If you are a personal coach, you might be wondering how to get noticed by senior leaders in your field. Whether you want to advance your career, expand your network, or learn from the best, getting the attention of the top players can be challenging. In this article, we will share some tips on how to stand out and impress the senior leaders in personal coaching.
One of the first steps to get noticed by senior leaders is to establish your credibility as a personal coach. This means demonstrating your expertise, experience, and results in your niche. You can do this by creating a portfolio of your work, sharing testimonials from your clients, publishing articles or books, speaking at events, or getting certified by reputable organizations. By building your credibility, you will show the senior leaders that you are a professional and competent coach who can deliver value.
Credibility from a new coach seeking to be noticed by senior leadership often means showing humility and remaining in an inferior posture while seeking to add value. Being very well timed and articulate with powerful questions, especially a line of questioning that drives to clarity is a powerful way to display the foundation of coaching and add value in the room. Be slow to "credential yourself" and spend far more time in curiosity that helps you uncover their needs and wounds. Help to bring healing to the wounds and your credibility will build from the results you deliver.
Coaches build credibility with senior leaders by helping them confront and navigate the hardest problems. Sucking up to brilliant senior leaders will quickly be seen as fake. Doing the grit work of helping coaching clients journey through the org’s toughest challenges has a way of getting key interest from stakeholders who matter.
There are a lot of "coaches" working with people from all walks of life and for all kinds of reasons. I believe that coach credibility, different from trusted advisor credibility and comes largely from the connection the coach makes with the senior leader and the time they spend with them to get to know something about them. And, vice versa, the senior leader gets to know something about the coach. A designation from a coaching body like ICF also helps establish credibility. In these ways the senior leader is at choice and the pair are able to form a partnership of equals, after all, that is part of the definition of coaching.
In my view, coaching possesses inherent power, and appending modifiers like leadership, executive, personal, and life can often diminish its core impact. Genuine coaching rises above these labels because, fundamentally, our purpose as coaches is to guide and empower the individual, moving beyond mere fulfillment of a predefined role. To stand out, I focus on cultivating a secure environment, where trust becomes the guiding force throughout our conversations. My commitment to staying fully present ensures a meaningful and impactful coaching experience.
I think by building consistency, authenticity and expertise, these are the building blocks of a solid reputation. Whether in business or your personal pursuits, every action is a chance to reinforce your credibility. So be present, deliver on promises, and let your actions speak volumes. Elevate your journey by building a reputation that opens doors and paves the way to success!
Another way to get noticed by senior leaders is to connect with them personally. This means reaching out to them with a genuine interest in their work, asking for their advice or feedback, or offering your help or support. You can do this by sending them a personalized email, inviting them to a coffee chat, or following them on social media. By connecting with them personally, you will show the senior leaders that you are a curious and respectful coach who can build rapport and trust.
Reach out and ask! The answer is always no unless you reach out to them; it’s also a good idea to be specific in what you want to chat about so they know going in. And, once you do meet with them, make it about THEM—even at the senior level, it’s nice to allow them to chat and talk about the things they’ve learned when it comes to that something specific. And, Of course, let them know how much of an impact they’ve made in your life (as in, know something about them before you go in! )
Do you know speaking with the toilet cleaner is much easier than an MD? Why? Some employees are overwhelmed by the job titles, and they stay quiet. I saw this first hand whilst working for Tier Bank Bulge bracket Bank. An MD would come into the toilet, and those who knew them would say hello, but that was about it. I’m not saying toilets are great places for conversations, but use impromptu opportunities like the cafeteria or water area to strike up a non-work conversation. Why? Senior management is human, too, and they enjoy speaking to employees.
A third way to get noticed by senior leaders is to showcase your uniqueness as a personal coach. This means highlighting your strengths, values, and personality in your work, communication, and branding. You can do this by developing your own style, voice, and approach, expressing your opinions and insights, or creating your own products or services. By showcasing your uniqueness, you will show the senior leaders that you are a creative and original coach who can stand out and inspire.
Uniqueness is very important, there’s lots of choice out there and it can be difficult to be noticed in a large pool of talent. How can you be unique? Alignment with yourself and what your strengths are to offer. Don’t copy others, you can always model what others do however, humans can easily pick up when there’s no uniqueness. NLP is the basis of modelling and we can extract effective parts from others and then mould it into our own unique way.
I believe this is the key. If you can connect with leaders through resonant shared values, it's worth more than any rhetoric about your work. What they want to know: How can you help them solve their problem? Achieve their specific goal, their way? It's worth being radically direct, because this polarises your audience, and your people will be even more drawn to you. Examples, case studies, videos and testimonials can also bear witness to your style.
Demonstrating how YOU can help matters in terms of a skill set or ROI, but more than what sets you apart in your services, highlight the person you are. Every individual is different. It is in this difference that we can show proper fit. How you personally fit in with an organization will likely be more impactful towards your ability to foster growth than your direct competence/skill set. There are plenty of people who know a lot about coaching, but YOU are the person who will deliver this knowledge to the client. Sell them on why it must be you and not someone else with the exact same education/practical experience.
A fourth way to get noticed by senior leaders is to learn from them constantly. This means seeking their wisdom, guidance, and mentorship in your personal and professional growth. You can do this by reading their books or blogs, listening to their podcasts or interviews, attending their courses or workshops, or joining their communities or programs. By learning from them constantly, you will show the senior leaders that you are a humble and eager coach who can improve and excel.
Yes! The leaders I seek out are those whose aspirations and goals align with mine. Connecting on social media, I learn through curiosity and appreciation, which ensures I don't push my own agenda over other experts' deep skills, wisdom and intent.
Engaging with senior leaders to learn from them involves a combination of proactive networking, effective communication, and strategic relationship building. Here are some steps you can take: Initiate Contact: 1. Find a way to meet senior leaders. They need to know who you are before you can build a relationship with them. 2. Build Rapport and Trust: Show genuine interest in their work and the challenges they face. Ask questions, seek advice and ask for feedback. 3. Find a Mentor: Find a senior mentor who can advocate for you. This person can help your voice be heard in a hierarchical company. It’s often who you know! Remember, building relationships with senior leaders is a long-term process that requires patience and persistence.
A fifth way to get noticed by senior leaders is to add value to them consistently. This means contributing to their goals, projects, or causes in a meaningful and relevant way. You can do this by sharing their content, promoting their events, referring their clients, or collaborating with them. By adding value to them consistently, you will show the senior leaders that you are a generous and supportive coach who can create and deliver value.
RESULTS are the best way to get noticed. There’s lots of different tools and techniques to help people and each coach will bring their unique way of interaction with the client. However, clients wants results and they want quick results. They don’t want 12 weeks to find new ways of doing things or being! If someone is being affected by personal issues it will affect many parts of their life including work. If that person is an integral part of a high performing team, then senior leaders will want them back in the team and working optimally in the quickest time possible. Quick results gaurantee that and then higher than normal output since the client is over what was limiting them!
A great tip is to forward interesting and cutting edge information/articles. It allows you to raise your profile without too much effort. Once you see them again, not only will they thank you personally, but they’ll know you’ve got your finger on the pulse.
There is no better way then delivering results. So make sure that you really deliver value to your clients. They will recommend you. Think of a system how these recommendations can be secured. Create testimonials and get the ok for showing the case on your web presence. In conversations ask for active references. Also make yourself available spontaneously if needed and your schedule allows it. Being there not only during an appointment, but also when there is something urgent can make a big difference for the relation and coachee. Learn how to distinguish if the topic needs direct actions and how to say no and set boundaries as well. This keeps you respected and you need personal times regularly to perform.
A sixth way to get noticed by senior leaders is to be visible and active in the personal coaching industry. This means participating in the conversations, trends, and opportunities that are happening in your field. You can do this by joining online or offline groups, forums, or platforms, commenting on posts, articles, or videos, or volunteering for events, organizations, or initiatives. By being visible and active, you will show the senior leaders that you are a passionate and engaged coach who can network and influence.
How do we keep motivation, constant? There's only one way. Fire and heat need fuel and we will have to supply it ourselves. Someone with a growth mindset, perseveres in the face of setbacks and is open to feedback.
All of the above is really great. Said another way, always take initiative for the sake of taking initiative. If I can make my job about ways to take more initiative for the sake of getting better at taking initiative - I will get better at what I do and eventually get noticed by those that value my effort. This is one of the laws of success (Napoleon Hill).
Who defines senior? We have those in authority But authority does not make a good leader. We have those in power, that doesn't make a good leader. The key is to add value as a coach to allow those in a leadership position to gain the insights to the blindspots which stop them from serving as true leaders.
A key component to building credibility is to treat all of your clients with love, compassion, respect, and kindness. Your clients are your biggest advocates, they're the ones who share their results and attribute their successes to the work they do with you. They are the #1 way to build trust among others searching for similar outcomes. I believe showing a genuine interest in your clients, and being committed to their transformation builds a trust that cannot be created any other way, which in turn is reflected out onto others, not only through their word of mouth, but by the ripple effect their results create through their newly empowered leadership skills.