I believe coaches are, arguably, the most powerful people in the world because they reverse the assumptions that bind our potential and humanity, and download a new operating system, a new set of assumptions, that gets people to say yes to who they are and what they can do, letting their natural brilliance emerge.

"People come to you mindlessly and ask questions, you answer them thinking you are helping, they leave your office without taking ownership of the results - you told me to do this - they learn nothing and they feel you want them to come to you with all questions, because you don't trust them to do the right thing. It is a vicious cycle. Simply, don't answer any more questions."

With this shift, there is still a "me" in the picture, but it's not front and center. The "me" involves finding one's own personal motivation, enjoyment and engagement in learning the skills of leadership beyond their individual performance.

Through coaching - a.k.a. collaborative development discussions - with their managers, direct reports can learn and grow in key ways. Coaching can help people gain greater self-awareness, increase their autonomy, reinforce strengths and skills, and take more responsibility for their own development and career path. Direct reports will also be more likely to agree with and implement their individual development plans and be more engaged in their work.

How effective is your approach to coaching? We invite you take a coaching evaluation to see where you stand in comparison to outstanding business coaches. It will measure the how strongly you prefer to behave collaboratively or dictatorially, how prone you are to giving advice or enabling other people to discover answers for themselves, and how apt you are to exert your expertise or treat everyone as equals. While certainly the best coaches adjust their style to the particular person and situation at hand, we have found that there are ideal ranges on the scores for all six of these dimensions.

Skilled managers have never been more critical to the success of firms than they are today.  Not because employees can't function without direction, but because managers play a vital role in talent management. Gone are the comprehensive career management systems and expectations of long-term employment that once functioned as the glue in the employer-employee contract.  In their place, the manager-employee dyad is the new building block of learning and development in firms.

Instead, leaders need to start by really caring about what other people have to say about an issue.  Research also shows that active listening, combined with empathy or trying to understand others' perspectives and points of view is the most effective form of listening.  Henry Ford once said that if there is any great secret of success in life, it lies in the ability to put oneself in another person's place and to see things from his or her point of view -as well as from one's own.

A servant-leader focuses primarily on the growth and well-being of people and the communities to which they belong. While traditional leadership generally involves the accumulation and exercise of power by one at the "top of the pyramid," servant leadership is different. The servant-leader shares power, puts the needs of others first, and helps people develop and perform as highly as possible.

You have an employee who is disrespectful-perhaps even belligerent-but he's a top performer. Management has put up with his antics because it's not sure the organization can win without him. You are caught in the middle. What do you do?

If you're a manager of managers, or otherwise leading in the middle zone of the organization, pay particular attention to these six factors:

As a manager, you may be tempted to overlook employee conflicts when they occur in the workplace, hoping they go away on their own. But ignoring employee problems does not make them disappear-In fact, over time, unresolved conflicts often escalate into negative workplace environments that lower morale, increase turnover, and harm productivity.  What should you do about this? How can you coach your employees through conflict? Here are five tips to keep in mind.

If you want to become a leader, don't wait for the fancy title or the corner office. You can begin to act, think, and communicate like a leader long before that promotion. Even if you're still several levels down and someone else is calling all the shots, there are numerous ways to demonstrate your potential and carve your path to the role you want.

The collaborative and engaging style of a "Coach" enables leaders to be a "manager-coach". This approach focuses on developing employees in order to achieve business results rather than managing their every move. The mindset of the manager-coach is to create an environment that fosters learning, independent thinking and opportunities to contribute. The manager-coach doesn't want to be seen as a solution provider. Rather, they want to be seen as a facilitator, paving the way for the employee to achieve their results. Manager-Coaches are a role model for others. They are excellent listeners and communicators, providing perspective and encouragement while also setting high standards and expectations.

Interesting conversation on the differences between a Supervisor & a Manager.

But I am suggesting that piling on praise is a more effective motivator for the rookie than the pro. And I'm saying, point blank, that you shouldn't worry so much when it comes to pointing out mistakes to someone experienced. Negative feedback won't crush their confidence, but it just might give them the information they need to take

Coaching, however, deserves careful thought and practice. Here are some specific opportunities to improve our daily coaching efforts.

Getting honest, useful feedback is an important part of any project or career. Of course, positive feedback is awesome because it motivates you to keep up the good work. Negative feedback can be painful to hear, but if you can swallow your pride, it presents the opportunity to improve what you're working on.