Abstract
How to accelerate the development of leaders has been the subject of study, but there is still a need for more research into the potential of coaching. This study aims to investigate the ways in which coaching can support the development of leaders. Surveys are conducted with middle and top leaders because they play a crucial role in identifying and training future leaders within the organization. The authors reach two main conclusions: 1) This leader views himself as a transformational leader and is concerned with the development of future leaders. 2) This leader uses coaching as a practice and a skill for developing future leaders. Leader takes the coach's role when he supports and encourages personal and professional development of other leaders. The executive coaching is chosen by transformational leaders with the goal of promoting internally developing leaders in the organization. The leader who cares about the development of new leaders within the organization assumes the role of leader-coach through the development of skills and the use of coaching as a leadership development practice.
TopIntroduction
Human Resource development is a crucial economic factor because HR characteristics impact economic return (Tomé, 2011). For organizations, the challenge is the adequate development of human resources; especially the development of leaders - today’s leaders as well as those who will lead in the future. Thus, it is necessary to promote activities within the organization where HR development is improved, particularly for internal leaders. Leadership development allows organizational leaders to thrive and instills in them the need for continuous development of human resources in the 21st century.
Today's uncertain and complex context - with the fourth industrial revolution - is increasingly demanding for leaders (Achoki, 2023), as are the challenges of intergenerational diversity (Ince, 2022). New competences and new approaches to leadership have been studied and continue to be needed. The approach of positive psychology in the organizational context has grown in recent years, driving the development of positive leadership as a way of responding to organizational challenges (Figueiredo & Fonseca, 2022; Joaquim et al., 2023; Monzani & Van Dick, 2020; Redín et al., 2023) Coaching as an intervention, is also known to be associated with the development of positive leadership (MacKie, 2016).
Day (2001) has also studied leader and leadership development for the last three decades and considers coaching/executive coaching to be an effective leadership development practice (Day, 2000, 2011; Day et al., 2014). While it is considered the most popular leadership development intervention, how coaching facilitates learning and development appears under-researched (Rajasinghe & Garvey, 2023). More recently, Day has reinforced the importance of developing leadership competences, considering that they differ over time and are linked to career advancement (Kragt & Day, 2020). They are also supported by the leader's unique identity features.
Despite the existing studies on coaching, several authors consider that major challenges persist and that there remains a need for further research, namely around how coaching can help people, organizations, and communities improve social justice, inclusiveness, and equity as well as a need for more research on how to increase coaching and coaching research participation (Boyatzis et al., 2022).
The research question focuses on understanding how coaching is being used to promote the development of leaders in organizations. The role of coaching in organizations has been the subject of several scientific studies, inspiring the authors of this study to explore how it is used in the business context, as a leadership development practice.
The aim of this research is to understand the role of coaching in the development of leadership in organizations. The specific objectives are: i) verify whether coaching is being used in organizations ii) explore its importance as a leadership development practice; and,
iii) identify the leadership style that most commonly uses coaching as a leadership development practice. To this end, the research consists of a theoretical framework, the methodology of the empirical study, the analysis and discussion of the results and the conclusions and implications suggested by the research and recommendations for future studies.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Coaching: The process of providing guidance and support to someone in order to help them improve their performance and can be used in a variety of settings, including sports, business, and personal development.
Leader: A person who leads or guides others, especially one who takes charge and decides what should be done in a particular situation and someone who has a clear vision and the ability to inspire and motivate others to achieve that vision.
MLQ Questionnaire: Is the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) and it is a leadership assessment tool that measures leadership behaviors.
Leader Development: Is the process of helping individuals develop the skills and knowledge, such as communication, problem-solving, and decision-making, needed to be effective leaders.
Leadership: Is the ability to influence people to achieve a common goal, others through their charisma, their ability to communicate effectively, and their ability to build relationships.