About coaching

TREND/SYSTEMS AWARENESS: A big-picture view to spot trends early on and an understanding of the influences of systems and their relationships is needed for the strategic direction that the leader must give.

CHARACTER: Leadership involves many tests of courage, resilience and morality which make strong character indispensable.

AUTHENTICITY: A leader cannot help others unless he shares himself openly and honestly.

VISIONARY THINKING: The mental picture of a desired destination, big or small, sparks focused activities and worthwhile endeavours, which is why leaders' first task is to imagine the ideal future.

EMPOWER: The more empowered and free people feel, the more they give to the cause. Rather than trying to control, leaders show trust in people's inherent capabilities.

COMMUNICATION: The leader's ability and commitment to communicate with clarity and appropriateness is essential to his leadership effectiveness.

DECISION MAKING: With firm and apt individual decision making together with skilful facilitation of team decisions the leader ensures momentum and backing for the direction taken.

BUILDING TRUST: By being honest, open and consistent and by showing the willingness to trust the team, the leader lays a strong team foundation for the good, but especially bad times.

RECOGNITION: Leaders recognise people privately and publicly out of real appreciation for their contributions as well as personal qualities.

BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS: Leadership is by definition action in the context of relationships. To ignore relationships contradicts leadership whereas building them enhances teamwork.

SELF-INITIATIVE: To be a leader is to take the initiative to make a positive difference.

CULTURAL AWARENESS: In an age of globalisation and culturally diverse workplaces, sensitivity for differences is critical to the leader's success in mobilising people as a community.

BUILDING TEAM: It is in the development and performance of the team that the leader's effectiveness can be seen.

LIFE-BALANCE/RESILIENCE: To sustain his energy and ability to focus, and to set a credible example, a leader needs to have good balance between the different areas of his life and model resilience.

CREATIVITY/INNOVATION: Since leaders focus on potential and imagine the future to be different, they demonstrate and encourage innovative and creative thinking.

PASSION: The leader does not only have to have a strong sense of responsibility, but passion for the cause.

CONNECTING WITH PEOPLE: Only by making good heart and mind connections with people can the leader hope to influence them to co-operate enthusiastically.

HONESTY/INTEGRITY: The leader is credible and ethical to the extent that his beliefs, values, attitude and behaviour forms an integrated whole.

TECHNOLOGY AWARENESS: Understanding the potential positive and negative effects of technology in the organisation enables the leader to balance human interests with efficiency.

SELF-MOTIVATION: The leader motivates himself with his personal vision, passion, potential and moral convictions.

SELF-DISCIPLINE: The leader's self-discipline sets the standard and example for others without which consistent performance is not possible.

ORGANISATIONAL AWARENESS: Sufficient awareness of different aspects of the organisation, such as the reason for its existence, the history, structure and culture, enables the leader to align himself and his team effectively.

PERSEVERANCE: Leadership disappears when we give up and emerges when we choose to persevere when others would have given up.

BEING SERVANT: By choosing to serve and not boss the team, the leader builds them up and collectively they grow to become better leaders in service of the organisation.

STRATEGIC THINKING: With the vision or goal in mind, leaders accept responsibility for the most effective way to achieve the vision or goal.

INSPIRING HOPE: Nothing is as damaging to an organisation as the negative attitudes of its people. It is the leader's uppermost responsibility to inspire hope and create a positive climate.

SELF-AWARENESS: Self-awareness opens the door to effective communication and the leader's ability to relate to others.

ADAPTABILITY: Effective leadership is more a consequence of the leader's ability to adapt well to changes than a consequence of his knowledge or experience.

SELF-CONFIDENCE: To lead requires the confidence to take the first step and have others follow you.

BUILDING SUPPORT: A leader must be able to build support for his ideas and direction or else fail as a leader.

SELF-REGARD: Positive self-regard is necessary for a leader in order to accept criticism, learn from it and continue leading with confidence.

LEADERSHIP STYLE: Different situations require different leadership styles to be effective. Good leaders are flexible and versatile in their style.