Being a coach is definitely something that makes a good leader. What makes a great leader is being able to listen and being approachable. I often find that some leaders just don’t feel approachable. You miss a lot of innovation and ideas that way because younger team members don’t feel comfortable talking to you or don’t feel comfortable coming up to you. Good ideas come from everywhere, at every level of the organization.
I think leaders must be approachable. They need to listen and make time for employees. That said, approachability is different from busyness. The size of the company may be a factor in terms of having access to the person. If you have that accessibility, you need to be approachable if you are leading people. That’s why management style matters; having good managers at every level is so important.
