Personal development and leadership coaching (3)know

For a man to achieve all that is demanded of him, he must regard himself as greater than he is (Johann Goethe).

Personal development is a broad term that largely refers to the various ways and processes by which people are able to assess their personal attributes, talents, dispositions, skills and other qualities in relation to their life goals and potentials. It describes the personal drive of a person for continuous improvement in one or more area(s) of his or her life. It also proves the desire of such a person to achieve certain heights and/or levels of personal excellence and distinction through diligence, constant learning, capacity building and goal setting.

Personal development is not only the greatest investment that a person can ever make; it is also the greatest motivator of personal transformation. It is thus the best indicator of the power of a person’s inner self to access his or her internal (mind) resources to compel desirable change. That is why the people who actively seek, and constantly invest in personal development are dream clients for any coach.

For a team leader or any leader for that matter that operates as an internal coach, getting people to buy into a corporate vision is usually made much easier if and when personal goals dovetail into corporate goals. The leader, who is for all practical purposes a coach-leader thus emphasises the needs, desires, processes and strategies for achievement of goals, because it is a win-win situation for all. Such a situation therefore demands constant assessment of goals and desired outcomes.

It is this constant and continuous assessment that inspires and motivates the quest for more knowledge and drive for achievement, especially by the individual in positioning for excellence. Although personal development is a personal and individually-driven process, it almost always requires the inputs of other people, such as the coach who can through their engagements create and add value to the process. As a matter of fact, within the corporate business sector, that is what is required of a truly inspirational, visionary and transformational leader.

The fact cannot be overstated that the major responsibility of any team leader is to continue to facilitate the unlocking and unleashing of individual and corporate potentials, so that personal and corporate goals are achieved as desired. That is the why it is so important that leaders at various levels of responsibility, especially in the business arena also seek continuous personal development. The best way is to also be a coach and mentor, as well as a leader to others. The resultant effect is that the dreams of the leader becomes realised as he or she helps others to achieve their dreams.

The truth is that people naturally have the craving for a sense of belonging, acknowledgement and recognition. Therefore, the leader who is perceptive, supportive and eager to listen is able to build great rapport with people. Such a leader is therefore better placed to create confidence, self-belief, responsibility and accountability in people by acting as a team coach. The usual response is that people are personally inspired to act rather than being pushed to do their leaders’ bidding.

There is hardly a better and more sustainable way than this to encourage personal development in people. It is definitely the best way to facilitate the unlocking and utilisation of individual gifts of people for the benefit of the entire team. That is why coach-leadership is so powerful, because the major aspiration of every coach-leader is to impact peoples’ lives through positive influence. The goal is always to inspire such people to commit to making the same difference in the lives of others. Therein exist the critical element of continued personal development and the reality of the kind of influence that other people can make at some stages in a person’s life. 

Having lots of money and occupying high positions have never been the true measure of success. So, true success in life cannot just be about being exceedingly affluent. Rather, it is more about making positive influence through whatever affluence may exist. The extent and sustainability of your positive influence determines not just your success, but also your significance. Success is good and must be desired, but bringing significance to the lives of other people is more enduring, hence more fulfilling. The question should therefore always be about whether there is significant influence through much affluence.

This is what ties personal development, leadership and coaching together, because what we try to do in every leadership coaching is to support the leader to set and achieve goals of true influence (significance). The most successful leaders in this regard are those that help to move their people to the highest possible levels of personal development and empowerment. But, this comes with a high price of selflessness, humility and extreme servant-leadership. That is the price that transformational leaders have to pay, but the rewards are always great at the end. Are you ready for personal development? You can read more about the transformational power of coaching at www.ceedcoaching.com.

Emmanuel Imevbere