To become a strong leader, it takes a myriad of tools, skills and approaches and all too often people lump everything into “coaching.” Coaching can be one of those tools that helps fuel your drive, but your commitment to developing your leadership abilities is fundamental.

Activities of strong, adaptable and successful leaders include:

Constant Learning
Going to seminars, learning through online tools, and engaging peers and friends to find out best practices or other resources. Strong leaders have a passion to lead and desire to develop themselves and others which is critical to their growth.

Reading, Reading, Reading
Leaders crave information on leadership, management, team work, etc. in all genres of literature, periodicals and online sources. Their desire to learn is important and learning through story telling will jettison their growth and development.

Training & Peer Assessment
Leaders recognize that training and learning with their peers establishes a core awareness and is a foundation to effective leadership growth. High performing teams and people just don’t “happen.”

Reflection & Self-Awareness
The ability and courage to see yourself through the eyes of others is not the easiest step. Leaders understand the importance of self-awareness and use personality tools & 360 feedback to better leverage their communication and practices to lead at new levels.

Leadership / Executive Coaching
High achieving, goal oriented leaders who are open to learning, and willing to let go of “their way” to find new paths of growth and development seek out coaching. They recognize that having a vibrant and reflective exchange and insight into self with a knowledgeable, objective sounding board is critical to their performance and impact on their organization.

Seek Feedback
The ability to hear when your style or behavior is negatively impacting others and then adapt is the secret that makes good leaders great. The skill that moves yourself and others forward. This is good feedback, not coaching.

“The most dangerous leadership myth is that leaders are born-that there is a genetic factor to leadership. That’s nonsense; in fact, the opposite is true.
Leaders are made rather than born.”
Warren Bennis

If you want to be successful as a leader, be clear and specific about the tools and options you are engaging to achieve your goals. With clarity, comes great achievement and success.