Coaching Helps Create New Ways Of Being
States of being are temporary. They’re often narrowly focused and reactionary.
Traits of being, on the other hand, are how you naturally “show up.” No matter what the circumstance, people can anticipate your behavior based on the values you’ve demonstrated as important in the past.
Change Is The Great Equalizer
Over the span of your leadership career, new perspectives can be your ally to help you shift focus from your “way of doing” things to your “way of being”. This is especially important in response to assuming a new role, or during times of change and disruption.
But, how do you as a leader turn states of being into traits of being, and establish new ways of being?
That shift starts with inspiration, but then demands self-reflection, ongoing focus, and accountability.
Coaching is a technology for learning and change and can help ensure your success!
Early Leadership Development Downfalls
Before the information age, leaders had few ways to expand knowledge or shift perspectives. They had to rely on structured, formal leadership development programs.
We know from research that only 10% (at most) of formal learning is retained or applied when taken back to the workplace.
Some programs might have included practical tools and frameworks to support ongoing application back on the job, but that innovation in leadership development was rare.
Any new states of being from formal training can be helpful in the short term but may be fleeting in the context of sustained change.
Upon return to the daily routine, the inspiration, and new states of being are diminished by the demands of ongoing work, established routines, and reliance on familiar processes.
Access To Inspiration Is Only A Start
Access to information and inspiration in the internet age allows leaders to activate new states of being on a regular basis.
The proliferation of blogs, articles, podcasts, Ted Talks, and other video training provides access to the best thought leaders, practices, and tools available.
It’s true...Leaders have easy access to best-in-class inspiration now more than ever.
Yet, lack of focus, time, and self-reflection coupled with the pace of business today creates the same problem as before.
Leaders who seek to sustain new states of being, so they can turn them into traits of being, and thereby establish new ways of being are unable to do so.
New Ways Of Being Are Essential To A Leader’s Career Growth
When a high-performing employee assumes a first leadership role, most likely they were promoted on the strength of their work, the consistency of performance, and the quality of their business solutions.
But as they grow in their leadership career, they will be evaluated more and more by their demeanor, interactions, and how they show up under pressure.
In other words, they are evaluated for larger roles by their ways of being.
In discussing talent and career growth for leaders, the discussion turns more to intangibles, and one may hear statements like,
“I don’t think they have what it takes,” or
“He doesn’t carry himself like a leader at that level,” or,
“She doesn’t present like a VP.”
Even if those discussions focus more on behaviors, they are overshadowed in vague statements like, “He’s too nice,” or “She seems too aggressive!”
These statements are about the leader’s ways of being. Which means leaders may be passed up for promotion because, at higher levels, leadership is less about what you are doing, and more about how you are being.
Recognizing The Invitation To Explore A New State Of Being
When you consume inspirational or innovative ideas, you may feel pulled to develop a new state of being in your leadership role. It can show up for you in any number of ways depending on how you embody new information:
Through your thinking brain, it may cause a reaction such as, “I never thought of it that way before,” or “What a great way to reframe what is happening!”
In your emotional or heart-centered brain, it may show up as a warm feeling, or the impulse to take a deep breath in, exhale, and sit back to process the information.
If you’re more instinctual, the new inspiration may feel like a punch in the gut, or like you “have to” put it into practice right away.
The key is to recognize the invitation to the new state of being (moving from unconscious incompetence to conscious incompetence).
Then, give it focus and time to move it to a new trait of being (conscious competence).
And then, finally, give yourself some grace as you fully embody the new way of being (unconscious competence).
At that point, you are present and authentic in your new way of being.
Coaching Is The Proper Technology For Lasting Change
Leaders need coaching to transition a new state of being to a new trait of being, and ultimately to a new way of being.
A new idea that invites you to a new state of being can easily get relegated to the “undone” pile along with the other 90-95% of innovative triggers you experience and fail to internalize.
Your mind has a limited capacity to hold onto new information.
Once you identify a new idea to help you transform, a coach can partner with you. Your coach can help you to refine it, feed it with sustained energy and focus, and identify steps for accountability and success.
Only then can you turn a new state of being, into a trait of being, and then consistently show up in a new way of being.
If you would like to explore new ways of being as a leader or discovered a new idea that you would like to explore further, schedule a free strategy session with me. I’m happy to help!