Coaching Delivers Results for African Leaders in Agriculture

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The Centre for African Leaders in Agriculture (CALA) supports countries and sector leaders working toward inclusive agriculture transformation across Africa. CALA’s Advanced Leadership Programme offers a collaborative, hands-on experience for both senior and rising leaders in agriculture sectors around the continent. CALA is led by AGRA, with the support of Policy LINK and the African Management Institute. 

As part of the Advanced Leadership Programme offered by the Centre for African Leaders in Agriculture (CALA), Policy LINK provides leadership coaching through a cadre of seasoned professional leadership coaches to help senior and rising leaders achieve their personal and professional potential.

The executive coaching component of the Advanced Leadership Programme is designed to facilitate individual growth. Select program participants—called delegates—receive monthly, one-hour coaching sessions for eight months. During these sessions, experienced, professional leadership coaches help delegates set goals, reflect on their experiences, and hone their leadership skills. They do this by asking probing questions, challenging limiting beliefs, and creating space for reflection.

Sixteen delegates from the Advanced Leadership Programme’s second cohort have already completed eight months of executive coaching. In a recent survey, delegates said the skills they had sharpened with the help of their executive coaches are benefiting them in the workplace, noting improvements in communication, teamwork, task management, and work-life balance, among other areas.

“As a working mother, I struggled with finding balance between my professional and personal responsibilities. Through executive coaching, I gained insights into the importance of integrating success at work and success at home to achieve overall well-being. My coach helped me identify my values and priorities and encouraged me to set boundaries, practice self-care, and allocate time for both work and family.” 

CALA Delegate

One delegate, who described executive coaching as “super successful,” cited measurable indicators of improved leadership skills. She said executive coaching had helped her “develop better communication skills, such as active listening, empathetic responses, and asking open-ended questions,” which resulted in “a significant improvement in [her] ability to collaborate with others.” She also said a task prioritization framework she learned about from her executive coach had enabled her to better manage her workload, set realistic expectations, communicate openly about deadlines, and “deliver high-quality work and reduce stress...” Another delegate credited executive coaching with helping him listen more actively, which has improved his professional relationships. Perhaps most importantly, delegates report sharing what they have learned with their colleagues in hopes of improving the overall performance of their organizations.

In addition, all delegates engage in team coaching with professional leadership team coaches. Monthly, 1.5-hour team coaching sessions allow groups of delegates working toward shared goals in a particular country to focus on their goals, enhance their skills, and reflect on their experiences applying their leadership skills both in their workplaces and in concert with other leaders with whom they are collaborating on CALA Action Learning Projects. Teams also identify learnings that they will take back to the workplace. One team, for example, noted the importance of effective communication, empathy, ownership, and accountability for establishing high-performing teams.

Delegates view coaching as an integral part of the Advanced Leadership Programme and appreciate the opportunity to “actively participate in the process of thinking through solutions.” One delegate says, “It is a very enriching programme, particularly the coaching aspect. I have attended leadership training sessions in the past, but they are nothing compared to the one-on-one coaching that deals specifically with your issues. I am very grateful.”  

With coaching support, delegates in CALA’s Advanced Leadership Programme will continue to uncover and maximize their potential. These results-oriented, adaptable, and collaborative leaders will be instrumental in transforming agriculture sectors and achieving greater food security in countries across the African continent.

Resources

Read about the launch of the coaching program.

Visit the website of the Centre for African Leaders in Agriulture.