Leveraging Coaching To Build A Learning Mindset In Early Career Stage Leaders

N Moye, M Allen International Journal of Coaching in Organizations 2007

In this article, Moye and Allen discuss the importance of, and practice of, developing an individual’s capacity to lead at the early career stage by instilling a learning mindset. It is often said that individuals become great leaders only through experience. this adage is true only if individuals are attentive to learning from the experience; practice does not make perfect if you are not consciously engaged in reflective learning during and after the experience. As such, the authors believe that having a learning mindset is fundamental to developing the capacity to become a great leader, and especially at the early career stage. in their work with MBA students, Moye and Allen are utilizing executive coaches to encourage the development of a learning mindset, through instilling learning as a habit for each student. their expectations are that those students who adopt a learning mindset will more readily learn from experience and will, therefore, more quickly and more consistently become influential within their organizations. The authors believe this will have positive impact not only on the individuals themselves, but also on the organizations in which they work. These individuals will help to support the climate necessary for an organization to become a learning organization.