Grow Your Capacity: How Coaching Can Help Leaders Conquer Stagnation

     About a year ago, I received a phone call from David, who was an executive director of a nonprofit organization. David expressed frustration with the lack of progress in his professional life as well as feeling ineffective in his personal life. He shared with me that, although he had been leading the nonprofit organization for nearly 10 years, he was not satisfied. He felt like he was missing out on significant seasons with his family.

     Soon after that initial phone call, we began a coaching relationship. Through coaching David discovered that he had developed some patterns of thinking that kept him from seeing real opportunities for change. By the end of our coaching engagement, David not only addressed his limiting beliefs, but he also put a plan together to restructure his life and pursue another executive director position. Today, as the executive director of a different non-profit organization, David is experiencing greater levels of productivity and fulfillment both in his career and family.

     David is a wonderful example of how coaching can help a person unlock new opportunities and get unstuck in life. Coaching brings to the surface obstacles that keep a person from moving forward, offers a process to remove those obstacles and creates a plan to move forward. Simply put, coaching is transformational. Through building self-awareness and personal development, coaching helps a person to maximize their life. 

     As a coach and consultant, I work with leaders of nonprofits, small business owners and pastors across the country and around the world. I understand the unique challenges that leaders, especially pastors, face in a world where there is now more change at a faster rate.

     Many pastors and leaders stay up late at night trying to answer questions like: 

• Is my staff with me? 
• Do people understand my vision? 
• Do I have the right staff for where I’m going? 
• How do I resolve the conflict that is in my organization?
• How do I create and implement a plan to fulfill the mission?
• What is the strategy for creating a healthy and thriving organizational culture?
• What does a viable succession plan look like?

     Coaching follows a simple but effective process: 

1. Determine where you want to go
2. Identify barriers that prevent progress
3. Craft a plan to breakthrough barriers
4. Implement the plan
5. Evaluate the progress

     A couple of the tools that I frequently use with individuals and teams include the Myers Briggs and DISC personality assessments. As a certified practitioner, I have used these assessments to help others to build greater awareness in the areas of strengths and weakness, communication, conflict resolution, creating ideal work environments, decision making, staffing and much more. 

     I love helping others succeed. When the capacity of the individual is enlarged the capacity of the organization expands.

This article was extracted from Issue 2 (Summer 2020) of the AVAIL Journal. Claim your free annual subscription here.

This article was written by Jeffrey Smith

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Pastor Smith received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance from Bowling Green State University and a Masters in Organizational Leadership from Regent University. Pastor Smith has a passion for helping pastors and leaders push their vision forward. As president of JSS Consulting Inc., he helps today’s leaders reach new heights in ministry. His extensive corporate and ministry background has made him uniquely qualified to assist pastors and leaders in reaching their next level. After years of working with pastors and leaders he has developed keen insight in the areas of strategic planning, leadership development, systems implementation and enhancing staff productivity. He is sought after internationally for his expertise in consulting leaders and helping them realize their untapped potential.