When to use a Leadership Coach
There are a myriad of scenarios when Coaching is appropriate.
Here are just a few examples
To support an established leader and their ongoing growth
- Leadership is never 'done'. And there will always be areas where a Leader has the potential to do things more or differently for improved results
Leadership coaching will 'hold the mirror up' and allow experienced leaders to challenge themselves, and get supportive, constructive and candid feedback often unavailable from elsewhere.
To support a new leadership appointment
- A new appointment often demands that individuals rapidly assimilate complex people and organisation issues. Only a limited number of people reach leadership positions with all the knowledge, organisational skills, and interpersonal know-how required to be successful.
Leadership coaching helps provide immediate support to close the gap quickly, recognising and proactively working with the seniority and complexity of the role.
To support and develop leaders and their teams
- Working with a leader and their team – supporting awaydays and offsites - allowing the process to be taken care of, whilst the leader invests energy in shaping the context and direction
Leadership coaching for the whole leadership team is very powerful. The coaching is delivered mindful of team dynamics and the business context. It acts as a confidential 'glue' to enable issues to be addressed quickly and effectively
To help people make sense of and thrive in a rapidly changing business environment
- Leading and dealing with people, managing change and delivering high performance from teams is an everyday challenge for most Executives
But all too often the insights available cannot be accessed as people work ever faster and harder. Coaching enables individuals to work smarter generating new insights and adapting their behaviours
Finding the right coach for you
Choosing wisely results in a long term relationship based on trust
It is vitally important to find the right coach for YOU. No two people have the same challenges or requirements so recommendations are helpful but ultimately you will need to decide who do think will support and challenge you most effectively.
- Ask yourself can you imagine really opening up – without this the relationship is unlikely to be effective
- Make your selection based in part on personal chemistry
- When you meet a prospective coach, expect to start the coaching process from the very first meeting
What should you expect from the coaching process?
Above all an effective Leadership Coach should be able to bring out the creativeness and problem solving skills that most leaders intrinsically possess but somehow get lost in the workload.
- Clear and robust thinking which adds value to your own
- Time and the opportunity to invest in yourself - emotional and practical support
- Improved insights and actions from every meeting
- Someone who can relate to you, stimulate and inspire you.
What should you look for?
- Business experience at a high level – someone you can view as a peer
- Excellent interpersonal skills – someone who can work with big egos and not be afraid to address difficult issues
- Personal integrity – and confidentiality.
- Frankness – being a good coach means confronting an executive with the truth as objectively observed. Coaching should be capable of both empathy and truth telling.
If you hire a coach who brings these characteristics, and good recommendations from previous clients there’s a good chance you have made a good choice
