I gave it again.

Nothing happened.

And so began my long journey to become a more effective manager and eventually a leader.

Coaching as a leadership style

Recently, I delivered a presentation at the XX in Health Retreat on coaching as a leadership style. With a coaching approach, we stay curious and calm, ask questions and actively listen.

Given our busy schedules we often listen to others’ words, and then jump in with our solutions without really using the information we just heard. What would health care look like if we created true teams? It turns out there are many articles in the medical journals about exactly that—evidenced-based articles. The conclusion? With effective teams—TRULY effective teams—fewer patients die.

What might you do to develop a coaching culture in your office, in your organization? Start with Coaching Behavior:

• Practice active listening
• Ask open-ended questions. Gently probe, ask for details
• Summarize what you heard, paraphrasing and asking for confirmation or clarification
• Keep a journal to record your thoughts as you move from telling to asking. Your journal becomes your road map on your leadership journey.

You can do it!