Leadership Coaching

Student Affairs professionals are invited to serve as group and individual coaches as a part of the Leadership Coaching program, a joint research effort between our Division and the Fuqua/Coach K Center on Leadership and Ethics (COLE).

What is a coach?

Leadership coaches are an integral part of the leadership development experience for student participants in the Leadership Coaching program. Coaches spend focused one-on-one time with an individual participant, addressing his or her leadership development needs, as well as facilitating small group sessions. Leadership coaches have the following primary responsibilities:

• Assist participants in “interpreting the data” and clarifying the leadership strengths and developmental opportunities identified in their 360-degree leadership assessment.
• Encourage students to address the most significant issues that surfaced in their leadership assessment by helping them to identify common themes.
• Provide a safe environment within which participants can internalize feedback and develop action steps to address identified opportunities.
• Not to provide “definitive recommendations” to participants.

Three key skills required for effective leadership coaching are:

• Building rapport with participants, which requires acting with authenticity while conveying concern, respect and understanding for the individual participant
• Effective listening to the participant’s verbal content as well as sensitivity to the emotions he or she conveys
• Providing guidance (e.g., overarching objectives, process steps, instrument clarification, and through the effective use of questions) to help the participant make sense of the situation and understand how to proceed

Coaches will help translate the SDLS leadership assessment data with student and help them form their personal development plan in one-on-one and group settings. Each coach will be paired with 2-3 students. Coaches will also report feedback from students to further inform the research program.

Coaches are expected to attend ALL programs:

• Coach training: Friday, October 9, 8:30am-1pm
• Session 1: Thursday, October 15, 6-8 pm
• Session 2: Tuesday, November 3, 6-9 pm
• Session 3: by Wednesday, November 11, one hour, scheduled by small group and coach
• Session 4: by Monday, December 14, one hour, scheduled by coach and student
• Session 5: February 2010 – Midyear check in, one hour scheduled by coach and student
• Session 6: April 2010 – Final check in, 2 hours
• Plus specific sessions of the Fuqua School of Business and Coach K Conference (October 19-21, 2009) and the Student Affairs Distinguished Leadership and Service Awards program on April 21, 2010.

Interested in serving as a coach or have questions?
Contact Deb Hackney, OSAF, at debh@duke.edu or 919-668-4754.

For a printer-friendly version of this information, download the PDF.