07-18-2024
Leading people is hard. And wonderful. It requires sensitivity and abilities beyond technical skills. The cognitive and relational demands placed on leadership in just about any type of organization and in any capacity are many – and, if we reflect on the past several years, expectations only continue to rise. The world around us has introduced new levels of complexity that infiltrate our workplaces and our minds from so many angles it becomes impossible to catch them all (and here comes AI and digital transformation to boot).
At Wabash, we are constantly seeking ways to support our leaders in learning how to work “well.” Wabash embraces this challenge and contemplates wellbeing from a multitude of dimensions – physical, emotional, financial, and so on. We understand the complexity and importance of wholistic employee wellbeing, and consider our employees, at all levels, our most important assets. Consider two scenarios (fictional but realistic):
Dan was a mid-career finance manager eager to do a great job. He came in hard and fast and alienated his new team within weeks. Technically, he was just what the company needed. Smart, professional, experienced. But relationally, he was not connecting with his new team members and in danger of blowing his opportunity for a great beginning ….
Susan was burned out. Covid and organizational transformation had drained her battery. As an experienced senior leader, she knew how to go through the motions and get the job done. But ‘going through the motions’ was exhausting in and of itself, and her team was concerned.
When I think about my own journey as a leader over the past 20+ years, the most impactful way to support leaders’ growth I have come across is the practice of coaching.
This concept is not new, but has historically been focused on the highest level of executives at organizations, and seen as a “nice to have,” rather than the “must have” that it is. The concepts rooted within effective coaching, including self awareness, empathy, reflective inquiry, deep listening and thought partnership, can be demonstrated by any leader in any organization, and have also proven to be quite effective through years of research.
At Wabash, we aren’t thinking about turning every leader into a trained and certified coach, but rather, helping every leader be more “coach-like,” engraining this approach into their leadership beliefs. The managers of both “Dan” and “Susan” should adopt a coaching mindset and lean into listening and supporting their team members. The goal here is to do more than adopt a “tool.” Leaders should aim to weave coaching into the fabric of how they lead and show support for those in their care.
This is the most selfless form of focusing on wellbeing that a leader can demonstrate. Supporting the person in front of you and partnering with them to become their best and most genuine self has powerful impacts for both the individual and the organization. I encourage you to explore coaching concepts and how they could change how you think about your own leadership style and approach.
David Teeter is Vice President of Talent and Organizational Effectiveness at Wabash, a leader of connected solutions for the transportation, logistics and distribution industries. David earned his master’s in human resource management at Purdue’s Daniels School of Business. He is a member of the International Coaching Federation, and completed the Teleos Leadership Institute’s coach development program.
