Leadership Coaching: Working with Leaders to Develop Elite Performance

Citation

Constanti, P. (2010), "Leadership Coaching: Working with Leaders to Develop Elite Performance", Journal of European Industrial Training, Vol. 34 No. 7, pp. 696-698. https://doi.org/10.1108/03090591011070806

Book synopsis

This is the fourth in the coaching series with Kogan Page and the Association for Coaching ,and it is aimed at both academics and practitioners. In returning to the popular issue of leadership, Jonathan Passmore has provided the contributors with a clear and explicit structure. Each chapter encompasses a specific model, a review of the research supporting the model and an exploration into how the model can enhance the coaching relationship. The book comprises 16 chapters dealing with various aspects of leadership coaching. Some of the key chapters are synthesized in the following paragraphs.

In chapter 1 Passmore provides an overview of leadership coaching, reflecting on how the leadership concepts and models can guide coaches to take a broader outlook of their role. Drawing on the concept of servant leadership, the author provides a brief overview of the model and identifies ten key components underpinning servant leadership. He discusses the importance of research towards providing evidence‐based coaching and looks at ways in which coaching can lead to effective leader development. Doug Strycharczyk, Peter Clough and Nollaig Heffernan provide an insight into integrated leadership in chapter 3. Describing this as a “macro” model, they contend that it has been designed to enable the coach to work within a “big picture” view of leadership. In a similar vein in chapter 8, Martin Egan offers a model of integral leadership, drawing together the diverse voices of leadership so that both coaches and coaches can explore the complexity of organizations.

Jonathan Perks and Reuven Bar‐On draw on Reuven's work in chapter 4 to develop a model of emotional intelligence, offering insights into how the model works and how the coach can use this framework in coaching conversations. The chapter identifies the six most important emotional intelligence factors that predict successful leadership and demonstrates the value of emotional intelligence to the coaching process. In chapter 9, Jean Hartley and Kate Pinder draw on their work with governmental institutions in order to provide insight for coaches of political leaders. Coaching in the public sector is becoming increasingly important and is an under‐researched area in the literature. In the chapter, the authors identify five key challenges associated with political leadership including supporting grassroots communities; negotiating and mobilizing effective partnerships; voicing the needs and interests of local communities; governing the public service organization and working within a political party group.

Chapters 12 and 13 explores different aspects of the leadership process. First, Juliette Alban‐Metcalfe and Glenn Mead look at the effect of transformational and transactional leadership and how moving to a transformational style can lead to a more motivated workforce through recognizing an individuals needs, aspirations and contributions. This is followed by an exploration of contingency leadership approaches by Gerard Fitzsimmons and Samantha Guise, who suggest that leaders must use a variety of styles depending on who they are dealing with. They identify effective leaders as those individuals who diagnose accurately the demands of the situation; select the correct response to meet those demands and continuously monitor the environment for changes to the situation.

The final chapter, written by Judith Okonkwo, explores leadership coaching in an African context. She examines the Ubuntu leadership model and utilises the myths and stories of African traditions in order to inform discourse on leadership and coaching. She argues that the Ubuntu model teaches business leaders to understand the cultural and behavioural context within which they are operating and demands that business leaders adopt an integrative approach to life and leadership.

Evaluation

Leadership is both a highly contentious and yet fascinating issue for both practitioners and academics. This is a timely text, which will make a significant contribution to the fields of both leadership and coaching. This synthesis of leadership and coaching provides further insight for those looking to enhance their knowledge and competencies in these fields. Jonathan Passmore has managed to gather together some of the most credible and knowledgeable experts in their respective disciplines. This, combined with the structure of each chapter, all of which include a case study and a review of the research underpinning the models being explored, provides additional credibility for those who need a more practical approach to their understanding of the issues.

Even though the text is targeted at both academics and practitioners, I would be inclined to urge the latter group to persist with what may at times seem like “heavy going”, adding as it does to the reader's thinking about leadership development. In addition, it offers the opportunity for those looking to enhance and extend coaching their practice by drawing on evidence‐based thinking, something that is lacking in many texts. Academics/researchers will find opportunities to expand and test the models explored and discussed in each chapter, while practitioners should read the text with care, taking time to reflect on the issues raised and the questions which are likely to ensue following the first reading.

In conclusion, the text is a useful resource for those interested in gaining a better grounding in the field of leadership coaching. It reviews many of the key theoretical developments and there is a wide coverage of important topics from leading contributors within the field.

In the author's own words

There has been a growing body of research in coaching over the past decade (Passmore and Gibbs, 2007) and much of this has focused on the benefits of coaching within organizations. However the area of coaching's contribution to leadership is relatively under‐researched when compared with other areas of leadership development. Organizations are asking more questions about their development decisions: What are the benefits of this approach? What is the return on investment? Does it really work? (p. 7).

About the reviewer

Panayiotis Constanti earned his Doctorate in Professional Studies in Education Management from Middlesex University, UK. He is an active scholar; an affiliate member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), with extensive experience in management and leadership, and his research interests include emotional labour and issues related to learning and teaching.