Coaching school leaders enhances High Performance

“Everyone needs a coach. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a basketball player, a tennis player, a gymnast, or a bridge player. We all need people who will give us feedback. That’s how we improve.” Bill Gates

Wise words - however, the results of a recent Gallup poll stated that only a quarter of employees ‘strongly agree’ that they receive meaningful feedback from their leaders. In our schools we can, and must, do better.

Leaders in High Performance Learning schools are successful individuals who are constantly striving for more. Empowering leaders to lead through coaching is a proven way to help and support them to raise aspirations, reflect and work at an elevated level.

Too often, in incredibly busy schools, feedback is more like directive mentoring. Usually, a leader with years of experience tells a less experienced leader what to do - but worse, how to do it. This method comes easily to many leaders, has been the norm in hierarchical organisations for decades. The less experienced leader will follow the guidance but is instantly disempowered and, perhaps, disenchanted.

Leaders who are coaches default to a different style – they listen differently, ask different questions, and help to shape achievable targets and goals. Leading as a coach empowers them to draw out the strengths and knowledge of their people. This unlocks time to focus on the big picture, prevents micromanaging, and gives employees the opportunity to prove their competency.

Using coaching style to lead in our schools can lead to:

• Individuals being empowered and freed up to take responsibility
• Improved individual performance
• Identifying and develop leaders throughout their career
• Identifying both organisational and individual strengths and development opportunities
• Demonstrating the school’s commitment to developing staff

Combined, this will raise the ambition of the school and create a culture built on trust.

Coaching techniques can be used during normal, pre-planned meetings, but leaders with honed coaching skills can also support their staff when these tactics are used informally. We all want to avoid corridor conversations, but we all know that they will naturally take place every day. Coaching techniques can help to maximise the value of every conversation.

Huge improvements to leadership style and behaviours springs from a culture of coaching, supporting everyone. Coaches become more reflective, better at listening, more effective communicators and better tuned into the needs of the team. A coaching leader becomes more emotionally intelligent, shows more empathy, and has a more accurate view of themselves and their team.

Coaching leaders should be at the heart of every High Performing school. Coaching is a way to have conversations with staff where you can maximize their potential without being the expert.
Coaching leaders stimulate creativity and innovation. Ultimately, we all want that.