Better Supporter Equals Better Leader

A couple of weeks ago, DecodeHR hosted two speakers from Berkeley Executive Coaching Institute to speak on the topic of ‘Leader as Coach’. During the event, the audience was polled, and we would like to share some of the results. On the roles of a leader, the audience was asked which roles – advisor, coach, mentor and supporter - are you least comfortable using. Findings of the poll uncovered some interesting results. Most people 37.04% are least comfortable in the role of supporter. DecodeHR has seen first-hand how crucial it is for a leader to be an advocate for their team. So, what does it mean to be a supporter?

One of the speakers from the event, Doy Charnsupharindr, shared some insight from his own mentor which is applicable to understanding what skills are needed as a leader to be a supporter. At the heart of being successful in the role of supporter is communication. These four principles can serve as a guide (source “The Four Fold Way” by Dr. Angeles Arrien):

1) Show Up and Choose To Be Present

2) Pay Attention to What Has Heart

3) Tell the Truth Without Blame or Judgment

4) Be Open to Outcome, Not Attached to it

A leader must feel confident to engage with their team members and be willing and capable of offering support when needed. If these principles are put into practice, the leader will have mastered one of the essential coaching skills.

In the upcoming blog post, we will explore another poll result from the event. We discovered that half of attendees are planning on embarking on a transformation journey. We will therefore be answering some questions about how to start an HR Transformation journey in the post. 

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