Leader = Coach

No longer do we appreciate, reward or value unsympathetic bosses. No, times have changed, and it is time for that boss to go extinct.

Today’s Leader Is As Much A Coach As A Supervisor.

Today’s leader is a social-emotional expert and a nurturer. Today’s leader has the capacity to interact with someone they have never before met by being a good listener. And in listening, today’s leader finds a way to connect.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in “The Drum Major Instinct” speech he gave just a couple of months before he was assassinated, proclaimed, Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve… You only need a heart full of grace.”

Dr. King’s message from more than half a century ago and my message today are similar: management needs to evolve.

Today’s Leaders Need To Better Communicate, Better Listen And Better Care. 

We need to share what we’re feeling and explain what we need to be successful. We need to recognize the highly valued gifts, talents and skills that each of us bring to our team. We need to have hearts full of grace, and we need to serve each other.

How Can Leaders Build Trust?

By connecting more. Trust comes from a firm belief in the reliability, ability, strength or truth of someone or something.

When we believe in each other, we trust one another. That belief starts with connection. And to connect, you must be empathetic, compassionate and full of grace.

These are the new skills of the leader.

We All Decide How We Choose To Live And Experience Each Day. 

The truth is, in the modern workforce, our leaders must all be coaches. A good manager knows how to coach their employees, how to tap into their social skills to listen, to feel, to connect. Our leaders must be coaches, fostering relationships, supporting our teams and creating connections that lead to collaboration and growth.

Coach Or Leader? They Are Now One And The Same.

And although not everyone can be in management, everybody can be a leader. It’s all about the mindset.

About the author

Joe Marinucci

Joe Marinucci is the co-founder and chief executive officer of Digital Media Solutions since the company’s inception in 2012. Marinucci is responsible for the overall vision and strategy of DMS, leveraging the best people, processes and technology in the industry to deliver data-driven digital performance advertising solutions to offer visibility into the customer experience, help brands grow their businesses and provide accountability for every media dollar spent. Under Marinucci’s leadership, DMS has evolved into an award-winning, digital performance advertising company demonstrating consistent and significant year-over-year growth which earned recognition on the Inc. 5000 list for seven consecutive years.