Focus and clarity. Seasoned executives often engage a coach themselves to gain focus and clarity on what they want to achieve and to make strives forward to get there. A busy leader often needs to reflect, and through coaching, find not only the time but also the confidential space in they need. The focus is on the here and now, and how to move forward, enabling successful leaders to become even more successful.
A sounding board. Plain and simple. Executives often lack a conversation partner to help them through their challenges. Is there someone that gives me honest and candid feedback without having ties to the organization, my friends, my family or anyone else? Imagine being able to work through these things with a peer who has no agenda. Executives often find that being heard without judgment and having a coach mirror back what they are thinking about can be tremendously liberating. It’s a gift of clarity that enables one to move faster with more confidence.
Change is good. Now deal with it. In today’s dynamic environment, change comes in many forms: a long-awaited promotion, a chance to leap into a new role, an expatriate assignment, acquisitions, a new parent company, a major restructuring, new team members, new business leaders. Despite often driving change themselves, executives sometimes wonder why is this harder than I thought? Coaching can help you (or your business) move from the “stuck” position to the “unstuck” position by supporting you and helping you learn new skills to move forward.
A fresh look at old problems. Perspective is an interesting thing. Sometimes the situation remains completely unchanged, however, the ability to view things from a new perspective can make all the difference, allowing new solutions to surface that can break the deadlock and resolve a long-standing issue.
Balance and fulfillment. While there is no such thing as a perfect equilibrium in a busy executive’s life, some people are able to move through their hectic lives with a sense of balance and fulfillment. Are you one of these people? Operating with dissonance in our core can lead to a feeling of lack of control or frustration that affects even the most successful people in the long run. A coach can help you find the root of some of these dissonances so you can get back into the driver’s seat, making decisions that better fit your core values while getting what you want.
Design studio to sculpt myself. The coaching space can be a design studio where a leader can sculpt themselves into the executive they want to be. What do you want to be able to do? What does it look like or sound like when you get there? A coach can run alongside you on your journey to master a specific skill or learn new behaviors, helping you to keep you on track as you work towards your desired state.
What is getting in my way? Top performers seek coaching when they feel that a change in behavior can make a significant difference in their long-term success or that of their organization. It can be triggered by feedback, or, an experience that allows the leader to see himself in a new light. Through coaching, leaders have an opportunity explore and to choose what actions they can take to adapt or change behaviors in a non-threatening environment. Confidentiality and a solid relationship between the leader and the coach is an essential ingredient in making this happen.
The Benefits
Adoption of behaviors accelerating achievement of personal goals & business objectives
Strengthen ability to work through your leadership team
Decisions closer aligned to core values, an absence of inner conflict
Better feeling of balance and fulfillment
More positive relationship with colleagues and people you care about
Ability to tackle previously-difficult decisions
Greater clarity in what you want, discovering new ways on how to get there
Enhanced clarity in communication
Greater sense of control of one's own life
A life plan that better suits your needs, not serving another purpose