Discover Your True North with Leadership Coaching
In ancient times when navigation tools were unsophisticated, mariners used the north direction to fix their position and accordingly direct themselves in the right direction. That’s where the word ‘true north’ originates from.
Leaders are modern-day captains of ships plowing through the rough professional seas. Are you one of them? Then finding your true north is vital to be a stable, able, and transformational leader. We will look at how leadership coaching can help leaders in this.
What is True North in Leadership?
In the bestseller, True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership, Bill George describes ‘true north’ as ‘the fixed point in your spinning world.’ Also called purpose. To be a successful leader, it is essential that you find your true north. Why?
Because that’s what’s going to stand by you and ensure you are standing when a crisis hits. A wise saying goes, ‘Live your life by a compass, not a clock.” For leaders, direction is more important than speed.
A leader can have different true norths as an individual, as a leader of an organization, and as a social architect.
Leadership coaching
Leadership coaching is an empowering partnership with a coach to unlock your potential through self-awareness and self-discovery. Leadership coaching can help a leader achieve personal and professional goals holistically. Organizations that invest in leadership coaching for their leaders also reap immense benefits.
Clarifying your true north with leadership coaching
How can leadership coaching enable you to find your true north?
Thinking partners
Most leaders have a vague sense of their purpose, but it is hazy due to limiting beliefs or a lack of self-awareness. Leadership coaching can bring clarity and also enable you to see different perspectives and act in new, empowering ways.
Compass
A leadership coach can act as a compass to help you find your direction. Leadership coaching involves powerful questioning that reveals hidden beliefs and ideas.
Finding alignment
Value conflicts arise when there is a misalignment of the different true norths of a leader. These mental conflicts can be mentally draining and damage performance. Leadership coaching can help leaders in aligning their true norths holistically.
Giving a nudge
Sometimes, all it takes is a nudge, even a forced push. This can lead to actions that increase momentum and finally bring about progress. In leadership coaching, coaches, our trusted partners, can nudge to set the ball rolling.
Why do so many leaders go for leadership coaching? I always say that leadership coaching is one relationship in which there are no vested interests and where the coach is the most invested in the process. That is how leadership coaches can help leaders find their purpose.
I have enabled many leaders to find their true north through leadership coaching. I can do the same for you.
The above are excerpts from our podcast, All About Coaching on Mentza. Tune in for more insights.
