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Leading edge: managing people through directing, delegating and coaching

By Nick Wright (January 2005 Issue)
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Managing people positively and effectively is probably the greatest challenge that leaders have in organisations today. This is largely because organisations face continual change and staff hold increasingly diverse expectations of leaders, teams and wider organisational life. Against this backdrop, leaders need to engage consciously in ongoing growth in self-awareness, organisational analytical capabilities and flexibility of approach.

This article will explore a selection of possible leadership interventions that fall broadly under the people management umbrella. Our choice of the right kind of intervention is likely to depend on a number of factors including our natural leadership style, underlying beliefs about the nature of leadership and prevailing organisational culture. Leaders need to understand the needs and opportunities presented by each situation in order to choose the best intervention. In this article I will describe a sample range of possible interventions – including directing, delegating and coaching –providing good practice tips along the way and concluding with recommendations for the aspiring leader and manager.

APPROACH
Leaders are likely to feel most comfortable with management approaches that suit their natural style, beliefs and norms. It’s difficult to say whether any particular approach is essentially right or wrong because the suitability of each approach depends on its own unique circumstances. Take, for example, Winston Churchill’s leadership style, widely regarded as critical for wartime Britain but unsuitable for peacetime Britain. As a general rule of thumb, I advise that leaders consider what type of intervention is appropriate for individual or team X in Y situation at Z time. This means pausing to reflect on one’s approach to ensure that it matches one’s own intentions and the needs of the situation.

 

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