194 The Coaching Toolkit for Child Welfare Practice
Implementation of evidence-based
practices requires behavior change at
the practitioner, supervisory, and
administrative support levels. Training and
coaching are the principle ways in which
behavior change is brought about for
carefully selected staff in the beginning
stages of implementation and
throughout the life of evidence-based
practices and programs.
~ Fixsen, et al., 2005, p. 29
Leadership styles
Leaders impact overall program implementation and system-wide
culture in many ways. Leaders must be supportive and encouraging,
but aware staff will meet this support with resistance if leadership is
overly eager, mandates coaching, oversells coaching, or creates a
contrived sense of collegiality.
One impact has been linked to various styles of leadership, which
can be described as a continuum between coercive and pacesetting
(Fullan 2001). Coercive and pacesetting characteristics typically
create a negative organizational climate and performance:
Coercive—the leader demands compliance. (“Do what I tell you.”)