LeadStrong: Leadership Coaching At All Levels
Creating a coaching plan to develop “ready-for-anything” leaders requires a tailored approach that builds resilience, strategic thinking, adaptability, and people-centered leadership skills. Here’s a structured plan with key focus areas, objectives, and actionable steps:
1. Assessment & Goal Setting
Objectives: Identify the leader’s strengths, gaps, and core values.
Actions:
Conduct leadership assessments (e.g., EQi 2.0, Conflict assessment, MBTI, etc.).
Identify specific development goals aligned with “ready-for-anything” leadership, such as resilience, agility, and strategic foresight.
Create a personalized action plan with short- and long-term milestones.
2. Build Self-Awareness & Emotional Intelligence (EI)
Objectives: Enhance self-regulation, empathy, and adaptability to stress and ambiguity.
Actions:
Incorporate Ei development activities using real-time challenges to assess responses.
Learn mindful attention and stress-management techniques to improve emotional resilience.
Engage in role-playing scenarios to practice active listening, empathy, and communication under pressure.
3. Strategic & Agile Thinking
Objectives: Equip leaders to anticipate, adapt, and act strategically in changing environments.
Actions:
Work on scenario planning and exercises for forecasting potential challenges.
Use case studies on adaptive strategy and agile methodologies to build quick-thinking and decision-making skills.
Encourage participation in cross-functional teams to broaden their strategic perspective and decision-making agility.
4. Develop Resilience
Objectives: Cultivate resilience, enabling leaders to bounce back from setbacks with a growth mindset.
Actions:
Integrate resilience training focused on problem-solving, dealing with challenges and recovering from failure.
Encourage a resilient mindset by reviewing past challenges and learning from them by identifying personal growth opportunities.
Introduce techniques that can be used at the moment for maintaining a calm perspective, such as breathing exercises and visualization.
5. Enhance Communication & Influence
Objectives: Improve leaders’ ability to communicate effectively, inspire confidence, and drive engagement.
Actions:
Conduct coaching on assertive communication, conflict resolution, and active listening.
Engage in speaking activities and storytelling exercises to strengthen persuasive communication.
Role-play difficult conversations and give feedback sessions to build emotional intelligence and relational transparency.
6. Lead & Empower Teams Through Change
Objectives: Strengthen leaders’ change management capabilities and team empowerment skills.
Actions:
Introduce management models for change and leading teams through transition.
Practice empowerment techniques, such as setting clear expectations, giving ownership, and celebrating team successes.
Facilitate real-time learning opportunities by challenging leaders to lead change projects, promoting growth through practice.
7. Create an Ongoing Learning & Feedback Loop
Objectives: Encourage continuous growth and accountability.
Actions:
Establish a regular reflection practice to assess progress and realign on goals every quarter.
Encourage ongoing feedback from peers and mentors to provide additional perspectives and identify new growth areas.
Develop a lifelong learning mindset by setting learning goals, attending workshops, and reading industry-related books.
8. Review & Evaluate Progress
Objectives: Measure development in readiness, resilience, and adaptability.
Actions:
Schedule regular reviews to discuss achievements, challenges, and adjustments to the coaching plan.
Re-assess development goals based on real-world application and adapt the coaching strategy as necessary.
Reinforce successes by celebrating wins and reinforcing self-reflection practices to solidify growth.
Leaders need to be ready for just about anything today. We cultivate clarity and capacity in leaders and teams. This is the foundation of the Work Smart Principle™.
~ Dr. Cynthia Howard
WhyWork SmartMay Be the Best Coaches for You
- Our deep experience with hundreds of leaders and executives.
- We coach Coaches, including PhD’s, MD's, Agile Coaches to be their best. This expert experience is now yours.
- Our coaches bring real world experience as managers and Directors.
- We understand the world of virtual and hybrid workspaces.
- We have experienced major transitions, rebranded and grown.
- Author of books and online programs on leadership, mindset and performance.
- Pioneer of the Resilient Mindset. Developed the Resilience Pyramid. Certified Scrum Master. Black Belt Lean Six Sigma.
- Dr. Howard understands top performance and supervises all coaches to help you get there.
Leadership coaching is an investment in the future of your leadership – corporately and individually. Coaching improves mindset, enhances skills, and equips leaders with a broader perspective. Â
Schedule a Strategy Call with Dr. Cynthia Howard to discuss the strategy for the coaching. Don’t wait – contact us today!
