Coaching: The New Leadership Imperative

The days of plan-driven command-and-control technical management are gone. Flexible software development and the adoption of agile methods are driving factors. Add to this the fact that the I-decide-You-obey paradigm never worked very well anyway. Today, a coaching model is replacing command-and-control within more self-directed teams. This shift drastically changes the skills required of today's leaders, many of whom are struggling with questions such as: If I don't make the decisions, what is my job? Is my position really needed? Am I needed? How can I adapt? Robert Galen explores the key changes required to improve the coaching abilities of managers and project leaders. Taking lessons from agile methods, proven coaching models, and a few gratuitous sports analogies, Robert offers valuable advice for any leader looking to become a better coach who can enable the team to perform at the highest possible level.

• Why coaching is becoming the preeminent management style
• Five core practices of a good coach
• How to create effective coaching conversations