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Coaching leadership style: a learning process

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Coaching leadership style: A learning process
Jan Terje Karlsen*
BI Norwegian Business School
0442 Oslo, Norway
jan.terje.karlsen@bi.no
Tel +47 464 10 725
Jan Terje Karlsen is Professor of project management at the BI Norwegian Business
School. He holds a doctoral degree in project management from the Norwegian University of
Science and Technology. His research interests include project management and leadership,
uncertainty management, and knowledge management.
Morten Emil Berg
BI Norwegian Business School
0442 Oslo, Norway
morten.e.berg@gmail.com
Tel +47 458 01 299
Morten Emil Berg is Assistant Professor Emeritus of leadership and organizational behavior
at the BI Norwegian Business School. He holds an MSc degree in business administration.
His research interests include leadership training, team development, coaching, and positive
psychology.
* Corresponding author
Coaching leadership style: A learning process
Abstract
The purpose of the paper is to outline a coaching leadership style based on an optimistic view
of individuals. It is a method based on optimism, self-efficacy, positive emotions and
learning. Focus is on the employee who wants to develop his potential and become the best
version of himself. The aim is to achieve both personal and organizational goals. The paper
describes how a method consisting of two learning processes can help to implement a
coaching leadership style in practice. Learning 1: Using mental models to understand one’s
own situation and how others think. Learning 2: Using tools to change one’s own and others’
behavior. The paper shows that to succeed with a coaching leadership style, leaders must
have a large toolbox, which includes tools such as self-management and a give-culture.
Keywords: Coaching; leadership; learning
1 Introduction
A coaching leadership style (CLS) implies that the leader uses coaching as the main method
with which to achieve the desired results. As in sports, where a coach enables an athlete to
transform physical and psychological strengths into performance prowess, the leader can coach
the employee to empower self-regulation (Grant, 2013), self-leadership (Manz and Sims, 2001)
and to build lasting personal strengths (Hunt and Weintraub, 2002). Indeed, coaching in the
business world came from sports, but is by nature far more complex because the people and
situations that a leader must deal with, are infinitely more varied than the match results or finish
times that numerically measure athletic performance.
However, there are no clear and common definitions of what coaching entails (Berg and
Karlsen, 2007). The notion of coaching varies from being systematized common sense to a
complex jungle of many opinions (Mihiotis and Argirou, 2016). There is a growing expectation
that leaders should coach their employees (McCarthy and Milner, 2013). We introduce
coaching as an important tool in the leadership toolbox. Coaching is understood as a tool to
develop self-confidence and contribute to actions that create results. Coaching is about opening
people’s potential to maximize their performance and to achieve desired goals. It is about
helping them to learn rather than teaching them (Whitmore, 2011). Each employee has the
potential to become the best version of her- or himself. To get there, one must work with
learning processes. First, one has to learn how to use mental models to understand one’s
personal situation and the thoughts of others. Second, it is important to learn how to use tools
to implement the desired behaviour and realize goals. In the article, we refer to this concept,
respectively, as Learning 1 and Learning 2.
The purpose of this article is to outline a conceptual framework; a method for a coaching
leadership style with its strengths and weaknesses. The method is based on optimism, self-
efficacy, positive emotions and learning. There is a shortage of published scientific research
on coaching as a leadership style (Berg and Karlsen, 2016), thus there is a need to understand
and improve the body of knowledge about coaching.
2 Method
Many researchers have studied the concepts of leadership and coaching in organizations. The
conceptual framework presented in this article has drawn on literature from fields such as
leadership, management, coaching, positive psychology, organizational behaviour and learning.
These fields of study were identified through a search of scholarly literature. The initial review
began with an examination of literature that discussed the concept of leadership in
organizations. The review process was then narrowed down to literature that specifically
referred to different leadership styles with a focus on coaching. Some of the key leadership
theories that were considered included servant leadership, situational leadership and full range
leadership development. The initial broad review of relevant literature was followed by a
process of analysis and synthesis. The literary analysis began with identifying literature
relevant to this article and addressing issues related to a coaching leadership style in
organizations. Specific attention was given to identifying how learning processes can help to
implement a coaching leadership style. The key factors that emerged from the review were then
synthesized to form the conceptual framework in this article. The process of synthesis focused
on capturing the dominant questions that should be asked during the learning processes. The
conceptual framework (i.e. the coaching leadership style model) presented in this article is an
attempt to unify different ideas into a comprehensive understanding of how learning processes
can help to implement a coaching leadership style. Based on the review, Figure 1 presents the
conceptual framework of this study.
Figure 1 Conceptual framework: CLS model
The process starts with what we will describe as unreflected thoughts: Both the current situation
and the desired situation are unclear. To reach the goals, one must work with two types of
learning: Learning 1 utilises mental models to understand one’s own situation and the thoughts
of others. It may be an interpretation of the current situation, but also wishes about the future.
Learning 2 employs the right tools to implement the desired behaviour and realize goals. The
model assumes that reflected thoughts can lead to positive emotions. This assumption infuses
optimism, hope and energy into actions. The model further argues that the use of helpful tools
can lead to self-efficacy, positive behaviours and the desired results.
3 Learning 1: Use of mental models
CLS is inspired by a positive view of human life. The method is based on two optimistic fields
of research: Positive psychology and positive neuropsychology. Positive psychology strives to
make individuals, teams and organizations “flourish” (Linley et al., 2010). The individual has
the opportunity to develop a good and meaningful life. The strategy is strength-based and the
individual must identify and use his strengths. The intention is that the individual should
develop a feeling of greater social, emotional and cognitive well-being. This goal requires an
interaction between thoughts, feelings and behaviours.
To some degree, several management theories and tools have integrated an element of coaching:
Servant leadership is a philosophy where leaders act as helpers and servants for their
employees (Van Dierendonck, 2011; Gotsis and Grimani, 2016). Leaders use empathy and
listen to their employees to understand their needs. This could lead to greater job satisfaction
and efficiency.
Emotional intelligence is a key component in good leadership. Leaders who achieve the best
results use elements from six different leadership styles, depending on the situation. The
leadership styles are based on different aspects of emotional intelligence (Goleman, 1998; 2004;
Batool, 2013).
Unreflected
thoughts
Question A, B and C:
What is your situation today?
What s ituation do you wi sh to be in?
What thoug hts prevent you from
achieving that situation?
Learning 2:
Change of
behaviour by us e
of a larg e toolbox
Positive behavior
(experience mastering)
Reflected
thoughts
Positive emotions
(getting energy)
Realize goals
(wis hed si tuati on)
Question D:
How to overcome res istance and
realize your goals?
Lea rning through many s mall s teps
Learning 1:
Change thoughts
by use of mental
models
Situational leadership II identifies four categories of employees (Blanchard, 2007). Based on
this understanding, the leader chooses between the four different leadership styles. Coaching
is one of the four styles and should be chosen when the employee does not have the necessary
competence and skills, and is low on motivation and commitment.
Full Range Leadership Development, which was introduced by Burns (1978), provides an
overview of five different styles of leadership, from laissez-faire, reactive, proactive, and
transactional to transformational. According to Sosik and Jung (2010), the transformational
leadership style includes four components of behaviour: (1) Idealized influence, where the
leader serves as a role model; (2) inspirational motivation, in which the leader encourages,
inspires and motivates; (3) intellectual stimulation, where the leader stimulates creativity and
(4) individual consideration, in which the leader shows concern for the subordinates. Elements
of coaching are included in transformational leadership (Cerni et al., 2010). The leader shows
empathy and treats his employees as individuals with different needs, abilities and aspirations.
Except for servant leadership, all of the above-described theories assume that the leader has
model power: By use of the theories, the leader decides how the situation should be interpreted.
The models provide guidance on the leadership style to be practiced. CLS builds on these
thoughts, but questions this kind of model power. CLS involves a mutual partnership in
learning. Instead of the leader defining the situation and the leadership style, this happens in a
partnership with the employees. Leaders and employees are encouraged to develop a good
relationship, characterized by trust and involvement. This may mean reinterpreting the situation,
reformulating goals, trying out tools and constantly learning from the process.
Previous research (e.g. Cox et al., 2010) has shown that leaders who succeed believed they had
special skills to coach their employees. The leaders experienced self-efficacy and the ability to
establish trust and build good relations with his employees. The reason was because the leaders
really cared about their employees and truly wanted to help them to succeed. The leaders
emphasized learning as the key element in the coaching process.
4 Use of CLS: Four questions
The Greek philosopher Socrates argued that he could not teach anything. He could only ask
questions. The English poet and writer Rudyard Kipling claimed he had six honest servants.
They had taught him everything he knew. Their names were What, Why, When, How, Where,
and Who. By asking good questions, the employees may find the answers themselves. This
approach provides self-efficacy and motivation (Baron and Morin, 2009).
The best-known method of coaching is based on the GROW model (Whitmore, 2011). The
method emphasizes setting goals (Goal); examining the current situation of the individual
(Reality); exploring options and choosing a strategy (Options) and establishing the will to act
(Will). The latter phase includes questions such as: What should be done? Of whom? Where?
How? When? CLS should be based on a similar structure. The phases involve the following
question (see Figure 2):
A. What is your situation today?
B. What situation do you wish to be in?
C. What thoughts or barriers prevent you from getting there?
D. How can you realize your wish? How to act?
Figure 2 Four key questions (Adapted from Berg and Karlsen, 2016)
Research on CLS indicates that this leadership style provides results (Hicks, 2014). It is most
effective when leaders support their employees to build lasting personal strengths, which can
help the employees to reach their goals. Both leaders and employees can be coached. This, in
turn, can result in more efficient leadership (Theeboom et al., 2014).
A coaching leadership style builds trust, promotes individual competence, develops a high
commitment to shared goals and fosters a more skilful and competent leader. Leaders also
experience less stress (Henson, 2013).
4.1 Question A: What is your situation today?
The Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard believed that if we seek to help another person to
succeed, it is necessary to understand the persons situation. In order to help, we need to
understand more than the person in need of help, but above all, we must try to understand what
he himself understand.
When working with change issues, one can distinguish between a deficit approach and a
strength approach (Cameron and Lavine, 2006). The deficit approach focuses on weaknesses,
faults and shortcomings in individuals, teams and organizations. The purpose is to identify
problems, analyse them, find alternatives, choose a solution and implement this option.
However, the focus on errors and omissions may provide negative emotions. This strategy puts
the employees in a defensive position. Creativity and self-efficacy are reduced and the room
for posturing may be smaller (Fredrickson, 2001).
The strength approach begins with identifying the success stories when individuals, teams or
the organization have performed best and understanding what makes it possible to achieve such
results. This strategy also emphasizes ways in which these good results can be continued and
repeated in the future, as well as how to implement strategies to realize a desired future,
characterized by good results. The focus is on success and development of positive emotions.
There is a correlation between positive emotions and creativity, learning, achievement and
well-being. Mastery, self-esteem, optimism and gratitude increases (Linley et al., 2010).
What is your situation today?
What is your streng ths?
What creates joy and e nergy?
What is your success story?
How to act?
Use of the toolbox
Lea rning by doi ng
What to do? By who? How?
When? Where?
What situation do you want to be in?
Dreams. Visions. Goals. Values
A good and meaningful li fe
A give-culture. Flow
What thoughts prevent you?
Dys functional thoughts
Lack of self-knowl edge
Fixed mindset
A coach ing
leadership
style
The most important tool for developing skilled employees is to identify and develop their
signature strengths (Seligman, 2002). These features constitute basic qualities of the individual
and include self-discipline, courage, creativity, emotional intelligence and altruism. Positive
psychology assumes that if people use their signature strengths in important parts of their life,
they will develop joy and meaning. Key areas of life can be work, love, parenting and good
relationships in general (Seligman, 2002).
To test whether you really have a specific signature strength (e.g. courage), you must answer
yes to three questions: Am I really brave? Do I feel joy in showing courage? Does it give me
energy and strength? However, a signature strength should be practiced with care and wisdom.
You should be brave, but not cowardly and foolhardy.
Employees should get to know their own signature strengths. Identifying unrealized signature
strengths entails a huge potential for growth and development (Linley et al., 2010). Use of
strength-based coaching can lead to better goal achievement, improved self-confidence and
positive emotions (Toogood, 2012).
4.2 Question B: What situation do you wish to be in?
A good life involves a balance between three values: (a) Hedonism: To provide pleasure and
avoid pain. (b) Eudemonia: To develop oneself personally and professionally. (c) Altruism: To
assist others and work for something greater than oneself (Seligman, 2002). Every person needs
to locate one’s own balance between these three values.
Many successful teams and organizations have developed a give” culture (Grant, 2013).
Employees are encouraged to give and seek help; reward those who provide help and sieve out
those who just take without giving anything back. In a give culture, members help one another,
share knowledge and use colleague coaching without expecting anything in return (Grant,
2013). There is a clear correlation between a give culture and productivity, efficiency, profits
and employee satisfaction (Berg and Karlsen, 2012). In a takeculture, colleagues can also
help each other, but only when the personal benefits exceed the disadvantage of giving. In a
give culture, members help each other without expecting anything in return. Giving has an
intrinsic value. In such a culture, colleague coaching is vital (Berg and Karlsen, 2012).
Positive emotions, such as joy, hope and self-efficacy are important in a desired future.
Csikszentmihalyi (2003) identifies different emotions such as anxiety, boredom and “flow”,
depending on the challenges the person faces and his or her skills. There may be a desire that
employees experience flow frequently at work. Flow implies a balance between major
challenges and competence. This can lead to improved creativity and higher achievements.
Leaders should try to gain insight into what employees feel at work and how to help them to
experience flow.
When do we perform best? Is it best to be oriented toward performance, learning or task? Elliot
et al. (2011) believe that it is when we are task oriented that we perform best. The focus is on
the job to be done. We are present in the moment, here and now.
Locke (1996) claims that we perform better when we have a specific goal to accomplish. Clear
and demanding goals result in improved performance. The more demanding the goal, the
greater joy one feels when it is achieved. The process is most effective when feedback is given
regarding the progress. The highest commitment to the goal is gained when the individual is
convinced that (a) the target is important and (b) the goal is achievable (Locke, 1996). Use of
coaching gives clear goals, clear expectations and a good description of the desired situation
(Grant et al., 2009).
4.3 Question C: What thoughts prevent you?
The human being is a product of evolution over millions of years. The impetus was survival
and reproduction. The Stone Age man had to identify hazards such as predatory animals and
reptiles. The strategy was fight or flight. Surviving was far more important than identifying
pleasure and positive emotions.
During the last 200 years, we have experienced tremendous technological development, but
the brain has not evolved accordingly. One can claim that the brain operates at a Stone Age
level, but in a digital age. Todays predators are being unloved, failing to perform as expected,
lacking appreciation, missing deadlines and being unseen and unheard. This can lead to
negative emotions such as low self-esteem, low self-efficacy, pessimism and a lack of hope for
the future. This scenario creates stress and there are no simple solutions to overcoming stress
(Berg, 2008).
A better strategy than to fight or flee is to collaborate and develop positive thoughts. This
contributes to good feelings such as optimism, hope, joy and self-efficacy. There is a
correlation between positive emotions on one hand and creativity, collaboration and efficiency
on the other (Fredrickson, 2001). Dysfunctional thoughts can lead to negative emotions.
One obstacle is that the individual has a fixed, rather than a learning-oriented, mindset (Dweck,
2006). Such a fixed mindset can lead to dysfunctional thought-patterns (Burns, 1980). A person
may also be convinced that he cannot change his thoughts. This could easily become a self-
fulfilling prophecy. It takes three positive thoughts to offset a negative thought (Fredrickson
and Losada, 2005).
Each individuals personality can be understood as a relatively fixed pattern of thoughts,
feelings and behaviours. These patterns are the individual’s response to new situations. A CLS
seeks to influence thoughts, feelings and behaviours. To varying degrees it is the individual
who decides his or her own thoughts and feelings, as well as behaviour. This should imply that
it is possible for an individual to achieve motivating results by working with personal
development.
A CLS can contribute to more self-awareness and a greater understanding of the challenges
that leaders and employees face so that they are able to master them (Grant et al., 2009).
4.4 Question D: How can you realize your goals? How to act?
Mahatma Gandhi believed that even the longest march begins with a small step. However,
often there is a “knowing-doing” gap (Pfeffer and Sutton, 2000). It is easy to have good
intentions, but it is difficult to carry them out in actions. Negative thoughts and performance
pressure can dominate. There is a fear of failure. In such a process, some may have a strong
desire to receive confirmation that they are proficient. Others have negative thoughts on how
one will be considered. In such cases, feedback can be uncomfortable.
Instead of thinking about performance and consequences, action can be seen as a learning
process with many small steps. We focus on the tasks to be done; for example, listen actively,
set goals and inspire. Developing psychological capital such as optimism, hope, self-efficacy
and resilience (being emotionally robust) can contribute to action.
Several studies show that learning from experience separates successful leaders from leaders
who do not succeed (Charan et al., 2001). This requires the individual to have personal qualities
such as self-efficacy and self-knowledge (Steward et al., 2011). Learning is most effective
when learning is integrated as a part of work; the employees receive feedback and are
encouraged to learn by themselves. This requires the employees to have the ability and
willingness to learn; they must receive relevant information and they must understand why it
is important to learn (Cox et al., 2010).
CLS can build psychological capital and help to overcome the “knowing-doing” gap.
Employeesthoughts and actions are supported and challenged (Hicks, 2014). This can be done
in four steps (see Figure 3).
Figure 3 To achieve action through support and challenge (Adapted from Hicks, 2014)
(a) The leader supports the employee’s thoughts about action. This can provide self-efficacy,
good feelings and confidence. (b) The thoughts are challenged as the employee must try to
identify the consequences of their suggestions. How can the thoughts contribute to a desired
future? Maybe the employee must reformulate his thoughts. (c) The employee is challenged to
specify what should be done, how it should be done and when to do it. The employee is
encouraged to use a strength-based approach and focus on current and past successes. He is
also challenged to use “several small stepsand experiment with new forms of behaviour. (d)
The leader supports the actions and confirms the need for change. This can provide self-
efficacy, good feelings and confidence.
These four steps can have an impact on the likelihood of the success of a change. The leader
starts to develop positive thoughts that can lead to positive feelings, which may lead to positive
behaviour. This can yield positive results and reinforce positive thoughts (Berg and Karlsen,
2007). Individuals with strong self-efficacy are more successful in handling new tasks than
individuals with low self-efficacy (Malone, 2001). Success depends on two conditions: The
employee has the necessary skills and a strong belief in personal abilities to reach the desired
results (Bandura, 1997; Caldwell and Hayes, 2016).
(a)
Active li stening. Understand thoughts
Verify and value thoughts
Self-e fficacy. Trust. Positive emotions
Support
Challenge
Thoughts Actions
(b)
The correct thoughts?
Consequences of thoughts?
Re-formulate thoughts?
(d)
Confirm the need f or change
Ove rcome barri ers
Self-e fficacy. Trust. Positive emotions
(c)
What to do? By who?
How to do it? When? Where?
Re-formulating the plans?
5 Learning 2: Using the toolkit
The final test of a CLS is whether the desired behaviour and goals are achieved. Changes can
be evaluated at several levels (Kirkpatrick, 1998). At a behavioural level, the employees have
changed their way of acting. They have improved their collaboration skills, but they are also
capable of working more independently (Berg and Karlsen, 2016). They are more creative and
have developed a give-culture where they support and challenge each other. In this give- culture,
members help one another, share knowledge and learn from each other without expecting
anything in return (Grant, 2013). According to Curran (2008) the chances of learning and
changing behaviour increase where there is a good emotional relationship between the coach
and the coachee. This is also underlined by Crichley (2010), who claims that a coach can have
a major impact on the well-being of the coachee. At result level, an evaluation of the employees
change of behaviour takes place. This is an evaluation to find out whether the coaching actually
has created a difference on the individual and organizational level (De Meuse et al., 2009). For
example: Are the employees more satisfied, more productive? Has your organization obtained
new customers? Has the production increased? Have profits (or ROI) improved? The control
question is whether this can be explained by changes in behaviour and organizational culture
or is it a result of other circumstances.
In order to influence the behaviour and achieve results, leaders should have knowledge about
a rich toolbox (Berg, 2008). One of the most important tools are emotional intelligence (EQ)
because it can also serve as a mental model to influence the mindset (Goleman, 2004). EQ can
promote reflected thoughts and behavioural change to achieve goals (Batool, 2013). EQ is a
framework of four key skills, self-knowledge, empathy, self-management and relationship
management, for understanding oneself and others as well as changing oneself and others
(Goleman, 2000). Each of the four skills can be nuanced. For example, looking at self-
management, the focus is on courage and self-discipline. Other tools in the leadership toolbox
include resilience (Cooper et al., 2013), self-efficacy (Bandura, 1997; Caldwell and Hayes,
2016), locus of control (Rotter, 1990), signature strengths (Peterson and Seligman, 2004),
psychological capital (Avolio et al., 2010; Berg and Karlsen, 2014), positive feelings (Johnson
and Fredrickson, 2005) and mindfulness (Kabat-Zinn, 2005).
Leaders who succeed often have the following characteristics: They show empathy and trust in
others (Ely et al., 2010); they have less need for control; they have a desire to help others to
evolve and flourish; they give and receive feedback to learn themselves; they believe that most
people want to learn and they assume that this will be achieved through incremental learning
and not through a “sink-or-swim” strategy (Hunt and Weintraub, 2002).
6 Precautions and limitations using CLS
Much has been written about the effects of coaching, including several concerns. According to
Ørsted (2015), there are primarily four challenging conditions when using CLS:
(1) Imbalance in the power structure. An imbalance between the coach and the coachee is
probably the biggest challenge using CLS (Theeboom et al., 2014). The leaders authority and
power may affect the employee in a negative direction. This authority may be far stronger than
the leader himself is aware of. For example, there may be situations where the employee wants
to match the leaders expectations and answer questions, although these questions exceed
personal limits (Berg and Karlsen, 2016).
(2) Invasion of privacy. The leader may place too much emphasis on personal aspects. There
should be a clear distinction between what is private and personal and work-related coaching.
Because of the leaders position and power, it can be difficult for the employee to defend
himself against an invasion of privacy, even if it feels uncomfortable or even offensive.
(3) The dark side of coaching. While the intention behind coaching is to reduce stress, the result
may be more stress. This can happen if the employee does not reach his goals and the leader
starts to coach on how he still can achieve the goals. From a leaders view, the solution is often
a more skilled and proficient employee. On the other hand, the employee has tried as best he
could without succeeding. Given the imbalance in power, it may be difficult for the employee
to defend himself. This can lead to more stress and discomfort.
(4) Lack of psychological insight. Coaching is about relationships and how people relate to
each other. The leader may lack the necessary psychological preconditions for initiating
learning processes that can influence thoughts, feelings and behaviours. This means both to
understand her- or himself and to understand others.
7 Conclusion and contribution
This conceptual paper contributes to the body of knowledge by exploring how leaders can
practice a CLS to achieve desired results in two important ways. First, we propose a conceptual
framework – a coaching leadership style model. It provides a framework to rethink traditional
leadership theories, such as servant leadership, situational leadership and full range leadership.
Together the leader and the employees should support and challenge each other to realize the
desired result. Second, we contribute by introducing a CLS as a partnership in learning. We
have identified two learning processes. The first learning process is called Learning 1 and
focuses on choosing positive mental models that can turn unreflective thoughts into reflective
thoughts. This learning process can produce positive emotions in the form of self-efficacy,
optimism, energy and motivation. The second learning process, Learning 2, empowers those
who use it to look in the toolbox and choose the right tools to implement desired behaviour.
On the other hand, there are also situations where CLS is not a useful leadership style, such as
when a decision must be made quickly or employees are highly skilled and autonomous. In
such situations, a governing or delegating leadership style may be more effective.
If leaders are to succeed with a CLS, they must show necessary empathy and believe that they
can act in the role of a coach. They must also have the skills to carry out this role. A coaching
leadership style is most effective when the leader wants to help his employees to build lasting
personal strengths, which makes employees more successful in the long run (Hunt and
Weintraub, 2002).
It is a goal for everyone to live a good life, both privately and at work. But people are very
different. Everyone must make their own journey. Each individual must re-interpret their own
situation, re-formulate goals, identify and overcome resistance, try out new ideas and
constantly learn from the process. Thus, coaching can help to solve everyday problems (Styhre,
2008). Coaching can contribute to the development of self-knowledge, self-efficacy,
confidence, advantageous relationships between coach and coachee and positive changes
(Toogood, 2012; Grant et al., 2009).
Future work can empirically test the proposed conceptual framework, the CLS model, by using
a questionnaire. The model can be adjusted to suit the country or the organization in which the
future researchers wish to test this model.
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... Coaching as a leadership style was established in situational leadership theory presented by Hersey and Blanchard in 1969, followed by Daniel Goleman in 2000 as one of the six emotional leadership styles. Various studies have widely discussed coaching at the managerial level, and its impact on employee performance, but the literature on coaching leadership is still scarce (Karlsen & Berg, 2020). Moreover, coaching and mentoring have been discussed in various sectors of Pakistan, including banking (Sharif, 2021) and the IT sector (Ali et al., 2020), but little data is available on the pharmaceutical sector that makes this study unique in term of context. ...
... This study responded to the call of Karlsen and Berg (2020) to study coaching leadership style in relationship with other variables to strengthen the theory. Theoretically, the findings of this study have added to the existing knowledge in two ways, first, by establishing the impact coaching leadership has on the followers' job performance. ...
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The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between coaching leadership style and followers’ job performance with organizational culture dimensions involvement and consistency as a moderator. The study is based on the combination of work by Daniel Goleman’s theory of emotional intelligence by incorporating its coaching leadership style, the work performance framework by Campbell, and the model of organizational culture by Denison and Mishra. The study follows positivism, explanatory, and quantitative approaches. Data have been collected through questionnaires from 187 respondents. SPSS 20 is been used for Data tabulation and regression analysis and Process 3 is been used for moderation. Results reveal the positive relationship of coaching leadership with task and contextual performances and the negative relationship with counterproductive work behaviors in employees. Moreover, moderation of organizational culture has also been identified in the relationship between coaching leadership with task performance and counterproductive work behaviors. The study further uncovers the moderating role of the dimensions of organizational culture like innovation and consistency on the relationship between coaching leadership and dimensions of job performance. This study will be helpful for managers or decision-makers to realize the importance of coaching leadership in the workplace including the Pharmaceutical sales force.
... Coach type is actually the sum of his/her efforts to understand both his/her own situation and how his/her athletes think. In this process, if necessary, the coach can change him/herself and have a significant impact on the athletes' perspective on sports (Karlsen & Berg 2020). In this context, coaches' behaviors are important in supporting athletes' autonomy, gaining competence, and internal motivation (Moreno-Murcia et al., 2019). ...
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This research was conducted to investigate of academic success and coach communication level on pre-competition anxiety and self-confidence levels of students who do active sports. The sample consists of a total of 216 student athletes (age: 20.63±4.57), 89 female and 127 male. Pre-competition anxiety was measured with the "Revised Competition State Anxiety Inventory-2 (CSAI-2R)". Academic success was evaluated based on the participants' grade point average. “t test, ANOVA and Pearson Correlation test” were used. Cognitive anxiety (CA) level of students was 8.63 points (high); physical anxiety (PA) level was 8.51 points (medium); self-confidence (SC) level was 15.29 points (high). There is a significant and positive relationship between academic success and coach communication level (p=0.28; r=0.150); However, there was a significant and negative relationship between coach communication level and pre-competition CA (p=0.000; r=-0.279) and a significant and positive relationship with SC level (p=0.000; r=0.292). CA, PA and SC scores of students were significantly different according to gender (p=0.001; p=0.002; p=0.001); However, there was no significant difference according to sports age, coach type, education level and coach gender (p>0.05). As a result, it has been determined that students who do active sports have serious CA before the competition and very high SC. While the grade point average of the participants increases, the level of coach communication also increases. While coach communication level increases, their cognitive anxiety decreases and self-confidence increases. Therefore, while the grade point average increases, cognitive anxiety level decreases and self-confidence level increases. Increased academic success positively affects pre-competition anxiety.
... As a result, organizations are encouraged to consider implementing coaching leadership as a means of improving employee performance. Berg & Karlsen (2020) suggests that coaching leadership is one of the most effective ways to create positive emotions in employees, leading to increased self-esteem, optimism, motivation, and overall well-being. Coaching empowers individuals to access their potential and develop desired behaviors, contributing to their positive emotional state. ...
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Buku ini hadir untuk memenuhi kebutuhan sebagai “penyedia menu” terkait variabel kepemimpinan yang diharapkan bisa menjadi bahan alternatif yang cukup banyak sebagai referensi. Kami menyortir dan menelaah puluhan artikel dan menghasilkan 50 variabel dalam buku ini yang bisa dipakai mahasiswa sebagai tema penelitiannya. Buku ini terdiri dari 5 bagian yang masing-masingnya terdiri dari 10 variabel. Setiap pembahasannya dibuat seringkas mungkin mencakup aspek utama dalam sebuah variabel. Pertama yaitu definisi secara konsepsional, kedua temuan riset empiris, dan ketiga skala pengukuran lengkap dengan item-item kuesionernya.
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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe and discuss how project managers practice a coaching leadership style (CLS). Design/methodology/approach This paper is based on a case study of an organization practicing coaching in projects. Findings The research findings show that to succeed with a CLS, project managers must have a large toolbox, which includes signature strengths, self-management and a give culture. Further, the paper describes how a model consisting of two learning processes can help to implement a CLS in practice. Research limitations/implications This study is exploratory, contributing to the development of a substantive theory. Theory testing as well as more in-depth investigation of mental models of a CLS would be valuable. Practical implications Coaching leadership theories offer insights that can be leveraged to make project management more effective through improved research foundations. Originality/value This paper focuses on how a CLS is carried out in projects and how it can be improved and should thus be of interest to managers searching for tools and models for effective leadership.
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Full range leadership development strives to grow transformational leadership in organizations at all levels, including followers, thereby generating numerous positive outcomes at all levels. Organizations that support and develop transformational leadership across organizational levels are more productive and profitable, attract and retain high quality associates, promote creativity and innovation, garner trust and commitment from employees, and are strategically positioned to respond well to changes in the market.
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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide an integrative framework of servant leadership and employees’ perception of inclusion. The authors argue that servant leadership embodies an inclusive leadership philosophy that is in a position to facilitate feelings of belongingness and uniqueness among diverse employees. Design/methodology/approach A theoretical model capturing the effect of servant leadership in shaping climates for inclusion, is developed. The authors elaborate on research streams focussing on climates for inclusion, and examine servant leadership as a potential predictor of inclusion. In this respect, the authors posit that inclusive practices mediate the servant leadership and inclusion relationship, while leaders’ inclusiveness beliefs moderate the servant leadership and inclusive practices relationship. Findings The model introduces mediating mechanisms that intervene in the indirect relationship between servant leadership and climates for inclusion. In so doing, the authors seek to identify how organizational practices supported through servant leadership behaviors address employee needs for belongingness and uniqueness. The model predicts multi-level beneficial outcomes for social identity groups. Practical implications The paper identifies a bundle of organizational practices facilitating employees’ perceptions of inclusion, by placing an emphasis on how servant leaders can enact and implement practices in view of attaining inclusiveness pursuits. Social implications Servant leadership is inclusive by empowering diverse employees and fostering equitable and more humane workplaces, as well as by being more sensitive to various societal expectations. Originality/value The paper is intended to explore precisely how servant leadership can help inclusive ideals to thrive in diverse work environments.
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Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present coaching opportunities and applications in the workplace as well as to point out that organizations that want to leverage the benefits of coaching must be mature enough to have certain processes and practices in place. A further purpose of this paper is to gain some insight regarding several critical success factors are not well understood by organizations and to identify possible areas for improvement for them. Design/methodology/approach – The authors first presents the environment in which coaching was developed, from which disciplines was it affected, and how it was shaped into its current form. Then the authors focus on coaching used as a business development tool and critical factors that play an important role in the effectiveness of coaching from the organizations’ side are presented. The paper ends with some qualitative conclusions. Findings – The value that organizations realize form coaching is proportional to the quality of coaching delivered. Organizations that invest in quality coaches, have, themselves, a clear understanding of what coaching really is and actively support coaching initiatives at every aspect of coaching’s procedure, can reap the greatest benefits from it. Originality/value – Several studies have been conducted to determine the organization-dependent factors that affect coaching and the quality of the result. However, do date it has not been highlighted that organizations that want to leverage the benefits of coaching must be mature enough to have certain processes and practices in place. Furthermore, possible areas for improvement for companies are identified regarding several critical success factors that are not well understood by them.
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Resilience is a word that is used in many different ways in different contexts, this new and innovative book focuses on psychological resilience in the workplace, examining other key aspects such as physical health and resilient teams, drawing from the latest research and the authors own practical experience. © Cary L. Cooper, Jill Flint-Taylor and Michael Pearn 2013. All rights reserved.
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A comprehensive guide to coaching theories, approaches and settings.