People-Centered Leadership

This morning while reading the Society for Human Resource Management’s daily communiqué, I was drawn to an article titled “Why CEOs Should Have HR Experience.” Have to admit, having been in the HR field most of my professional career, I’m a pretty strong advocate for this point of view.

The lead paragraph states “A CEO’s most important responsibilities typically include maximizing employee performance, setting values to define the organization’s culture, overseeing the company’s return on investment, and making sure the talent pipeline is full of needed expertise for years to come.” So true. As many leaders have found, if you can’t get the people part of the organizational puzzle figured out, there’s a high likelihood success will not follow.

One of the experts quoted in the article states HR leaders bring a trait to the corporate table that may not be fully developed in their colleagues: “People-Centered Leadership.” At the end of the day, it’s the organization’s people that are going to drive and champion business strategies and a leadership style focused on the value of human capital will go a long way to ensuring that happens.

So what does this have to do with coaching? 

Coaching is a tool to help develop a leadership style that is more people-centric. If you’re not inspiring your teams to achieve the results you know are possible or are avoiding conversations you’re certain could lead you and your organization to greatness, it may be time to call for support. As coaches, we know you have all the answers; we’re just here to ask the right questions. And there’s no wiggling out of responding since we hold you accountable (unlike those highly creative ways you avoid these conversations with yourself).

As an Executive Coach, I pull leaders toward the development of Courageous Cultures, those in which authenticity is paramount and employee engagement is at its peak. If you’re interested in creating that sort of environment and becoming a more people-centric leader, it’s time to book a free exploratory session. Who knows, your next step might be CEO!

​-Coach Lu Setnicka