Empowering Singapore’s Healthcare Heroes for the Future
We are thrilled to share with you Lifeskills Institute’s latest white paper where we analyse the DISC behavioural profiling of over 1,000 healthcare professionals, based on IML®, the Institute for Motivational Living, developers of the PeopleKeys® DISC system.
The white paper uncovers insightful information of their shared strengths and possible areas for greater support, and reveals how we can partner with them to be adaptable, embrace the latest innovation, and deliver excellent care.
Singapore’s world-class healthcare system faces rising demands, from varying policies to an aging population that threaten its sustainability. Get your FREE download of our white paper and read more about:
The dominant identity profile of Singapore’s healthcare workforce
How to build effective teams in the face of challenges
Strategies to form a strong and empowering environment for healthcare professionals
“In the fast-paced world of leadership, understanding and celebrating the unique differenceswithin your team is paramount. Envision a world where each team member operates withintheir strengths, propelling innovation and collaboration to new heights.”
— PeopleKeys® (The Official DISC™ Provider in DISC Assessments for over 35 years,and the largest provider of custom behavioural assessments.)
Download the White Paper:
Behavioural Tendencies of Workers in the Healthcare Industry in Singapore
Let’s partner in making an impact! Call us at 6346 1455 to find out more about our programmes and solutions.
We are immersed in an era of unprecedented change driven by rapid technological advancements, the surge of artificial intelligence, and extensive digitalization. The world is becoming increasingly interconnected through globalization while simultaneously grappling with significant challenges like climate change, dynamic social movements, and profound political transformations. We need adaptive leadership.
These shifts are reshaping the very fabric of our professional and personal lives, influencing not just the nature of work but also when, where, and how it’s performed. In this context, leaders are finding that traditional approaches are no longer sufficient. To thrive and steer their teams effectively in this fluid environment, a radical transformation in leadership behaviors and strategies is imperative.
Adaptability has become the cornerstone of effective leadership, ensuring resilience and success in a world marked by constant change.
The Growing Need for Adaptable Leadership
Zenger Folkman’s study offers a compelling insight into the critical role adaptability plays in modern leadership. Utilizing a comprehensive 360-degree assessment, this study evaluated adaptability alongside 59 other key behaviors for 6,333 leaders, each assessed by an average of 13 raters.
The findings are striking and paint a clear picture of the impact of adaptability in leadership. Leaders who ranked low in adaptability had an overall effectiveness at a mere 16th percentile. In stark contrast, those who excelled in adaptability soared to the 90th percentile in overall leadership effectiveness. This dramatic disparity underscores adaptability as not just a beneficial trait but a transformative one.
Perhaps most intriguing is the study’s revelation about employee engagement. It found a direct correlation between a leader’s adaptability and the engagement level of their direct reports. This aspect of the study highlights adaptability as a pivotal factor not only in enhancing a leader’s effectiveness but also in fostering a more dynamic, committed, and motivated workforce.
In essence, Zenger Folkman’s research doesn’t just quantify the importance of adaptability; it vividly illustrates it as a cornerstone of effective leadership and a catalyst for creating an engaged and high-performing team.
What are the Characteristics of Adaptive Leaders?
When comparing the most adaptive leaders, we found they tended to be younger, slightly more likely to be female, and slightly more likely to be middle-level managers than top-level managers. Analyzing this data, we discovered six capabilities that enabled them to be more adaptable. We believe that for leaders desiring to be more adaptable, leveraging these capabilities would provide significant benefits.
1.Inspires and Motivates: Consider the CEO of a successful startup who, despite the pressure to meet targets, prioritizes team inspiration. This leader holds monthly creative brainstorming sessions, encouraging innovative ideas and recognizing individual contributions. Their approach not only drives results but also fosters a culture of motivation and creativity.
2. Valuing Diversity and Differences: Imagine a project manager who actively seeks opinions from team members of different cultural backgrounds and expertise. This leader creates a forum where every voice is heard and valued, leading to innovative solutions that would have been overlooked in a more homogeneous setting. This approach underlines the importance of diversity in driving adaptability and innovation.
3. Relationships are as Important as Results: Picture a sales director who balances target achievement with team well-being. They organize regular team-building activities and one-on-one sessions to understand and support their team members’ professional and personal growth. This balance between achieving results and nurturing relationships results in a loyal, motivated team.
4. Collaboration Culture: Envision a tech company where departments are encouraged to collaborate on projects, breaking down silos. This environment, fostered by adaptive leaders, leads to a synergy that not only enhances productivity but also fosters a sense of unity and shared purpose.
5. Coachability: Think of a leader who, after every major project, seeks feedback from their team and acts on it. This openness to feedback not only improves their leadership skills but also sets a precedent for a culture of continuous improvement and open communication within the organization.
6. Trust: Reflect on a scenario where a leader trusts their team to manage their workload without micromanagement. This trust empowers employees, giving them the freedom to innovate and take ownership of their work, leading to a more dynamic and proactive workplace. Building an organization based on trust empowers and encourages employees to act because there is trust between each person and their leader.
In each of these examples, the core characteristics of adaptive leadership are not just theoretical concepts but practical, actionable strategies that bring about real change in an organization’s culture and effectiveness. This approach to leadership acknowledges the complexities of the modern workplace and harnesses the collective strength of diverse, motivated, and empowered individuals.
Becoming a More Adaptable Leader
As we traverse through changes that touch every facet of our lives, cultivating adaptability offers a beacon of resilience and innovation. In an era where the specter of artificial intelligence looms large, it’s the adaptive individual who embraces this technology as a powerful ally, transforming potential threats into opportunities for growth and enhancement in their roles.
This mindset is the hallmark of a leader who is not just surviving but thriving in the face of change.
As you reflect on your journey, consider deeply how each of the six identified behaviors can elevate your adaptability. Embracing these traits is more than just a strategy; it’s a commitment to continuous evolution and personal growth. By integrating these behaviors into your leadership style, you position yourself to navigate the challenges of today and anticipate and adapt to the unknowns of tomorrow.
Both these terms are often used interchangeably. However, these are distinct concepts that play unique roles in shaping you into effective leaders.
We delve into the nuances of Coaching Leadership and Leadership Coaching, highlighting their differences and emphasising their significance in the realm of personal and professional growth.
Coaching Leadership
Coaching Leadership is a leadership style characterised by your emphasis on cultivating a coaching mindset within your team.
In this approach, you assume the role of a coach, guiding your team members towards self-discovery and personal development.
The primary focus is on unlocking individual potential, fostering a culture of continuous learning, and empowering your team members to take ownership of their growth.
Here are some key characteristics of Coaching Leadership:
Empowerment, not Control
Coaching leaders prioritise empowerment over control. You believe in the capabilities of your team members and aim to facilitate an environment where individuals feel empowered to make decisions, take risks, and learn from their experiences.
The emphasis is on creating a two-way communication channel that fosters understanding and collaboration between you and your team members.
Questioning for Reflection
Coaching leaders often use questioning techniques to encourage self-reflection. By asking thought-provoking questions, you can guide your team members to explore their thoughts, motivations, and potential solutions independently.
You support your team in overcoming obstacles, fostering their resilience and positive attitude towards learning.
Leadership Coaching
On the other hand, Leadership Coaching is a professional service that current and aspiring leaders seek to enhance their leadership skills and achieve specific goals.
It involves a one-on-one relationship between a trained coach and a leader, focusing on personalised development plans and strategies for achieving professional objectives.
Here are some key characteristics of Leadership Coaching:
Your coach would work closely with you to identify your strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement, creating a customised plan for your professional development journey.
Goal-Oriented
The coaching process is goal-oriented, with you and your coach setting objectives and defining measurable outcomes together.
Whether it’s improving your communication skills, navigating the latest organisational challenges, or enhancing your decision-making, your coaching journey should ultimately be directed towards achieving tangible results.
Accountability
Leadership Coaching involves a level of accountability. Your coach should hold you responsible for your commitments and actions, ensuring that the strategies you agreed on with your coach are implemented.
This accountability fosters a sense of responsibility and discipline in your approach as a leader as well.
Skills Enhancement
While Coaching Leadership focuses on your ability to coach others, Leadership Coaching aims at enhancing your specific leadership skills.
This could include communication skills, conflict resolution, strategic thinking, or any other competency relevant to your role and goals as a leader.
Coaching Leadership is a leadership style that permeates the entire team, fostering a coaching culture within the organization. Leadership Coaching, on the other hand, is a targeted, individualised process designed to hone specific leadership skills and achieve predetermined goals.
Both concepts are invaluable in the professional development landscape, and successful leaders often find a balance between adopting Coaching Leadership as a leadership style and seeking Leadership Coaching to refine their skills.
Adopting both approaches can lead to transformative leadership, creating resilient, empowered teams and driving sustained business success.
The question on every business leader’s mind today is: “How can my organisation adapt, innovate and stay competitive?”
One powerful strategy to achieve this is by adopting a coaching culture – one that fosters continuous learning, a growth mindset, and self-improvement among employees, ultimately driving better performance and results.
But how do you know if your organisation is ready to embrace such a culture?
We explore five key signs that indicate your organisation is poised for the transition:
1. Your (fellow) leaders are committed and supportive
The first and perhaps most critical sign that your organisation is ready for a coaching culture is the commitment and support of you and your fellow leaders.
Leadership plays a pivotal role in setting the tone and direction for any cultural shift within an organisation. When leaders not only endorse but actively engage in coaching, it sends a powerful message throughout the organisation.
Leaders who are committed to coaching understand that it’s not just a one-time intervention but a continuous process. You value the development of your team members and are willing to invest time and effort to help them grow.
In a coaching culture, leaders act as coaches themselves, guiding their teams toward achieving their goals and fostering an environment of trust and collaboration.
2. Your employees (or peers) want to engage in self-improvement
A coaching culture thrives when all employees are eager to engage in self-improvement. This self-motivation is a driving force behind the success of coaching initiatives.
When your employees recognise the value of coaching and activel seek opportunities to grow and develop, it indicates a readiness for a coaching culture.
Encourage open dialogue within your organisation to gauge employees’ interest in coaching and self-improvement. Conduct surveys or hold discussions to understand their aspirations and needs. If you find a high level of enthusiasm for personal and professional growth, it’s a positive sign that your organisation is primed for a coaching culture.
3. Your team already has a growth mindset
A growth mindset is a key ingredient for a successful coaching culture. When people believe in their capacity to learn and improve, coaching can have a profound impact. A growth mindset encourages individuals to embrace challenges, learn from failures, and continuously seek opportunities for development.
Assess your team’s mindset by observing how they react to setbacks and challenges. Are they open to feedback and willing to adapt? Do they view obstacles as opportunities for growth?
If your team members already exhibit these characteristics, it’s a clear indication that they are ready to benefit from a coaching culture.
4. Your organisation’s goals and objectives are aligned
A coaching culture should align seamlessly with your organisation’s goals and objectives. When coaching is integrated into the fabric of your business strategy, it becomes a powerful tool for achieving those goals.
Alignment ensures that coaching efforts are not isolated but are directed toward driving the organisation forward.
Evaluate your organisation’s strategic priorities and assess how coaching can contribute to achieving them. Identify specific areas where coaching can make the most significant impact, such as leadership development, team performance, or employee retention.
When your coaching initiatives align with your broader goals, it becomes a catalyst for success.
5. You already have a good L&D programme
A solid foundation in learning and development (L&D) is another telltale sign that your organisation is ready to embrace a coaching culture.
Effective L&D programs are designed to facilitate skill development, knowledge acquisition, and continuous learning. These programs often incorporate coaching as a valuable component.
Examine your existing L&D programme to see if coaching is already a part of it or if it can be easily integrated. If your organisation values employee development and invests in providing resources and opportunities for growth, it’s a strong indicator that a coaching culture will be well-received and can build upon this existing commitment.
As your organisation seeks to thrive in today’s uncertain climate, adopting a coaching culture has become a strategic imperative.
As long as your organisation ticks most, if not all, of the above 5 points, it is high time to start embracing a coaching culture.
Like most things, a one-size-fits-all approach to coaching no longer suffices. You and your fellow leaders today face very diverse challenges, and the demand for personalised coaching has never been more critical.
Generic coaching may have once been the norm, but it limits your leadership potential and growth. In this article, we explore why generic coaching falls short, why coaching must be personalised, how to achieve such personalisation, and the practical steps to implement personalised coaching effectively.
Why generic coaching limits you as a leader
Generic coaching often treats leaders as if you are cut from the same cloth, sometimes ignoring your unique strengths, weaknesses, and developmental needs.
Every leader brings distinct experiences, skills, and goals to the table. Failing to acknowledge this individuality can hinder growth and limit the leader’s ability to reach their full potential.
Further, leadership is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor. The challenges you face as a leader can vary greatly depending on your industry, organisation size and set-up, and even your team dynamics.
Generic coaching fails to consider these contextual differences, leaving you ill-equipped to navigate your specific challenges effectively.
Leadership coaching is not just about imparting knowledge or skills; it’s about helping you and your leaders to apply those insights to solve real-world challenges.
Generic coaching lacks the specificity required to address the unique issues that you encounter in your roles, rendering you less effective in driving meaningful change.
Why your coaching must be personalised
Personalised coaching allows you to identify and leverage your unique strengths while addressing your key weaknesses. When coaching is tailored to your specific needs, you can unlock your full potential and excel in your role.
As a leader today, you must be adaptable. Personalised coaching equips you with the skills and mindset needed to adapt to changing circumstances, making you more effective in your decision-making and problem-solving.
When you receive personalised coaching, you are also more likely to take ownership of your own development. This sense of ownership encourages you to actively engage in the coaching process, leading to more meaningful and sustainable growth.
How can coaching be personalised?
To personalise coaching, start by conducting a self-assessment. These assessments can include 360-degree feedback, personality assessments, and skills assessments. The data collected helps you and your coach identify strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement.
Coaches will work with you to establish clear and specific goals that align with your personal and professional aspirations. These goals should be challenging yet achievable, providing direction and motivation for the coaching journey.
Based on the assessments and goals, your coach should create customised development plans for you. These plans could include a combination of skill-building exercises, leadership workshops, mentoring, and feedback sessions.
Personalised coaching is an ongoing process. Your coach should regularly provide feedback to you and adjust the coaching plan as needed. This ensures that coaching remains relevant and effective as you progress in your leadership development journey.
How to implement personalised coaching?
One of the key factors in implementing personalised coaching successfully is selecting competent coaches who have the skills and experience working effectively with leaders. Coaches should be able to adapt their approach to the unique needs of each leader.
Set clear objectives for the coaching program. Define what success looks like and how it will be measured. This clarity helps align coaching efforts with organisational goals and ensures that the coaching you receive is purposeful.
Frequent progress reviews are essential. Check in with your coach regularly: Are you making measurable progress toward your goals? Are the coaching sessions effective in addressing your specific needs?
Ensure open and honest communication between you and your coach. Be willing to provide feedback on your coach and your experiences to share insights and observations. This feedback loop is vital for continuous improvement – for both you and your coach.
Leadership development is an evolving process. As you grow and circumstances change, your coaching needs may shift. Be prepared to adapt the coaching program to meet these changing needs effectively.
Get personalised leadership coaching today
Generic coaching no longer serves the needs of leaders. To maximise leadership potential and drive meaningful growth, coaching must be personalised.
Investing in personalised coaching is an investment in the future success of you, your leaders, and your organisation as a whole.
If you’re looking to go beyond generic coaching and want to take a personalised approach to coaching, find out more now and reach out to us today.
The pursuit of extraordinary leadership is an ongoing journey that requires a diverse set of skills and attributes.
In this pursuit, one of the often-overlooked yet transformative aspects is adding coaching into your skillset.
The Evolution of Leadership
Leadership has come a long way from the traditional top-down approach, where one might have primarily directed and controlled teams. Leadership today is marked by collaboration, adaptability, and a focus on nurturing people’s potential as individuals and as a team. The transition from mere management to true leadership involves understanding the nuances of human behavior, communication, and motivation.
At Lifeskills Institute, our philosophy centers around three essential principles — Character, Competence, and Connectedness. We believe an extraordinary leader should embody these principles as well, and extend them to the realm of coaching. Let’s look at how adding coaching skills can enhance each of these aspects.
Character: Authentic leadership
Character is the foundation of effective leadership. Authentic leaders understand their strengths, weaknesses, values, and motivations. You lead with integrity and transparency.
Integrating coaching into leadership allows you to not only be self-aware but also empower others in their own journey of self-discovery. A coaching leader encourages open conversations that lead to a deeper understanding of their team members’ aspirations and challenges. This fosters an environment of trust and authenticity, where everyone feels valued and supported.
Competence: Developing potential
Competence in leadership involves a deep understanding of the skills required to drive success. As leaders embrace coaching, you tap into your ability to develop the potential of your team members.
Coaching helps you identify strengths and areas for growth in individuals and tailor development plans accordingly. This approach nurtures a growth mindset and a culture of continuous learning. By becoming adept at coaching, you enable your teams to reach new heights too.
“Coaching is unlocking a person’s potential to maximize their own performance. It’s helping them to learn rather than teaching them.” – Timothy Gallwey, author and coach
Connectedness: Connecting with your team
Connectedness forms the heart of meaningful leadership. Leaders who coach understand that strong relationships are built on effective communication, emotional intelligence, and active listening.
When leaders add coaching to their skillset, they create an avenue for genuine conversations that go beyond work-related tasks. These conversations touch on personal aspirations, challenges, and growth opportunities. Through coaching, leaders connect on a deeper level with their team members, fostering a sense of belonging and shared purpose.
The Power of Coaching in Leadership
Coaching is not a one-size-fits-all approach but rather a dynamic tool that adapts to various leadership scenarios. Here’s how you can harness the power of coaching in your journey toward becoming an extraordinary leader:
Empowering through questions: Coaching involves asking powerful questions that prompt reflection and insight. By mastering the art of questioning, you can inspire your team members to think critically, solve problems, and make informed decisions. This approach encourages greater autonomy and ownership.
Active listening: Effective coaching relies on active listening. By listening empathetically, you can create an environment where your team feels valued and heard, fostering a culture of openness and collaboration.
Goal setting and accountability: Coaching encourages setting clear goals and holding individuals accountable for their progress. As a coaching leader, you can help your team members define their objectives, create actionable plans, and provide guidance along the way. This leads to measurable growth and achievement.
Feedback and growth: Constructive feedback is a cornerstone of coaching. You need to provide feedback in a supportive and constructive manner to empower your team members to learn from their experiences and continuously improve their performance.
In your pursuit of becoming an extraordinary leader, integrating coaching skills sets the stage for unparalleled growth, collaboration, and impact.
Our emphasis on Character, Competence, and Connectedness perfectly aligns with the principles that underlie effective coaching.
By embracing coaching, you not only enhance your own leadership abilities, but also empower your team members to reach their full potential.
Want to create a coaching culture in your organisation’s leadership? Find here to find out more about our ‘The Extraordinary Coach’ programme.
Leaders play a critical role in fostering a culture of feedback that enables their teams to excel in today’s workplace. Constructive criticism not only improves individual and group performance, but it also generates a pleasant and collaborative environment conducive to growth and development.
Here are 5 must-dos for existing and aspiring leaders to transform feedback into a powerful tool for organisational success.
1. Lead by example
Setting a good example lays the groundwork for a culture of feedback. Leaders that openly welcome and actively seek feedback create a safe space for their people to do the same. Generating trust and open communication throughout the organisation can be achieved through genuinely valuing and considering the viewpoints of your team members.
As a leader, it is important to develop a collaborative style in which everyone’s viewpoint is heard and appreciated, rather than taking an authoritative style. This openness generates a sense of psychological safety, allowing team members to express themselves without fear of repercussions.
By actively collecting feedback yourself, you can foster a culture that values multiple perspectives, fostering a sense of ownership and accountability within your team.
2. Establish transparent communication
Developing clear and accessible communication channels is critical for fostering a feedback culture in your team. Creating opportunities for both formal and informal feedback allows your team members to express their thoughts, ideas, and concerns. Transparent and open communication helps leaders and their teams break down barriers, promoting greater trust and understanding.
You can use technology solutions that provide anonymous feedback or suggestion boxes, in addition to the more conventional face-to-face encounters. This serves to demonstrate your commitment to fostering such a culture of feedback, as such platforms cater to those who might prefer to share their opinions privately and even anonymously.
“Feedback is a gift. Ideas are the currency of our next success. Let people see you value both feedback and ideas.”
– Jim Trinka and Les Wallace
3. Give constructive feedback
Constructive feedback promotes growth and development. Leaders must emphasise the value of delivering specific, practical, and actionable feedback in a supportive manner. We should offer feedback that identifies areas for improvement while also recognising achievements, instead of focusing on criticisms.
When providing feedback, leaders should have a coaching mindset. Rather than looking to correct wrongs, we are to prioritise empowering and encouraging our team. It is imperative to foster an environment where feedback is viewed as an opportunity for professional, and even personal, growth. We should accompany our constructive feedback with guidance and support, thus allowing our people to develop themselves and reach their fullest potential.
“(After attending The Extraordinary Leader with Lifeskills Institute) I have a better understanding of what kind of leader I am and where I should improve. The 360 feedback is the most valuable part which really helped me to better understand strengths and weaknesses.
The FUEL module helped me to frame and give feedback (especially redirecting feedback) to others, and I have gained insights from this workshop. Zenger Folkman (offers) one of best organisations to build your further success.” — Monica Ai, Operations VP, Antolin (China) Investment Co., Ltd
4. Foster a growth mindset
A culture of feedback thrives in an environment that promotes a growth mindset. By encouraging team members to view feedback as a way to grow themselves professionally, leaders can help their team to not take any feedback personally.
Promoting continuous learning and development initiatives, such as workshops, training sessions, or knowledge-sharing platforms, lets team members know that their professional development is a top priority. Lead by example by sharing your own experiences, whether failures or critical feedback, and the lessons you gained from such situations.
With a growth mindset, we can instil the belief that skills and expertise can be developed through hard work and a growth mindset. Such a mindset encourages resilience and a willingness to embrace feedback as a means of personal and professional growth.
5. Recognize and acknowledge feedback
This is one of the most effective ways to promote the importance of feedback within our organisations. We should openly recognise and praise those who offer good ideas and suggestions. This allows us to foster a culture in which everyone is willing to actively participate in the feedback process.
How to recognise and celebrate feedback? This can be as simple as a saying thanks to more notable gestures like written commendations or even team celebrations. By emphasising the importance of their opinions, and that their contributions make a difference to the organisation, it will generate a sense of pride and ownership in your team . Such recognition can also serve as a powerful motivator, encouraging others to provide feedback as well, ultimately fostering a culture of feedback.
Leaders are key to fostering a feedback culture that promotes growth and success within their teams and wider organisation. As you gradually foster a culture of feedback, your team then becomes more engaged, empowered, and motivated to succeed.
“I attended a 2-day Elevating Feedback Workshop with Lifeskills Institute. The presenters Bryan & Ian made it interactive, practical & I came away with tools that I know I will be able to use with my organisation in an effective way. They provided a safe, trusting learning environment where we could ask questions, learn from each other & have fun at the same time.” — Averyl Aeria, Life & Leadership Coach
Want to foster a culture of feedback? Join us at the Elevating Feedback Workshop. Contact us at 6346 1455 for more information today.
