Interestingly, leaders support their children, teams and peers but when it comes to themselves they can be more hesitant. Leaders may often think about Executive Coaching as an approach but don’t pursue it. They question if it is the right thing for them, or wonder what they will gain from it. Primarily, Executive Coaching provides you with opportunities…
An opportunity for clarity
Executive coaching brings focus and clarity to you, your work, relationships and purpose. Having a deeper awareness of yourself, what you do, how you do it. How you impact yourself and others through your people leadership and behaviours. Clarity in the meaning of your work for you, your life and value systems. Additionally, it helps you to consider the value you bring to your people and the organisation, and what future value you wish to bring.
Examining your leadership role
Being a senior leader is not an easy role. What is it to be a leader in a modern organisation? How do you approach it? What are the expectations of me as a leader? How do I know I am doing it right?
Executive coaching allows you to do a ‘health check’ on your leadership. Maximising and leveraging current skills, and embracing new ones. Having your current practices explored, challenged and developed. Also, creating new ways of responding to work, the people around you and the a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) environment you work in.
Investing in you
When was the last time you Invested time and focus on you?
Quality time spent on you, on things that you want to talk about is not a luxury. It’s space to stop and reflect on where you are, where you want to go and how you might get there. If it is good enough for others, then why not you too? Time spent on you is an investment when used wisely. Being able to express and explore ideas, thoughts, opportunities in a safe and non-judgemental environment.
Finally, it presents an opportunity to gain a competitive advantage over industry (and organisational) peers.
Future focus
It’s easy to get immersed in the day to day and lose sight of yours, the teams and the organisation’s ‘future focus’.
Taking time to ‘stand and stare’ is no bad thing. Working with a coach allows you to consider the bigger picture. Examining strategy, business development and the external (as well as internal) environment allows you to spend time keeping the business moving forward. Moreover, it forces you to ‘live’ in the role you are expected to be in, a leader of the business.
Understanding, enhancing and influencing relationships
We need relationships to make the business world go round. They are made up of complex human beings, and so take work to keep alive. Executive coaching allows the opportunity to examine the breadth of your relationships through a different lens. Similarly, how to make these stronger and more productive. Identifying where and how you should be investing your time, as not all relationships are equal.
Finally, coaching helps you to understand the range relationship systems you are involved with in order to influence, manage and use them differently.
Broadening and deepening acumen
Formulating and making decisions based on sound judgement is a skill. A skill honed through experience and business knowledge. Being able to consider the business and its people in order to make more informed decisions for the business is vital. Similarly, coaching allows and forces you to take a ‘helicopter view’ of the business and help make healthy decisions.
In work, you often see what is just in front or around you. Coaching allows you to reflect on your thinking, decisions and actions. Then, understanding the reasoning and themes behind these.
Creating and nurturing your brand
Impressions and connections are made and lost in the blink of an eye. Your leadership brand is important, especially as a senior leader. Whilst you might think you know yourself, how do others view you? What impression do you leave in the business? How do you influence and nuture your personal brand to work for you? How do your reports, peers and the leaders view you? Additionally, by growing your brand, your physical confidence and presence is enhanced.
Taking your performance forward
Finally, Executive Coaching impacts upon a range of business, interpersonal, leadership and change areas. But, no matter your role, it is still about your accountability for performance and delivery. You still have to perform, every day. Coaching is a performance and behavioural tool to examine, understand, influence, develop, change, inform and transform. It creates the opportunity and space to make a difference to your performance, and that of others. Whatever your level on the organisation you can always benefit from external perspectives and support.
Make a difference for yourself or for your organisation through Executive Coaching by getting in touch today. Say hello and let’s talk about your development… If you are looking for an executive coach, here are some questions to ask them to find the best fit for you.
Nick Howell is a professional coach and leadership trainer. He is passionate about leaders having access to high quality development opportunities. He works across all sectors helping them to be the best leaders, every day.