Exploring the role of coaching on middle and senior managers at a rail company in South Africa

Abstract

Leadership is vital and instrumental for organizational performance and success, as it drives the enterprise competitiveness through effective management of both the human and other resources to achieve sustainability. This implies that leaders of the organization need to have an ongoing understanding of their abilities and the dynamics facing them in order to leverage intentionally for the success of the business. It is thus important that leaders of present-day business invest towards understanding the 21st century workforce and the VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity) world. Research is showing an increasing need for a more emotionally sensitive leadership in the mist of the complexities surrounding workplace technology and human ability to deliver on performance. Coaching is increasingly becoming a preferred intervention towards building stronger and emotionally aware leader that can handle the organisation and market volatility. Leadership Coaching in particular, has become an important intervention in developing and supporting leaders to navigate through the demands of the business world, whilst employing skills that enhance humanistic approach. The objective of the research was to explore the role of coaching on leaders and managers’ behavioral competencies in their working environment. Research questions were answered using the qualitative design approach in a form of a case study methodology which allowed personal stories and own description of events however, information was not overly supplied. The findings of the research indicated that coaching was effective, and it heightened increased emotional intelligence levels of leaders and brought forth a positive behaviour and energy, which gets absorbed by those around them. The results of this case study may be used to assist to advance implementation of Leadership Coaching in organizations that are similar in structure in South Africa