Coaching a senior executive facing power struggles. How can you effectively handle their challenges?

I always say 80% is mindset, and only 20% is skills (a teaching from my mentor Tony Robbins). This maybe an unpopular opinion, but IMO, if they are facing power struggles, I would first figure out what part of that is the truth, and what part of that is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Are they letting their own Imposter Syndrome cloud their judgement? Are they possibly also responding differently to the people they have power struggles with? Once the mindset is on a higher level, they will notice that they have more clarity and creativity to handle these power struggle challenges.

To effectively coach a senior executive facing power struggles, start by understanding the root causes of the conflicts and their impact on the executive's role. Encourage open communication and help them develop strategies to navigate these dynamics, such as defining clear roles and responsibilities. Use evidence-based techniques to build their conflict resolution and leadership skills. Regularly review progress and adjust the approach as needed to ensure continuous improvement.

Coaching a senior executive facing power struggles requires a strategic approach. Start by fostering self-awareness—70% of leaders with high self-awareness are more successful in managing conflicts. Encourage them to focus on collaboration rather than competition by building alliances and emphasizing shared goals. Use role-playing to practice conflict resolution and improve emotional intelligence, a trait that 90% of top performers possess. By shifting their mindset from power to influence, they can lead more effectively, reduce tension, and enhance team cohesion.

Effectively coaching a senior executive facing power struggles involves understanding the dynamics at play and providing strategic guidance. Encourage them to focus on collaboration and relationship-building to mitigate conflicts. Help them develop clear communication and negotiation skills to assert their authority while maintaining respect. Guide them in setting clear boundaries and expectations, and support them in fostering a culture of trust and transparency within their team.

While your coach/mentor helps you assess the context of the power struggle you find yourself amidst, it's important to also factor in: 1) if these are short/long term - chart your course accordingly 2) are your core values at stake - chart your course accordingly 3) is the work you do giving you utmost satisfaction? - chart your course accordingly... If you've answered long term, yes, no to the above questions, you should brace yourself for impact.

No man is an island, and every human works best in partnership with another, or as part of a team, a community. Setting out do do things alone is hard, and can create setbacks. Cultivating strong relationships within the workplace helps foster a good spirit that will also spur on productivity. By working together, or by being part of something with the same end result in mind, speeds up progress and growth. When we see progress we feel things are worthwhile.

A growth mindset is imperative in today's world. Up-skilling helps keep you relevant and employable. If you are not willing to keep your skillset updated you are soon going to become redundant, so it is vital to develop your skills as much as possible. A coach will help you, and also hold you accountable to make sure you do actually do the work to keep up. If you want to stand out in a frenetic and crowded world, then a well equipped toolbox of skills will do it.

In this case I use the Cognitive Behavioral Coaching (CBC): This method focuses on identifying and challenging negative thought patterns. By reframing these thoughts, you can build a more resilient mindset.

One way of coaching a senior executive facing power struggles is by providing reassurance and acknowledging their experience. How can you effectively comfort them, ensuring they understand that their seniority remains intact even when they need to report to someone else? It's also important to highlight yourself as a risk-taker while securing their confidence by giving them credit for their contributions. This approach can help in building trust and navigating power dynamics within the team. Last but not least a good salary and bonus helps!

Taking stock and reflecting on how far you have come is always a good practice, and helps to inspire and motivate you to keep going. Looking back, or going over things creates a learning opportunity to see what worked, and what did not. Then moving forwards you can do more of the things that worked really well, and cease doing things that aren't working. You can adopt new strategies and may get new insights on how to do things more efficiently by reflecting on previous endeavours - allowing you to adapt and grow.