Leading from the Inside Out
A leadership coaching program for new and emerging leaders
Being a new leader can be both exciting and disconcerting.
You’ve worked hard and earned that promotion or new role and are really looking forward to getting into the role and developing new skills.
On the other hand, you might be experiencing some anxiety about how you will go and possibly think that because you’ve been given this role then you should actually already know how to do it!
All of the above!
If you’re already known in the organisation and/or you’ve been honest with your past experience in the selection process, then your boss and others will know you are (somewhat) green. That’s OK. Everyone has to start somewhere.
The key is to go into it with a growth mindset, being open to what you don’t know, and consistently making little steps forward. As time goes by, you’ll gain more clarity on your own style and the things that work for you.
But that doesn’t help the sense of not knowing how to approach things at the start…
We might demonstrate our lack of experience and confidence in a number of ways… maybe it’s being a bit tentative in our actions or our participation in meetings, maybe we experience a bit of anxiety or stress, maybe we take too long to step into the role and show our capabilities ..…
… Or perhaps we go the other way and come across as brash or over-confident, maybe putting our foot into something and potentially putting off some of our colleagues.
While we don’t know for sure what you’re going to be faced with, you can develop skills in how you approach the different things that will arise.
That’s where this program will help you!
When else is the best time to work on your self-awareness and your leadership style than when you are a new or emerging leader?
This is the time to get the foundations right and start to clarify your leadership style so that you can continue to develop and grow in an optimal and congruent direction, before any bad habits become embedded.
Who is the program for?
It’s aimed at new and emerging leaders – those about to start a leadership role through to those wanting to further develop their style or consolidate foundational skills.
Is this your first step on the path to higher level leadership positions? This program could fast track your trajectory by helping you avoid some of the common pitfalls of new and/or inexperienced leaders.
Already have leadership experience and just want some coaching? Click here for stand-alone coaching information.
How is the program delivered?
- A structured series of 6 online learning modules (plus an introductory module) that starts with you – who you are and how this translates into you as a leader
- Each module includes a mix of online videos, reading and other activities
- Optional: Three 1:1 coaching sessions via Zoom. Coaching sessions are spaced to help generate insight, develop ‘good thinking’ about issues, explore concepts, and embed new habits
What’s included in the modules?
Introduction
A short video sets the scene for the program and includes:
- An overview of the program and how it works
- The underlying philosophy and what you can expect
- Expectations of participants
- Getting in touch/ trouble shooting
Module 1: Leading My Way
This module is about clarifying your leadership style and how you can be most effective. It’s important to be ourselves in our work, as this is when we bring our unique skills and capabilities to benefit others.
This module covers:
- Finding my own style and how I lead/ want to lead
- Stepping fully into a leadership role
- Emotional intelligence
Module 1 (optional add-on): Style Inventory
If you have already completed a personal style inventory – like the MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Inventory) or the DISC – then this information will be a useful adjunct to the module and the first coaching session.
However, if you haven’t completed one of these and would like to, then you may choose to add this on. This is separate to the program and a link will be provided for you to follow.
Note, no commission or other benefit is received from this referral.
Module 2: Managing my Workload
Stepping up into a leadership role often means an increased workload. Not only do we have to complete our own work, but we also need to oversee the work of others and guide or assist them as needed. We’re also likely to have more meetings to attend.
There is a range of techniques, based on recent neuroscience research, that help us to work with our brains in managing our workload. Amongst others, this includes:
- Understand how our brain works and how we think
- Multi-tasking – getting more things done more effectively
- Managing time and energy
- Making good decisions
- Dealing with stress and overwhelm
Module 3: Developing better resilience
Everyone falls into holes at some point or other – whether that’s you or your team members. This module helps you to identify and then manage responses to events in a way that helps everyone to develop better resilience. This module looks at:
- Stress – the good and the bad
- Healthy and unhealthy coping strategies
- The three core elements of resilience
- Five factors that help to build resilience
Module 4: Getting the best from my team
Once we have some foundational things in place, this module is about using those skills to get the best from your team. This module covers:
- Motivation
- Communication
- Managing disagreements, tension and conflict
Module 5: Giving and Receiving Effective Feedback
Who hasn’t struggled with having a ‘difficult’ conversation! Regardless of whether you are the person initiating the topic or receiving the feedback it can be a tricky path to navigate.
This module looks at some of the neuroscience around having difficult conversations – including performance feedback – and, while we can’t expect that these conversations will ever be easy, we can use a framework that will help smooth the process whether you are giving or receiving the feedback.
- What the neuroscience research tells us
- Having good conversations generally
- Preparing for and navigating a formal conversation
- How to manage when things don’t go as planned
Module 6: Influencing beyond my Team
Being a leader isn’t just about managing yourself and your team; it’s also about influencing more broadly.
- How can you optimally manage up?
- What about influencing a peer manager, or their boss?
- How do you get a project across the line?
This module covers the foundational elements of:
- Influencing outside of clear delegations
- Managing up and across
- Dealing with resistance
