“Leaders are made; they are not born. They are made by the hard effort, which is the price which all of us must pay to achieve any goal that is worthwhile.” – Vince Lombardi

Imagine you’re the captain of a ship navigating through a stormy sea.  The power gets cut by the violent winds that disable your radio. Massive waves crashing against the bow cause your compass to just keep spinning.

An executive coach is like a trusted navigator or guide to assist your leadership efforts in safely steering your ship and crew to a much better area for executing on organizational goals.

In today’s hyper-fast environment, executives are faced with numerous challenges that require not only strong leadership skills, but also continuous personal and professional development. This is where an executive coach can play a transformative role in your journey.  They can assist you in navigating the choppiest of waters or simply challenge you to grow to even greater levels of performance.

This article outlines key considerations when evaluating if a coach is right for you.

1. Enhance Self-Awareness

A skilled leadership coach can assist individuals in discovering a deeper understanding of their abilities and inherent strengths. By fostering an environment of safety and growth, an individual can start to unlock their full potential by leaning into what works and stretching their capacity to expand critical learned behaviors.

2. Gain an Objective Perspective

Executives struggle to find sources that are neutral to their development and bottom-line results.  Friends, families, and mentors are important, but can also bring unconscious biases to any relationship. An effective coach, however, can provide a safe, external viewpoint, helping executives identify blind spots and explore strategies and solutions to the most complex challenges.

Consider, for example, not wanting to signal a lack of confidence to your boss, not wishing to share your real concerns over the next big promotion, having to manage difficult conversations with the CEO, President or Board of Directors, wanting to shift gears within your career for personal reasons, and struggling to unlock the synergies within your department.

3. Achieve Goals and Accountability

By identifying specific topics and gaining clarity around your desired outcomes, a coach can serve as a trusted partner in your journey. Creating these conditions of accountability can assist leaders in staying focused and motivated in accomplishing their life’s biggest goals.

Taking this step to invest in your growth should be taken with careful consideration.  Investing in a coach requires time, energy, and an understanding of commitment to the process. The great news is, that while everyone will start an engagement with different experiences and abilities, there are some incredible outcomes you might experience.

“Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement and success have no meaning.” – Benjamin Franklin

Here are the top three benefits that clients have experienced.

• Improve Leadership Influence:

By gaining a stronger grasp on your own unique tendencies and understanding the many styles that exist in business, you will become more effective in your ability to create conditions of trust, strengthen your relationships, and amplify your abilities to coach others and boost performance.

• Improve Leadership Skills:

An experienced coach will assist you in expanding your capabilities as an executive in charge. Consider, for example, strategic-thinking, making mission-driven decisions, handling conflict directly and with compassion, empowering others through delegation, and leading with empathy.

• Manage Stress:

Executives carry a tremendous burden and responsibility for those in their care. Coaches can provide support and encouragement by offering productive strategies to enhance resilience and optimism. This can often lead to a much greater sense of fulfillment in your professional career and personal life.

Engaging with an executive coach can serve as a catalyst for your growth, having a tremendous impact on individual and organizational goals.

So, whether you are a newly appointed leader of people, or a seasoned executive, I’d encourage you to invest in your greatest asset, YOU.

“Ask yourself this daily question; How would the person I want to be, do the thing I’m about to do?” – Jim Cathcart

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