Self-Coaching Leadership

Generally, leadership is about influencing people to make big things happen. Management is a process of organizing people to get things done. They are different skills, but equally critical to success in today’s workplace. The key is to know which approach works best in which situation.

Written in a clear, simple style, Self-Coaching Leadership redefines and demystifies the journey to leadership. Angus McLeod’s no-nonsense thinking, straightforward approach and practical tools enable readers to more easily identify when a leader is needed - and coach themselves toward improved influence, performance and effectiveness.

List of illustrations xi

About the author xiii

Preface xvii

Acknowledgments xxiii

PART ONE LEADERSHIP OF SELF 1

1 Time 3

Lock-in syndrome 5

Fire-fighting 7

Busy heads 12

The step back 12

Busy bodies 13

Silent time for reflection 20

2 Life balance 27

Where there is a will, there is a way 28

Honoring jobs done 34

3 Personal goals 37

The pre-goal method 37

The Stretch Zone 42

4 Wheel of work 47

Segments of the wheel 47

5 Solution thinking 55

Deep Thought solutions 57

Flexible thinking and the multiple intelligences 59

6 Applying personal changes 63

Reducing work time 64

PART TWO INFLUENCE: LEADERSHIP OF OTHERS 67

7 Widening and narrowing attention 69

Further questions 69

Changes: Overt motives made clear 73

8 Rapport skills and building trust 75

Rapport skills 76

Beginnings, middles and ends 77

Honoring and celebration 82

Mindsets for rapport and trust 84

Trust 86

9 Relationship building: putting it together 89

10 Leadership qualities 93

Traits, trust factors and people skills 93

Trust factors 94

Trait: Clear communicator 96

Trait: Straight-talker 100

Trait: Flexibile 101

Trait: Reliable and consistent (TF) 104

Trait: Accepts responsibility (TF) 106

Trait: Discrete (TF) 108

Trait: Credible 108

People skill: Listens intently 119

People skill: Understands others 136

People skill: Supportive (TF) 137

People skill: Interested in me (TF) 139

11 Other influencing skills of the leader 141

Accommodation, compromise and collaboration 142

12 Mindsets for leaders 153

13 Motivation 155

Motivation: Under- and over-managing 156

Motivation: Mentoring and coaching 160

The 1-2-1 meetings 179

Facilitating all 1-2-1s 180

New staff 1-2-1 192

Understanding stress 195

Probing the Wheel of Work 197

14 My Own 1-2-1 209

15 Influencing peers and bosses 213

16 Strategic influence 217

What I need to communicate 217

The strategy for action 222

17 Managing meetings 223

Agenda frames for behaviors and outcomes 223

Meetings: Factoring for success 226

18 Developing Talent 233

Organizational character overview 234

PART THREE SELF-LEARNING FOR LEADERS 237

19 The Real Thing at work 241

Being and doing 244

Recalibrating authenticity for work 248

Maintaining progress 254

20 Self-awareness for leaders 255

Feedback for leaders 256

21 Emotional Intelligence 263

Working to improve EI 266

Epilogue 275

References 277

Index 279

ANGUS MCLEOD PhD is a renowned and well respected coach and author of Performance Coaching: The Handbook for Managers, HR Professional and Coaches (2003), Me, Myself, My Team: How to Become an Effective Team Player Using NLP (2000) and numerous journals articles.
Angus continues to influence the coaching profession through his on-line mentoring service 'Ask Max' and leadership of The Coaching Foundation, an organization that offers career development opportunities to professional coaches.
He is a competitive rower, an advanced trainer in motorcycling and a passionate cook.
For more information please contact ourinfo@angusmcleod.com
www@angusmcleod.com
Leadership is about influencing people to make big things happen. Management is a process of organizing people to get things done. They are different skills, but equally critical to success in today's workplace. The key is to know which approach works best in which situation.

Written in a clear, simple style, Self-Coaching Leadership redefines and demystifies the journey to leadership. Angus McLeod's no-nonsense thinking, straightforward approach and practical tools enable readers to more easily identify when a leader is needed - and coach themselves toward improved influence, performance and effectiveness.

Highlights of the book:

• This is an evidence-based book that redefines the skills of management and leadership.
• Deals with today's key management and leadership issues, including long hours, stress, task prioritization and life balance, addressing each with actionable tools.
• Takes readers from their own self-leadership to the strategic leadership of an organization.
• Includes methods that have been successfully applied in the real world by managers who have undertaken coaching with the author.

"Angus McLeod has produced a Master Companion for every executive. Leadership can be learned and this book is a highly effective and easy way to learn it."
—Richard Denny, CEO, The Richard Denny Group

"This book is a 'must read' for busy people interested in being better leaders, managers or in improving their overall quality of life."
—Edward Fahy, Senior Manager, DuPont, Wilmington, DE

"Dr McLeod's book is brilliant in its simplicity and packed with no-nonsense thinking and common sense."
—Will Thomas, author of Coaching Solutions and Coaching Solutions Workbook

"Angus has written a rich and practical book that brings together a great breadth of knowledge, understanding and experience while making sure that there is much that the reader can take away and do. For anyone at all interested in the sort of Leadership that actually makes a difference this is a 'must read'."
—Myles Downey, founder of The School of Coaching and author of Effective Coaching

"Angus McLeod offers strategies for challenging and or supporting the key governors of growth and development in the organization."
—Judith DeLozier, co-founder of NLP

"…so many new models and processes to use it felt like Christmas."
—Karen Donley, HR Director, MBDA, BAe

"Comprehensive, compelling and readable."
—Michael Byrne, CEO, QBC, Eire

"McLeod has done it again, he has produced a self-improvement guide for leaders which is as simple as it can be but no simpler."
—Professor David Megginson, Professor of HRD, Sheffield Hallam University