| Summary: | Effective leadership is crucial for organisational survival and growth, especially in demanding modern business environments. It is particularly challenging for women leaders who may function in gendered organisations that do not necessarily support their development. Group coaching is more time and cost-effective than individual coaching, is scalable and sustainable and is appropriate for the relational context of leadership. It is, however, in its infancy in terms of cohesive and differentiated research. This study investigated the impact of group coaching on leadership effectiveness in South African women managers.
Data was gathered from pre-and-post questionnaire administrations as well as interviews and was analysed using mixed methods in comparative t-tests and thematic analysis. The findings indicated that leadership effectiveness did change significantly over a six month leadership development programme, most notably in the areas of enabling self, enabling others and self-confidence. Specific impacts of group coaching on leadership effectiveness were by increasing awareness of self and values; enabling learning through external input; enabling sharing and support through safety and a sense of direction. These themes relate to factors inherent in a group context: multiple interactions to explore identity and self, multiple feedback inputs and collective sharing and support. The respondents reported less impact in the achievement of personal goals or results. It is possible that there is a trade-off in focus on the individual’s objectives for the learning advantages of multiple interactions and exchanges in group coaching. The effects of group coaching, however, appear to be relevant for current business realities that demand modern leaders to be authentic and confident in complex and hyper-connected social environments. Women who work in male-dominated organisations may benefit particularly from alternative groups that provide safe feedback, validation and a sense of identification with similarly positioned women.
This study deepened understanding of how group coaching adds value in a leadership development context. The results add to the body of knowledge on group coaching and leadership effectiveness and help to inform the practice of effective leadership in organisations, particularly for women managers.
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