“you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink?”

Leader Readiness and Characteristics Have you ever heard the expression, “you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink?” If so, you may have heard teachers using this expression to describe students who have tremendous intellectual potential, but are not motivated to learn. The same is true in coaching for leadership development. As a future coach, you may encounter the most promising leaders who simply are not “ready” to be coached. You may wonder how you might spot such leaders. One indicator is a lack of motivation to change, but there are countless other indicators as well. While the leaders who do not indicate a “readiness” to be coached are not necessarily “lost causes”, they certainly will be less likely to reap the benefits of coaching. In fact, they may possess characteristics that actually detract from the effectiveness of coaching. On the other hand, you may encounter leaders who are the exact opposite; they are ready to make changes. Participating in coaching may have been their idea and these leaders may exhibit a strong motivation to change. Such characteristics not only show that they are “ready,” but these characteristics contribute to, instead of detract from, the effectiveness of coaching for leadership development. As you complete the following Application Assignment, you will consider some of the characteristics that contribute to and detract from coaching for leadership development. As you do so, it is important that you draw upon your knowledge of psychology and individual differences. You must think in terms of both the absence of positive characteristics and an overabundance of negative characteristics in leaders. Either of these situations can detract from coaching effectiveness. For example, conscientiousness is a trait that is positively related to leadership effectiveness, and the absence of this trait can detract from coaching effectiveness. To prepare for this assignment: • Review the article, “The Wild West of Executive Coaching.” Focus on how to determine whether a leader is ready for coaching. Also, consider how coaching benefits leaders. • Review the Course Media segment, “The Leaders,” with Dr. Gordon Curphy. Consider how to discern the readiness of leaders to engage in coaching. Think about leader characteristics that might contribute to or detract from coaching. • Review the online chapter, “Executive Coaching from the Executive’s Perspective.” Pay particular attention to how leaders might benefit from coaching for leadership development. • Review the online chapter, “Toward a Conceptual Understanding and Definition of Executive Coaching.” Consider how coaching for leadership development might benefit leaders. Think about leader characteristics that might contribute to negative coaching outcomes. • Review the online chapter, “Coaching at the Top.” Reflect on general characteristics of the leader (executive) population at large and consider how these characteristics might contribute to or detract from the effectiveness of coaching for leadership development. • Review the articles, “Coaching High Achievers” and “Coaching the Alpha Male.” Consider characteristics of high achievers, alpha males, and alpha females. Think about how these characteristics might contribute to or detract from the effectiveness of coaching for leadership development. • Review the Course Case Studies. Think about how the case study clients might benefit from coaching for leadership development. • Consider which of the case study clients are ready for coaching and which are not and why. • Identify at least two leader characteristics from any of the clients in the case studies that might contribute to the effectiveness of coaching for leadership development and consider why. • Identify two leadership characteristics from any of the clients in the case studies that might detract from the effectiveness of coaching for leadership development and why. The assignment: (2 pages) with in-text citations Explain how the clients in the case studies might benefit from coaching for leadership development. Explain which of the clients are “ready” for coaching and which are not. Explain why. Describe at least two leader characteristics from any of the clients in the case studies that might contribute to the effectiveness of coaching for leadership development and explain why. Describe at least two leader characteristics from any of the clients in the case studies that might detract from the effectiveness of coaching for leadership development and explain why. See the weekly Application area for assignment details. Submit your assignment by Day 3. Assignment Must: I suggest you have a section for each client, and answer the following for each of the three clients: 1. How might the client benefit from coaching for leadership development 2. Explain if the client is ready for coaching; then explain why they are or are not ready for coaching 3. Choose one client and describe (not just list) at least two (2) leader characteristics that might contribute to or help this client be coached, AND explain why the characteristics will help (high in this or low in that, for example) 4. Choose one client and describe (not just list) at least two (2) leader characteristics that might detract from or hinder this client from being coached, AND explain why the characteristics will be a problem (high in this or low in that, for example). In sum, for each client, there are four elements that must be addressed, and within those elements, additional lists. Use citations from this weeks and last weeks readings when you make an argument for characteristics and the help or hindrance of coaching efficacy. A minimum of three (3) ACADEMIC citations in the application assignment. Some additional resources Online Chapter: Kilburg, R. R. (2007). Toward a conceptual understanding and definition of executive coaching. In R. R. Kilburg & R. C. Diedrich (Eds.), The wisdom of coaching: Essential papers in consulting psychology for a world of change (pp. 21-30). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. (Review from Week 1) Use the PsycBOOKS database, and search using the chapter’s Accession Number: 2007-00039-001 Online Chapter: Kiel, F., Rimmer, E., Williams, K., & Doyle, M. (2007). Coaching at the top. In R. R. Kilburg & R. C. Diedrich (Eds.), The wisdom of coaching: Essential papers in consulting psychology for a world of change (pp. 113-122). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. Use the PsycBOOKS database, and search using the chapter’s Accession Number: 2007-00039-011 Online Chapter: Stevens, J. H., Jr. (2007). Executive coaching from the executive’s perspective. In R. R. Kilburg & R. C. Diedrich (Eds.), The wisdom of coaching: Essential papers in consulting psychology for a world of change (pp. 413-425). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. Use the PsycBOOKS database, and search using the chapter’s Accession Number: 2007-00039-039 Article: Jones, G., & Spooner, K. (2006). Coaching high achievers. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 58(1), 40-50. Use the PsycARTICLES database, and search using the article’s Accession Number: cpb-58-1-40 Article: Ludeman, K., & Erlandson, E. (2004). Coaching the alpha male. Harvard Business Review, 82(5), 58-67. Use the Business Source Premier database, and search using the article’s Accession Number: 12932995 Article: Sherman, S., & Freas, A. (2004). The wild west of executive coaching. Harvard Business Review, 82(11), 82-90. Use the Business Source Premier database, and search using the article’s Accession Number: 14874817