All Olympian athletes without exception have a coach. They want to be the best at their individual sport with the long-term goal of winning a gold medal. If Olympian athletes have a coach, why wouldn’t executive leaders need one too? This blog describes five benefits of having an executive coach. It is first important to establish the difference between a coach, a mentor, a consultant, and a counselor.
A coach is a professional who works with leaders, managers, and high-potential employees to enhance their leadership skills, strategic thinking, and overall performance. A coaching arrangement is typically paid.
A mentor provides advice, shares experiences, and gives guidance to another individual based on a mutually agreed relationship. Although companies can engage a firm that provides mentoring arrangement service, the mentee typically does not pay a mentor. The mentoring relationship can be formal or informal.
Consultants are professionals who provide services in a variety of areas. An executive coach is not a consultant although he or she may provide consultative services during a coaching session.
Lastly, counselors are trained professionals who provides guidance, support, and advice to individuals regarding personal, social, psychological, or legal issues. Typically, counselors are covered by a person’s health insurance, or the employer may offer these services.
All these types of relationships or business engagements are confidential. This blog focuses on the coaching relationship only and five benefits of having an executive coach.
Accelerate your career.
Having an executive coach can help accelerate your career. Often each person must experience a variety of situations to grow as a leader. Having a coach can help you avoid mistakes or resolve issues faster by sharing his or her experiences.
A coach can help you discern if a particular “next job” is the right career move for you. Or they can listen as you brainstorm the pros and cons and provide some input.
Discuss difficult topics and address Board and senior leadership conversations.
Some of the most difficult topics to address as a leader is succession planning. The CEO position is determined by the Board of Directors. However, the sitting CEO typically has some input in the decision. A coach can assist in the identification process. The other executive positions can be identified by the executive team, but the CEO’s decision carries a lot of weight. Discussing potential successors to the executive positions with a coach helps ask the difficult questions. Examples are what does this person bring to the team? or would you hire this person again today?
Another difficult topic is how to deal with another executive’s performance or behavior that impacts the rest of the team. Also, how to address the Board of Directors when proposing new ideas, setting strategic direction, or ownership succession.
Learn to facilitate strategic conversations.
A coach can help executives learn to facilitate strategic conversations with their peers and the Board of Directors. The best leaders are influential and have a vision that others want to follow. You can share your vision with your coach for feedback on communicating it to everyone.
Become the best leader you can be.
Knowing yourself well is crucial in becoming the best leader you can be. Working with a coach helps you discover and maximize your top talents and understand your personality well. A coach guides you to maximize your strengths and work on your weak areas. An excellent coach brings out the best in you and lets you know which areas you must improve on to be successful.
Develop your team.
Once you know yourself and your talents, a coach can help you identify your ideal team members with complementary talents. One of the primary responsibilities of leaders is to develop the team. The coach helps you ask the right questions to get to know your employees and their talents. A well-developed team brings success to the whole company.
If you have been considering hiring an executive coach, the first step is to identify if you need a coach, a mentor, a consultant, or a counselor. It is okay to need one or more of these important people in your life at some point. Successful leaders take advantage of these five benefits of having an executive coach. If you strive to be the best leader you can be, just as Olympian athletes have a coach, get one too. You may not win a gold medal, but you will become an exceptional leader who others want to follow!
