It’s said that every story ever written or told is based on one of only six basic plots. These are the archetypes of literature; writers use them, consciously or not, to create an infinity of stories. There’s a great video of Kurt Vonnegut drawing these simple plotlines on a chalkboard and explaining how certain classic works fit the scheme.
Similarly, the entire canon of Western music is made up of twelve notes, albeit with different scales and octaves. From these few building blocks emerge the most complex and beautiful compositions.
These observations made me notice something about my leadership coaching.
It seems like I’ve been having some version of the same six conversations in my coaching meetings lately. I started tracking these trends a little over two years ago because:
- I can’t seem to help myself and
- I was sensing themes emerging.
The number of conversation types can quickly double to twelve if I acknowledge that those six recurrent topics can be discussed in reference to the leader I’m coaching OR the people they lead. However, that’s still really only six topics of conversation with two different directions of focus.
My intention in sharing these trends is not to suggest that leaders all have the same development needs; on the contrary, every coaching relationship I engage in is a cherished and unique set of conversations that (I hope) is making a positive impact in the lives of the leader, their teams and their organizations. I’d dare hope that the impact goes out into their communities as well!
Now, I share these trends because while we are all unique, we share a few central preoccupations that define us as leaders. I think you might be able to relate. And as you’ve read here in past posts, leadership is equal parts relating and achieving!
So what are these trending topics?
Commitment to the work, role or organization. This conversation concerns whether people are sufficiently engaged. Some clients bring this up in reference to their teams, especially when they are struggling to get buy-in from those they lead. But it can be self-directed also; it’s not uncommon for a leader to doubt their own commitment. They may be feeling the effects of burnout, or even contemplating a shift in their career.
Connection to the people we work with. Many of my coaching clients bring up their desire to create more collaboration and support through effective team building. Leaders want to do this for the teams they lead AND for the leadership teams they are part of.
Competencies to do the work well. Good ol’ “KSAs”: knowledge, skills and abilities. These conversations only rarely center on technical or tactical competencies, but reside instead in the space of the power skills (Emergent’s term for what are often referred to as “soft skills” like interpersonal intelligence, communication, communication and, ummm…communication).
Capacity to do the work at the pace and quantity needed. If there’s one subject that is mentioned in nearly every conversation, it’s this one. Check out my podcast with Ralph on being “whelmed” for some ideas on building capacity.
The character of ourselves or the people we’re working with. I don’t mean this in a pathological way (i.e., “So-and-so has a big ego”—thankfully, my coaching meetings are devoid of unhelpful gossip). In this context, character refers to potential. Many of my clients are interested in their own self-development and that of their team members, and like to discuss the characteristics, values, and mission-alignment necessary for effective performance.
Competing priorities and how to prioritize. This subject pairs well with the capacity conversation. Many leaders say “yes” to too many requests. They worry that saying “no” or “not yet” dulls their competitive edge and reduces their effectiveness. The truth is, saying yes to everything diffuses our energy and means we can’t attend properly to what really matters. It’s a vicious cycle that keeps us reactive and leads to burn-out. When this comes up in coaching meetings, I remind my clients that “no” is a complete sentence!
I could have made a seventh “C” for communication, but chose to lump it in with competencies to avoid a corny joke about being a navigator of the seven seas! (Whoops, looks like I made the joke anyway…).
As you reflect these common themes, remind yourself that you are not alone in your leadership challenges. We’re all after the same fundamental goals: good performance, strong teams, and sustainable results. The six Cs represent some of the foundational elements of achieving these goals.
Feel free to reach out at [email protected], especially if you’re interested in leadership coaching. We can see what themes come up for you
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