From Good to Great: How Leadership Coaching Shapes New Habit?

CoachBase August 26, 2024

The ability to cultivate effective habits isn't just desirable; it's essential for driving sustainable success as individuals ascend the leadership ladder. However, the journey to advancement often confronts formidable barriers. Consider a high-potential woman we provided leadership coaching to, whose ambition has propelled her to the threshold of a top-tier promotion. Yet, despite her drive and expertise, she hits the glass ceiling due to networking barriers, such as a lack of mentorship and sponsorship, and the absence of role models. Similarly, consider a group of dedicated managers we worked with within a bustling corporate environment. Instead of focusing on long-term strategic initiatives, they're caught in a relentless cycle of troubleshooting and putting out fires.

These scenarios highlight a critical truth: as management and leadership roles evolve, the habits that once enabled career growth and performance success may no longer suffice. This echoes Peter’s Principle (1969): 'Employees are promoted based on their success in previous jobs until they reach a level at which they are no longer competent, as skills in one job do not necessarily translate to another”.

To tackle these challenges effectively, it’s essential to identify which habits need to change and then implement strategies for transformation. This is where coaching excels compared to other approaches, such as training or mentorship. Coaching inspires targeted change from within through a personalized approach, addressing each individual’s unique challenges with the support of a professional coach who specializes in habit and behavioral change at similar levels of seniority.

At CoachBase, our experienced executive and leadership coaching help leaders recognize outdated habits by enhancing self-awareness, the critical first step toward meaningful change. To facilitate this, we employ a range of tools, including powerful questioning, self-assessment, 180 and 360-degree feedback, and personality/behavioral psychometrics, to build a strong foundation for development.

Whether preparing for a promotion, aligning with workplace culture, or meeting line manager expectations, our coaching services assist leaders, managers, and employees to develop new habits that align with their evolving roles and competency levels.

Let’s explore this further.

2. The Process of Habit Formation

First, let’s look at the process of habit formation.

Habit formation is a critical aspect of developing effective leadership skills. The process of forming habits can be broken down into a three-step loop, as explained by journalist and author Charles Duhigg, known for his work on the science of habits and productivity, in his book, "The Power of Habit" (2012). These steps are:

Cue: The trigger that initiates the habit. Duhigg's theory emphasises that individuals can develop or change new habits by identifying the cue.
Routine: The behavior that follows the cue. This is the habit itself. In the case of the micromanaging leader, the routine might involve frequently checking in on team members, taking over tasks, and making detailed suggestions.
Reward: The benefit gained from the behavior, reinforcing the habit loop. For the micromanaging leader, the reward might be a sense of control and assurance that the project will be completed on time.

Duhigg's theory emphasises that individuals can develop or change new habits by understanding and manipulating these components.

3. What are the Most Common Challenges in Habit Formation?

Forming new habits, especially in a leadership or managerial context, is not without difficulties. Leaders and managers often face several challenges when trying to develop and sustain effective habits:

Resistance to Change: Leaders may resist changing their established habits due to comfort, fear of failure, or uncertainty about the new habits' outcomes. The familiarity of old habits can be comforting, making the prospect of change daunting. They may also hold the common belief that "What got me here will get me there," which simply isn’t true.
Lack of Immediate Results: Habit formation is a gradual process, and the lack of immediate visible results can demotivate leaders. When new habits don't yield instant benefits, it can be challenging to stay committed and patient. It’s a common human perception that one negative step out of ten can easily undermine a reputation built on nine positive actions.
Competing Priorities: Leaders often juggle multiple responsibilities, making it challenging to focus on habit formation. The timely demands of their role can overshadow efforts to develop new habits, leading to inconsistency. This inner work requires time, effort, and resilience, yet it is crucial for both leaders and aspiring leaders.
External Pressures: Organizational culture and external pressures can influence and sometimes hinder the habit formation process. Leaders might face resistance from their teams or the broader organization’s culture that needs to evolve, making it difficult to implement and sustain new habits.

4. How Coaching Supports Habit Change for Leaders

Executive coaching acts as a powerful catalyst for habit formation, enabling leaders and managers to evolve, adopt habits that drive organizational excellence, and fuel personal growth. Here’s how coaching effectively supports this process:

Identifying and Understanding Habits:

Identifying Cues: Coaches work with leaders to become aware of the cues that trigger their habits. This might involve reflective exercises, journaling, or discussions about specific situations leading to certain behaviors. For example, a coach might help a leader identify stress before meetings as a cue for poor communication habits.
Analyzing Routines: Coaches help leaders examine their current routines and assess their impact. This involves understanding the actions taken after the cue and evaluating their effectiveness. For the stressed leader, this might involve speaking hastily or interrupting others.
Exploring Rewards: Coaches assist leaders in identifying the rewards they receive from their routines. They help leaders understand what they gain from their actions and why these rewards matter.

Designing and Implementing New Habits:

Designing New Habits: Once the cues, routines, and rewards are understood, coaches help leaders design new habits. They suggest alternative routines that provide similar rewards. For instance, a coach might recommend that the stressed leader take a few deep breaths and prepare notes before speaking to ensure clearer communication and stress relief.
Incremental Changes: Coaches encourage leaders to start with small, manageable changes that gradually build up to the desired habit. This reduces resistance and makes the process less overwhelming, allowing leaders to adapt more easily to new routines.
Positive Reinforcement: Using American psychologist and behaviorist B.F. Skinner’s operant conditioning theory (a theory of learning that focuses on how behaviors are influenced by rewards and punishments), coaches emphasize recognizing and celebrating small victories. Positive reinforcement helps maintain motivation and solidifies new behaviors, making them more likely to stick.
Mindfulness and Reflection: Coaches incorporate mindfulness practices and reflective exercises to help leaders stay focused and aware of their progress. These techniques enable leaders to recognize patterns, understand triggers, and make conscious adjustments.

Systematic Approach to Habit Formation:

Coaches may also encourage other approaches to support the habit change process:

Leverage Neuroplasticity: Understanding that the brain can form new neural connections is crucial for changing habits. For instance, practising a new leadership habit daily, such as active listening, reinforces the neural pathways associated with this behavior.
Use Implementation Intentions: Based on German psychologist Gollwitzer’s research (known in the field of self-regulation and goal setting), coaches help leaders create specific if-then plans to automate responses to cues. For instance, "If I feel stressed, then I will take three deep breaths and review my priorities."
Apply the Tiny Habits Method: BJ Fogg’s model suggests starting with tiny, easy-to-do actions. Leaders are encouraged to attach these tiny habits to existing routines for seamless integration. For example, "After I finish my morning coffee, I will write down three priorities for the day”. Or “I will leave my door open for two hours today to encourage people to stop by and foster a culture of leadership approachability”.

Accountability and Progress Tracking:

Last, Coaches support leaders in implementing new habits by setting SMART goals and providing regular check-ins to track progress. Research from Harvard shows that people who write down their goals are more likely to achieve them than those who do not.

Through this systematic and personalized approach, coaching is a powerful process that helps leaders navigate the complexities of habit change, ensuring they develop the behaviors necessary for sustained success.

5. Working with CoachBase Professional Coaching Platform

CoachBase is a leading Professional Coaching Platform with a robust network of over 550 ICF Certified Coaches across 47 countries, fluent in 50 languages. We specialize in addressing the challenges of skills, behavioral, and habit changes among leaders, managers, and employees to achieve peak performance.

Our services range from executive and leadership coaching to comprehensive programs for all employee levels, powered by a digital platform that measures success and scales coaching initiatives. Our platform also provides essential tools and resources for building a solid foundation in coaching and inner work.

Discover how CoachBase’s data-driven approach can enhance your leadership development and foster effective habits for lasting organizational impact.

Contact CoachBase today.