that is eager to learn and is teachable.
Capacity Questions: Are they frequently overwhelmed? Are they flexible and willing to adapt? Is their skill set keeping pacing with the demands of their role? Are they eager to learn? Can they meet the requirements of their position?
CALLING – This is subjective, but we want people that are a good fit for their role. While this encompasses all of the above, it also goes to giftedness, temperament, and outlook in life. For example, while I love math and numbers, I could never be an accountant that analyzes reports and spreadsheets all day. I’m a people person and need lots of interaction with others. It’s not a good fit for how I’m wired, or you could say, “I’m not called to accounting.”
Next, we will explore one way to use these 5 Cs to have intentional, coaching oriented conversations with your team.
Question: What qualities do you focus on with those you lead? You can leave a comment by clicking here.
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