Be the coach and lead the team

Today’s best leaders are those who recognize the strengths of individuals and build the team around those individual strengths, says René Carayol, a globally recognized inclusive leadership speaker.

“The role of the leader is the coach,” says Carayol, who will give a keynote address at the 2024 World Credit Union Conference July 21-24 in Boston. “Whereas leaders in the past have been experts and really good managers. Now, we’re finding the capability we need in a leader is to bring out the best in others. Good leaders create followers.”

In the past, leaders were often the people with the most experience, the smartest, the most qualified, or the most senior member of the organization, Carayol says. However, that may not be the best option for today’s leaders.

McKinsey & Company released research in 2020 that indicates teams that were more diverse—those who weren’t all similar and brought different strengths to the team—saw a 34% increase in performance.

That research reinforces the value of inclusive leadership, Carayol says, and the idea of a leader’s role as a coach.

“It’s much harder work for the leaders when they’re being challenged by people from completely different backgrounds ,” Carayol says. “It’s feistier. There’s a little bit more healthy challenge, healthy tension, and more creativity. Everyone has an idea, and everyone has a view.

“It wasn’t just the cleverest person in the room,” he continues. “It was the person that had the most compassion that could inspire, but also listen and create an environment where everyone felt they could contribute.”

No one is good at everything, Carayol says. A person is typically good at two or three things. Instead of focusing on the areas where a person can improve, Carayol says leaders should take advantage of those strengths and look to find other team members who excel in the other areas.

“Everyone is brilliant at something, and no one is brilliant at everything,” Carayol says. “But the team can be. There was a time when we obsessed about the best person for the job. Now we look for the best person for the team.”

In a world that is constantly changing, Carayol says the leaders of today and the future need to create an environment where people can flourish, can have their ideas heard, and can feel safe speaking up.

“The best leaders today are brilliant at putting the team together,” Carayol says. “But it’s more than delegation. It’s empowerment, trusting people to do the heavy lifting, and creating an environment where they have the trust and support they need.”