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- The Parliament Vol. 2, No. 18
The Parliament Vol. 2, No. 18
What's Your Ideal Outcome?
Thomas Greek
May 23, 2025
COACHING PROMPT OF THE WEEK
“What’s Your Ideal Outcome?”
This is a powerful coaching prompt!
It cuts right to the heart of what someone truly desires and helps to clarify their vision.
This question can help your team member paint a compelling picture of their desired future, providing clarity, motivation, and direction for the coaching process. This might be an ideal coaching prompt when a team member is taking on a new role, a stretch assignment, or tackling a challenging issue.
Here are a few follow-up questions to keep in mind:
What makes that outcome so important to you?
What would be the impact of achieving that outcome?
What steps can we take to move closer to that ideal outcome?
Remember that coaching isn’t telling! Coaching is about staying curious and making space for those in our care to become confident authors of their own stories.
Ever felt a pull towards helping others grow, unlock their potential, and achieve their goals? Maybe you're the go-to person on your team for advice, or perhaps you simply find genuine joy in seeing someone else succeed. If any of this resonates, you might just be a natural coaching leader!
Coaching leadership isn't about telling people what to do; it's about guiding them to find their own answers, empowering them to take ownership, and fostering their development. Sound familiar? Let's explore 3 telltale signs that you have a natural inclination towards this powerful style of leadership:
1. You Ask Powerful Questions, Not Just Give Answers:
Instead of immediately jumping in with solutions, do you tend to ask questions that prompt others to think for themselves? Coaching leaders are skilled at asking powerful, open-ended questions that encourage reflection, self-awareness, and problem-solving.
2. Empathy Flows Naturally: Walking in Their Shoes
Can you easily put yourself in someone else's shoes and understand their feelings, even if you don't necessarily agree with their perspective? Empathy is a cornerstone of coaching. If you're someone who naturally feels for others and tries to see things from their point of view, you have a crucial coaching superpower.
3. You're All Ears (and You Actually Listen!): The Art of Deep Listening
In a world full of noise, do you find yourself truly listening when others speak? Not just waiting for your turn to talk, but actively focusing on their words, body language, and underlying message? Natural coaching leaders pay attention, ask clarifying questions, and reflect back what they've heard to ensure understanding.
Recognize Yourself? Embrace Your Inner Coaching Leader!
If you've nodded along to several of these signs, congratulations! You likely possess a natural inclination towards coaching as a leadership style. This is a valuable and increasingly sought-after skill in today's dynamic world.
The world needs more leaders who empower and develop others. You might just be one of them, ready to step into your potential and make a real difference.
Want to sharpen your coaching skills, join us in the Leaders as Coaches Online program and watch your team – and your leadership – transform. www.ThomasGreekCoaching.com
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“He who has great power should use it lightly.” —Seneca
This Roman philosopher might have been the inspiration behind Spider-Man’s famous line: “With Great Power comes Great Responsibility!”
Whether a 2,000-year-old stoic philosophy or pop-culture phenomenon, this is a timeless reminder that true strength is not found in the forceful exertion of authority, but in the wisdom, humility, and compassion with which it is applied.
As leaders, we often show up with a lot of Positional Authority. I learned along the way that I got better results and higher engagement the more I set that positional authority aside in favor of wielding influence and forging relationships.
The higher you climb in an organization, the more power you possess, this reminder from Seneca (or Spider-Man) might serve you well.
What behaviors can you demonstrate to soften your leadership style?
Thanks and Be Well!
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