One of the most significant goals for every coach is to bring about a transformation in the lives of their clients.
In order to effect this change, the coach must take on the role of a leader.
Leadership, as defined by Wikipedia is,”the ability of an individual or organization to “lead” or guide other individuals, teams, or entire organizations.” A leader who shows emotion, and is able to influence or change a client’s feelings and emotions, is very powerful. This is why emotional leadership is often referred to as the ultimate leadership skill.
Sources of Emotion
The emotion that’s generated in your client can come from different sources. Let’s explore five of these sources.
Other People: You, as the coach, can show your client how she can get emotions from other people, as well as situations around her.
Activities The Client Engages In: You can show her how to effect emotional change by engaging in various activities.
Yourself: You can become the source of the emotional change when you show your client deep love and caring. I genuinely care about my clients and they have no doubt that I do. They know that I am personally and emotionally invested in their success. Make sure that your clients know that as well.
Themselves: This one may take some time, especially if your client is experiencing a lot of self-doubt and lack of belief in herself. Eventually, as you work with her, you may be able to help her develop a positive view of herself so she can get this emotion from herself.
Life: All of the internal and external sources mentioned above make up Life. As you lead her to embrace the various sources of emotion, she will be able to find fulfillment and inspiration from everything around her.
How to Use Emotional Leadership
- Help your client to view matters from another perspective. This is also called reframing. Her viewpoint may be adversely affecting and influencing her emotions. When you are able to influence her to see things from a more empowering perspective, you will be able to shift her emotions at the same time.
- Help your client to meet her basic human needs at a higher level. Those basic needs that all humans have are the need for Certainty, Variety, Love & Connection, and Significance.
- When you allow your client to have a feeling of certainty or comfort within the coaching environment, you will provide emotional leadership. This is further advanced when they’re also able to exert some control outside of coaching.
- While your client needs certainty, she also needs variety in order to maintain a proper balance and not become bored. You provide emotional leadership and bring about a transformation when you help your client to find variety in your coaching so she is able to grow.
- Love and connection can come from you as said previously, but you can also help them to find and enjoy love and connection outside of the coaching session. This is especially helpful if you’re able to maintain that feeling for longer periods of time.
- Everyone wants to feel they’re important and are significant to others. How can you help your client to feel significant? My making her know that she’s important to you, but even more, help her to empower her belief in herself so that she feels important in herself.
When you’re able to effect these changes in your clients, you will be transforming lives with emotional leadership.
Would you like to learn more about the four basic needs humans have and how to make sure you’re meeting those needs on a high level? Go ahead and schedule a 20-minute Discovery session with me to learn more.
1 Response to "Transforming Lives with Emotional Leadership"
Yvonne, I really appreciate how you go beyond just telling us about how our goals as a coach is to promote transformation from a leadership role to giving us usable steps to follow. This is such a well-written article and a joy to read.