PREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITION

When it was published in 2000, Coaching for Leadership became an instant classic in the field of executive coaching. The second edition in 2006 was aimed at the large number of retiring leaders who saw coaching as a way of passing on their learning. Coming twelve years after the book’s inception, this third edition is aimed squarely at the intended recipients of that legacy—the bright young leaders and coaches of the Hi-Po (High-Potential) Generation of the twenty-first century who hold high expectations of our distressed world.

Leadership coaching has changed dramatically since the last edition. The supply side is now overwhelmed with practitioners from myriad disciplines crowding into the coaching space. Perhaps the most vociferous come with a psychology background, a discipline which itself is undergoing change, gradually shifting its focus from the study of dysfunctional toward a science of success. This nudges psychology even further into the realm of business, the home territory of our book.

Of the many other disciplines laying claim to the sphere of leadership coaching, we consider philosophy to be highly significant. In offering alternative models for the foundations of thought, philosophy offers a platform on which our entire subject may rest. Within philosophy lies the often-neglected topic of ethics, the science of doing good, which surely ought to be a central theme in any teaching of leadership.

Today’s Hi-Po coaches are challenged with the recurring task of weaving threads from several disciplines into a tapestry that is fit for purpose in helping their clients learn and succeed. In this sense, the coach has to become a discriminating eclectic, developing a keen sense of judgment to select which threads are best woven into the fabric and those that it would be better simply to throw away. This book is intended to be a cherished companion in that learning journey.

Today’s younger generation of leaders is comfortable with new ways of working and prefers a different style of learning. This book reflects that change. Building on the strong foundations of earlier editions, we have added new contributors while aiming for a fresh style. Without loss of rigor, the chapters are deliberately short and to the point. Wherever possible we have given preference to a punchy, fast-paced storytelling style.

Two significant additions to this third edition are the The Coaching for Leadership Case Study Workbook: Featuring Dr. Fink’s Leadership Casebook and the premium web content section. Dr. Fink’s Leadership Casebook authored by coeditor Laurence S. Lyons, has been written to help those who want to be successful leaders, business coaches, and agents of change to understand organizational life. This companion workbook is unique in that its lessons are told in narrative form with illustrations, exercises, and highly entertaining stories that, practically without effort on the part of its readers, engrain into them the complex learnings and theories of management and leadership.

With this edition we’ve also included a number of articles in our Premium Web Content section that we find specifically pertinent to people new to the subject of business coaching. Three of these articles are new and can be found only at www.pfeiffer.com/go/GoldsmithCF3 (password: professional). The others were in previous editions of Coaching for Leadership and are foundational articles that we hope will give readers a taste of what executive coaching is all about. And, with that brief introduction to this latest edition of Coaching for Leadership, a description of the sections you’ll find in this book follows.

Structure of the Book

Our subject, Coaching for Leadership, has grown so much since our first book was published. With such a vast and expanding topic, even an experienced coach or leader may find it difficult to know what is important to spend precious time learning about now. We suggest that readers approach our book by picking a contribution that seems interesting or familiar and progress through the book in any order. Ours is an ideal book to use as a resource when looking for an approach, technique, or inspiration about the subject. For those who prefer a more structured approach, we have divided the book into parts, each representing an important aspect of coaching for leadership. These are:

Part I: Foundations of Coaching. Included here are elements that we see as foundational, classic, must-knows for our readers. These articles help make our subject accessible to readers from any background.

Part II: Portrait of a Leader. Here you will find a collection of chapters which illustrate leadership today. Essays about what are and may always have been valued characteristics and talents of high-potential leaders are included.

Part III: Challenges and Forces of Change. It is a given that the world is changing at a rapid, heretofore unseen pace. This collection of essays explores challenges brought about by today’s forces of change and solutions based on the best practices of coaching pioneers.

Part IV: Recognizing and Developing High-Potentials. The hugely important issue for those in leadership and coaching, recognizing and developing high-potentials, is explored in the articles in this section. These authors provide a compendium of case studies and ideas which can make a significant contribution to the achievement of success in this highly critical area.

Part V: Into Action. In this part of the book, we focus on what high-potentials may need to do as they develop into the leaders of tomorrow. This certainly isn’t exhaustive, and we hope to expand this section in subsequent editions of Coaching for Leadership.

Part VI: Coaching Models and Tools. In this part you will find some of the best, tried-and-tested practical approaches to coaching. Contributions in this section explain what works and also what might derail effective coaching.

Part VII: Coaching for Leadership: Premium Web Content. As mentioned previously, essays in this section will be found only on the web, and include articles we recommend for those new to the subject of leadership coaching.