Lesson 2: Learning to Coach Not Chase

Many of us can remember teaching our kids or nephews to ride a bike. We would hold the back of the seat and run until the kids had balance and could go. At some point in the process, they would pedal faster than we could run while bending over and trying to breathe! We either coach and let them ride or run until we can’t and hold our kids back.
 
Why do we have this need to chase instead of coach? Maybe not a literal chase at work …

• Do you ever look over your direct report's shoulders?

• Do you ever take over key tasks instead of empowering the team?

• Do you ever micro-manage and lose focus of what’s really important?

When I was coaching Titus to ride my Yamaha VStar 650 my first reaction when he took off was to chase him. My first response when he was moving quickly on a motorcycle was to run after him. I thought if he made a mistake maybe I could help. The more he rode, the more I ran; the more I ran, the more exhausted I became.

There came a point when I couldn’t keep up. When I stopped chasing and started coaching the exhaustion gave way to celebration. Instead of holding him back by chasing him I could set more goals and keep coaching him.

If you are a people leader who feels like:

• The only way you can move people forward is by remaining cold and focused on the business

• The only way you can drive for results is if you are abrasive and don’t waiver

• The only you can make sure something is correct is if you self-sacrifice and stay up “fixing it”

When we learn to stop chasing and begin coaching we get to rest.
The people we have the opportunity to lead get to enjoy the ride and develop.
 
Make the shift to coach instead of chase.
 
Sidenote: If you need help learning to coach instead of chase give us call.