Speaker 0 00:00:00 From Romano Leadership, I'm Oscar Romano. This is Learn, reflect Lead Leadership and d I A development for mission-driven individuals and organizations. This episode is titled Commander or Coach, balancing Leadership Styles to Manage Effectively. This episode is for you if
Speaker 0 00:00:24 You are a new or experienced manager who wants to develop your leadership skills and learn how to balance between commanding and coaching to lead your team effectively. If you're an entrepreneur or small business owner who wants to improve your management skills and learn how to transition between the two leadership styles based on the situation, or if you're a human resource professional who wants to help managers within your organization improve their leadership skills and create a better working environment for their employees. Today we're going to talk about whether managers should behave more like a commander or a coach. A Gallup study titled State of the American Manager found that 50% of Americans had once slept the job to get away from their manager and improve their life. If you're a manager, that's a lot of pressure to feel on your shoulders. Not only do you wanna be productive and effective in your role, but you also want your direct reports to feel good.
Speaker 0 00:01:18 There's an internal dilemma many managers have to work through when leading others, should they behave more like a commander or a coach. All right. Let's talk about managing as a commander. Commanding is about giving direction and setting expectations. Command effectively by providing clear direct communication to your team members. Tell them what they need to do and how they should complete it. Some people are better at commanding than others, but all managers should be able to do it. If you're leading by command, you must ensure your directions are clear and easy to follow. Now, how about managing as a coach? Coaching is about developing skills in others so they can learn how to complete their jobs, provide others with regular feedback on their performance to support their development. Coaching involves helping employees improve their skills through guidance, training, or mentoring. While some people may be naturally good coaches, it's vital for managers to know how to coach.
Speaker 0 00:02:12 So to be a commander or a coach, that's the question. A great manager can balance between being a commander and being a coach. There are times when a manager needs to lead through commanding and times when they need to lead through coaching. Using both styles at the right time can help you get the best out of your team. Some managers find it easy to use one style over another. Others have trouble adjusting their tactics as needed, making them less effective. As managers, the key is to know yourself and understand what works best for you and your team members. The commander. The commander, expects their employees to follow their commands without question or hesitation. This si, this style can sometimes be effective, but it may only sometimes be appropriate. Managers make decisions based on their knowledge and experience rather than feedback from others. Commanding can be effective when you're in charge of a large group of people who don't know each other and need to work together toward a common goal. If your employees are familiar with each other, this style may not be the right choice because it doesn't allow for open communication. Let's talk about the coach.
Speaker 0 00:03:23 Coaching is a style of leadership that involves helping employees grow and develop. It's about giving people the tools and skills they need to succeed. Coaching is an ongoing process, not a one-time event. Coaching comes from the belief that people can learn, grow, and change their behaviors to improve their performance. Coaches want their employees to succeed, but they also understand that there are times when employee needs extra support. Coaches provide feedback so that employees can improve their performance. They also develop plans for improvement based on what they've observed about their employees abilities and goals. Coaches also offer praise when appropriate. They've recognized when individuals or teams have done something well, even if it wasn't perfect.
Speaker 0 00:04:12 So what about balancing between being a commander and a coach? You see, that's the key. The key to moving between commander and coach is to know when to use one or the other. A good leader will know when to be in charge and when to let go. They'll be able to read the situation and then adjust accordingly. So you can choose to be a coach. When your team is having problems with motivational morale, it's time to step back and coach them. You need to get them excited again about what they're doing so that they're motivated enough to work hard on their ideas and projects. It's up to you to create an environment where they can thrive. You can also choose to be a commander. Let's say you're managing several projects at once, but don't have enough time to get everything done yourself. You may need to delegate some responsibilities at a high level of quality. The situation may come for you to take on a greater commanding role. Here's a warning though. It's easy to get comfortable being the commander, but if you're in that role because of laziness or lack of skill, you're not really doing anything for the team.
Speaker 0 00:05:15 So how do you transition between a commander and a coach? Here's some tips on on how to transition between the two roles. Number one, know your people before you give orders. Make sure you know what motivates your team members. This will help you determine which leadership style will work best with each person. You may need to be more of a commander with the rookie than you do a veteran. Number two, be clear with your why. They won't be motivated. If they don't understand why they're doing something, explain why they need to complete specific tasks before giving them any direction or asking them for their input. Number three, use trust instead of fear or punishment. As motivation, establish strong relationships with your team members so that they can trust you. This will increase their loyalty and commitment toward achieving goals together as a unit. You don't want them focusing on individual accomplishments alone for personal game.
Speaker 0 00:06:12 Now, here's some closing thoughts about being a commander or a coach. As a manager, you probably wanna be both a commander and a coach for your direct reports, so tell 'em what to do and then help them learn how to do it. For example, if you were to lead your team with tight deadlines, clear directions, and clear expectations, that'd be acting more like a commander. But if you wanted to, you know, to be there with feedback as an active supporter, that would be more like managing like a coach. The key though is knowing when to be which it can be challenging to weigh the line between making expectations clear and helping your people grow. A few signs can tip you off when you need to get on the right track. If people are not following directions and failing to meet goals, they need more commanding. If they feel micromanaged and restricted, then they probably need more coaching. Whether as a commander or a coach, focus on providing a clear vision for your team. Doing so will help them understand how their efforts tie into the organization as a whole. Now it's time for you to commit, which comes easier to you being a commander or being a coach, and what do you need to work on being commander or a coach?
Speaker 0 00:07:27 Let me know how this goes. Thanks.
Speaker 2 00:07:30 That's it for this episode of Learn, reflect Lead. Thank you for watching on YouTube or listening via podcast. If you're interested in more, you can find
[email protected] or connect with me on LinkedIn at Romano Leadership. If you like this episode, please share with your friends. Subscribe and leave a review. I'm Oscar Romano. Until next time.
