The Four Cs: Inspiring Growth Through Change

When people ask what calls me to this work of being a leadership coach and consultant my
answer is simple: the power of the human spirit. Time and again, I’ve seen the tremendous
impact people create when positively and productively focused, even during impossible, painful
situations. They’ve taught me that change, whether desired or undesired, can be
transformative. This positive change is driven by individuals and leaders who focus on growth.
And the leaders who are best at inspiring growth during change seamlessly move amongst four
distinct positions, the Four Cs, if you will: coach, catalyst, communicator, and champion.

Coach
In the coach position, leaders excel by asking key questions to support people’s clarity and
confidence about their goals, resources, options, and actions. Think of the simple but powerful
question: “What do you want?” Connecting people to their emotions and aspirations will
inspire them through change. It also helps people take stock of resources and assets they
already have in place and explore alternative options for success. These “pull” behaviors, as
change leadership research shows us, are far more effective in helping people gain clarity and build resilience than “push” strategies like giving advice.

Catalyst
Leaders skilled in the catalyst position shine the light on incongruencies by assuming positive
intent versus shaming with judgement. Through this lens, they identify blind spots, challenge
limiting behaviors, encourage different thinking and expand points of view. My colleagues refer
to this as “holding the mirror up” to a belief someone has that impedes success, or behaviors
that conflict with goals and values. During times of stress, our capacity to think diminishes,
making it difficult to tap into what we know. It’s human nature to revert to familiar, sometimes
suboptimal ways of operating – something we’re living right now as we reinvent old behaviors
while maintaining our values and purpose.

Edward shared a case of alerting project leaders to a gap between their stated diversity
goals and the non-diverse staffing of a project: “It alarmed me to see this hiring trend,
almost like we were going backwards on the commitments we made. I know these
leaders to be well-intentioned and I had to reset my own judgement before talking with
them. I shared my observations, then listened to their explanation. After some time,
they acknowledged their blind spot and we talked through a plan to come back in line
with our values.”

In light of recent racial atrocities, this example is more relevant than ever. Leaders, especially
those in a position of privilege, must use their strong voice to call out inequity and to advance
behaviors that demand the best of us as human beings. That is a catalyst at work.

Champion
Change can be onerous, and it’s easy for teams to find themselves “in the weeds”. Assuming
the role of champion helps people raise their heads and raise their game during transformation.
From the champion position, leaders acknowledge and recognize progress, including learning
from mistakes. Using Edward as an example, the champion role might manifest itself in him
calling out positive traction he sees in his organization’s hiring goals. Of course, traction needs
to be genuine and backed up with tangible evidence (e.g. metrics, KPI’s, etc.) in order to be
truly meaningful. In wearing the champion hat, leaders are able to affirm and give perspective
on forward momentum, something people can lose sight of in the midst of change.

Communicator
One of the most common needs I hear teams raise during change is more communication from
leaders; communication on the change’s purpose, benefits, status, and vision forward. Effective
communicators go beyond merely providing clarity around change. They acknowledge the
human factor by sharing how individuals contribute to its success. They actively engage in two-
way communication, which gives people a voice in shaping the change and reveals valuable
insight on how to course correct for better results. And, in times when mass communication is
necessary, they understand how important it is to connect on a personal level by speaking to
and acknowledging their people’s reality and how it is being impacted by change.

Building Capacity Across the Four Cs
My experience is that leaders gravitate to their favorite of the four leadership positions. Each
one requires distinct skills and demands specific behaviors which may or may not be in
someone’s wheelhouse. The conflict adverse may not like the catalyst position, which requires
pushing people’s thinking, while the communicator position calls for leading from the front
more consistently. But, great change leaders set aside their discomfort and focus on building
capacity in all four, all to inspire growth through change.

Putting Practices into Action:

• Building capacity in the Four Cs starts with self-awareness. Take a moment to ask:
  • Which of the Four Cs is your favorite and why?
  • What strengths do you bring to each position?
  • Where do you need to grow?
• Get feedback from a few people around you to test your self-assessment.