Louis Baron

The impact of executive coaching on self‐efficacy related to management soft‐skills

– Executive coaching has become an increasingly common method to skill development. However, few rigorous empirical studies have tested its capacity to generate outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the links between executive coaching and self‐efficacy in regard to supervisory coaching behaviors., – The paper reports on a pretest‐posttest study of a leadership development program using three training methods: classroom seminars, action learning groups, and executive coaching. Data are collected in a large international manufacturing company from 73 first‐ and second‐level managers over an eight‐month period., – Results indicate that, after controlling for pre‐training self‐efficacy and other training methods, the number of coaching sessions has a positive and significant relationship with post‐training self‐efficacy. Results also show that utility judgment, affective organizational commitment, and work‐environment support have each a positive and significant relationship with post‐training self‐efficacy., – The paper first suggests that an organization that wishes to improve its return on investment with regard to coaching should implement a program with multiple sessions spread over a period of several months. This paper also suggests that organizations should consider coaching from a systemic point of view, that is, taking into account not only the design but also individual and situational variables., – This paper contributes to the scientific literature by investigating, with a solid methodological design, the capacity of executive coaching to increase self‐efficacy related to management skills.

Developing Authentic Leadership Within a Training Context: Three Phenomena Supporting the Individual Development Process

Based on semistructured interviews with 24 mid-level managers, this study examines the process of developing authentic leadership in a training context. The results revealed a process beginning with an exploration phase, in which participants increased their self-awareness and identified their leadership issues, identified new behaviors likely to address those issues, and tested those behaviors to confirm their effect. This was followed by an integration phase in which the participants reflected on the beneficial effects of those new behaviors and were able to adopt them in their organizational setting. The results also indicate that three phenomena activated by the training practices enable the participants to develop their authentic leadership, namely, a clamp effect, a safety-net effect, and an organizational simulation effect.

Authentic leadership and mindfulness development through action learning

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to evaluate a three-year training program based on action learning principles with regard to its effectiveness in fostering authentic leadership (AL) and mindfulness among the participants. Design/methodology/approach – Data were obtained using a mixed-method design. Quantitative data were collected using a quasi-experimental sequential cohort design with comparison group, in which 143 participants responded to a self-evaluation questionnaire up to six times over a three-year period. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with 24 managers. Findings – The results indicate that, as participants evolved through the leadership development program, self-reports of AL and mindfulness increased significantly and linearly as determined using repeated measures ANOVA, paired t-tests, and content analysis of interviews. Practical implications – The results suggest that a leadership development program based on action learning principles can foster the development of AL ...

Developing Authentic Leadership through Experiential Training: An Empirical Study

This empirical study examined the efficacy of a three-year training program using planned trigger events and peer coaching to foster development of authentic leadership. Data was collected over a two-year period from mid-level managers: 42 managers enrolled in their first year and 31 managers enrolled in their 2nd and 3rd year in the program. Results from t-tests analysis indicate that self-assessed perceptions of authentic leadership increased over time among participants. Specifically, the participants scored significantly higher after completing the first year than they did at the beginning. The same pattern was observed for the advanced participants in the program and this level was maintained after the first year of the program when the two samples were compared. Also, our results indicate the participation in the program was associated with an increase in mindfulness, which was also associated with authentic leadership, as some components of eudemonic well-being. Theoretical and practical implicatio...

Authentic Leadership and Authenticity: An Existential Perspective

The purpose of this chapter is, firstly, to assess the similarities between the traits of authenticity and authentic leadership, as viewed by researchers using two different perspectives historically used to define authenticity: the existential perspective and the psychological perspective. Secondly, using a correlational design, the chapter goes through an exploration of the relationship between authenticity and authentic leadership in a French-Canadian population using a quantitative approach. This chapter thus provides a relevant exploration of the evolution of the concept of authentic leadership and various observations of its impact on followers, integrating the existential perspective to respond to continuing concerns regarding coherence between authentic leadership and the concept from which it is derived, namely authenticity.

Mindfulness and leadership flexibility

Purpose In a context of great complexity, many authors have focused on the beneficial effects of leadership flexibility (Denison, Hooijberg and Quinn, 1995), a capacity theoretically associated to mindfulness. The goal of this exploratory study is to better understand the relationship between mindfulness and behavioral flexibility in leaders. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from two samples: 100 active leaders from diverse economic sectors and 62 students pursuing an executive MBA degree. Findings The results show that mindfulness is positively associated with the overall score for leader flexibility, and with its two dualities: 1) self-assertive and directive vs collaborative and supportive, and 2) long term strategy vs short term execution. Specifically, four of the five dimensions of mindfulness (nonreactivity, nonjudging, acting with awareness and describing) were positively correlated with the overall flexibility score. Practical implications The results suggest that by developing min...