Unlocking Potential by Michael Simpson
This book provides a great overview of coaching. The author has a clear mentality of abundance, feeling that the primary job of a leader is to help his people grow. We are all born with the potential to succeed and the leader helps to unlock that potential in others.
The book reviews 7 key coaching skills that make for an effective leader/coach. I think each of the 7 skills could be lengthy books by themselves but as an overview of coaching Simpson does a good job addressing them to an appropriate degree.
The 7 skills are:
* Build Trust
* Challenge Paradigms
* Seek Strategic Clarity
* Execute Flawlessly
* Give Effective Feedback
* Tap Into Talent
* Move the Middle
One of the key insights I gleaned was from the section that discusses question based coaching. The author teaches that the most effective way to coach is to ask questions. This ensures that the insights come from within the individual and truly unlock existing potential.
I also loved the idea of moving the middle. Directly identify those members of the middle of the organization that can easily adopt the patterns of top performers and become tomorrow's leaders.
I recommend this book to anyone who may find themselves in a leadership position at school, home, work, church, or in any other meaningful life arena.