Leadership Training Also Requires Coaching

Empowering employees’ growth through learning and development (L&D) opportunities is a vital function to equip employees with the knowledge and skills they need to be effective in their roles. It also provides them with a greater understanding of the organization’s processes, procedures, and goals. In turn, it drives better business performance and employee engagement through improved company culture, increased productivity, and supports workplace safety.  

When businesses invest in L&D for skills such as conflict resolution, trust building, teamwork, accountability, performance management, and other leadership topics, the effectiveness may be limited if it is not combined with coaching. The reasons it may be ineffective include our own lack of awareness of how we perceive ourselves, how we are perceived, and the challenges inherent with habit changes. 

Jathan Janove, J.D., states there are blind spots due to the lack of awareness that he calls the “Three Realities Gap.” The realities are: 

1. What we perceive we say or do 
   
2. What we actually say or do 
   
3. ​What others perceive we say or do. 
   

Even for those who are motivated to put what they learn into practice, it can be challenging due to these blind spots, emotional intelligence, and current habits.  

Coaching can help empower leaders to better understand themselves by bringing awareness to their personality and behavioral types and leadership styles and how those attributes fit in with a diverse organization and team. Leaders may not be aware that they have established habits where they process information and respond in an automatic way regardless of the audience or situation. 

Coaching helps employees: 

• Gain perspective on themselves and others 
• Improve decision-making skills 

• Increase productivity 
• Improve communication skills 
• Increase profitability 
• Learn how to lead with confidence and tackle challenges 

In addition to the above, coaching can help your employees develop an overall well-being strategy. They may discuss a number of strategies for stress management, sleep enhancement, resilience and mindfulness, healthy eating, burnout prevention, exercise or activity goals, and professional or personal pursuits.  

If your business is interested in implementing coaching as part of your L&D strategy, InvigorateHR can help you with the following elements: 

• Conduct an assessment such a DiSC profile or Five Behaviors 
• Perform management or employee training and allow for practical activities 

• Encourage follow-up discussions of actual situations for best practices and lessons learned 
• Periodically measure progress and adjust. 

 
Learn more at www.InvigorateHR.com. 
 
Adapted from SHRM