Rachel Stone on Why Great Leadership Starts With Self-Awareness

Rachel Stone is the founder of Rachel Stone Coaching, a business and leadership coaching company she launched in 2012 after management and teaching roles in manufacturing, retail and education. She is also the author of a business book and the creator of an online leadership course, and she helps leaders become what she calls Even Better Leaders™.

In this Q&A, Rachel shares the path that took her from the classroom to coaching, why so many leaders struggle when their team can’t run without them, and what is next for her book and course, including an upcoming feature on BBC Radio 4.

Her perspective offers a clear, practical look at why self-awareness and communication sit at the heart of every successful team, along with one tip for women stepping into leadership.

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Q: What took you from management roles in manufacturing, retail and education to starting your own coaching company in 2012?

In short, I needed to make a change. I moved from manufacturing into retail because I was tempted by a great advert that emphasised teamwork. I wanted to be a leader and to work with a great team, and I was only 21, so it hit all the right spots for me at that time in my life.

Then I got married and settled down to become a stay-at-home mum, which was very important to me because I didn’t have the most comfortable of childhoods and I was very keen to be a great mum. When family circumstances changed, I went back into education myself and qualified as a Business Studies teacher. That led to a successful career in college management and teaching, which I did for 14 years.

In 2007, a virus affected my heart and meant I couldn’t easily stand up all day. I decided to study a Business Coaching qualification with The Coaching Academy in my own time, and then set up my own coaching business from scratch. By 2012 my children were more grown up and I was ready. I did really well, and I loved it.

Q: What do leaders most often get wrong when their team can’t run without them?

In my experience it is usually a combination of things. Firstly, many businesses grow out of a passion for something a person is good at or loves. They know their craft, but they don’t always know how to run a business, and they don’t realise that they are, in fact, leaders. They think of themselves as technicians. As the business grows, they don’t have the time, or the realisation, that they need to learn how to grow it.

Alongside this, leaders often believe that everyone thinks the way they do, so they communicate in the way they like and understand. That isn’t helpful, because everyone has their own perspective, thinking style, learning style and communication style. There is rarely a one-size-fits-all approach to leadership, and this is often the biggest barrier to leadership effectiveness. Leaders who fail to build high levels of self-awareness don’t grow a business or become successful leaders.

Awareness and respect for others is the second half of this. Learning what makes people highly motivated and productive is mainly about understanding their style of communication. I love a line from Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.” It is a massive tip for any leader.

So in essence, what most leaders get wrong is failing to see that everything comes back to two basic things: effective communication and great working relationships. They are inextricably linked.

Q: What’s next for you and your book and course, and what would you tell women stepping into leadership?

My book is being featured on a BBC Radio 4 programme called Life Changing on Wednesday 28 October at 9.00am. I was interviewed by Dr Sian Williams, who invited me to Hay Festival back in May this year, and that interview is the basis of the programme. The online course is now freely available on my YouTube channel, and the book is available on Amazon and through my website. I would like to help more people become Even Better Leaders™.

My top tip for women stepping into leadership is to first arrange an ICQ Global DISC Profile Assessment to fully understand your own personality profile, preferences, communication style and tendencies. Then learn about the four main personality types discovered through DISC profiling. I am happy to support anyone on this journey of self-discovery, because I believe it is the single most helpful leadership learning anyone can do.

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