You don’t have to look far, perhaps as close as in the mirror, to find leaders who are willing to lead themselves through change in order to inspire and motivate others to join them. Our upcoming book Results Coaching Next Steps: Leading for Growth and Change includes multiple examples of individual transformations that impact whole systems. Here is one such story of a man who knows firsthand what it is like.

Meet Dr. Lloyd Sain, Director of Leadership and Teacher Development in the Little Rock Arkansas School District. He wanted to change the way he and others thought, talked, worked and led together in order to accomplish increased results and enriched relationships. After much study and research, he decided that building a quality coaching culture was the vehicle that would lead him and his school district to the vision he desired. He chose Results Coaching Global as his coaching company of choice. Dr. Sain’s vision was to train external executive coaches, with a proven reputation as respected leaders, to coach school principals. And, he got involved himself, showing his own willingness, and at times vulnerability, to adopt new ways of leading. He knew that the leaders who could only tell others how to lead and direct the activities of others through directive control were of a bygone era. His vision to bring external executive coaches to Little Rock School District grew to principals wanting to be more coach-like in their leadership by emulating the communication and coaching modeled by their executive coaches. As more and more leaders experienced the coach-leader behaviors of their supervisors, more learning of the attitudes and skills of coach leaders was requested. What started as a small change has grown into a big movement.

Results Coaching Global’s partnership with the Little Rock School District (LRSD) began in 2009 and continues. The stories of personal and professional transformation abound. We enjoy the laughter and stories of Dr. Sain—before and after the influence of Results Coaching on his own leadership and personal style! Lloyd confesses that his former unproductive listening style was judgment/criticism. His personal transformation leaves that behind, and he is now the unofficial chief listening officer of LRSD. He is intentional about being fully present as a listener and asks the same of others. He has made a clear transition into the coach-leader identity. Dr. Sain is now credentialed as a Professional Certified Coach, and his work influences school leaders within LRSD as well as other school venues, both public and private.

Want to know more about ways in which Results Coaching Global can support transformations for you and those you lead? Join us for one of our upcoming public seminars or contact us to find out how to bring us directly to your district.

By Frances Shuster, PCC and Vicky Dearing, PCC