You're starting out coaching a new C-suite executive. How do you earn their trust in your expertise?

Trust with my C-Suite counterparts isn't just about results or advice. It's built through relevant experiences, truly understanding their challenges, and prioritizing their needs. From my journey, I've learned that genuine connection makes the difference above all actions that follow.

As far as my POV is concerned, building rapport with a new C-suite executive is the foundation for trust. Start by actively listening to their concerns, showing empathy, and understanding their unique industry context. Demonstrating genuine interest in their success and tailoring your approach sets the stage for a strong, supportive relationship.

Coaching like any other relationship is about chemistry. Creating a psychologically safe and non judgemental space early on is paramount. Knowing which questions to ask to help the client open up is also important and knowing when not to push. Mostly actively listening and showing deep interest and concern for their wellbeing. I work with a lot of senior managers and executives and usually their coaching need is related to their career. My philosophy is We are people first before we are anything else next, so in my coaching I focus on the Who (Mindset) the What (Life and Career Vision) and How ( Strategy and Goals)

To effectively build trust as a coach focus on delivering concrete, results-oriented coaching from the start. Begin by setting clear, measurable goals, such as improving decision-making processes, or enhancing leadership communication. Use specific coaching techniques like role-playing, challenging scenarios or analysing past decisions to identify areas for growth. Track progress with tangible metrics, such as increased team engagement scores or reduced decision-making time and regularly review these outcomes together. By consistently aligning your coaching efforts with visible improvements in their leadership effectiveness, you demonstrate your ability to drive real, impactful change, which solidifies trust in your coaching expertise.

Gaining trust with new C-Suit Executive involves several things - 1) Craft Interactions with Impact - In order to do this, closely observe, study the challenges, pain points, goals and personality of C-Suit Executive 2) Appreciate the achievements and current state an executive is handling - basic human need of being acknowledged 3) Ask open ended questions to learn - shows we are eager to learn than assume and judge - this helps 4) Fulfil a series of small value actions that were discussed Trust is formed when we see people do as they say and when we know they remember what we agreed for.

To gain a C-suite executive's trust, it’s key to show how your experience can directly help them. Share relevant examples of your past successes without going overboard on the details. It’s not about bragging—just make it clear that you understand their challenges and have the know-how to help them tackle those issues head-on. Keeping it aligned, real, and relevant goes a long way in building trust."

most of the time, senior managers have enough hard skills to overcome their challenges, the most important point is to build trust and soft skill credibility for you so we can openly discuss and actively listening to concerns and what's behind the subject so we can clearly set goals and move towards it to find and open new doors

Building trust with a new executive involves connecting your experience directly to tangible impacts. Share specific stories about how your interventions led to significant improvements, whether in leadership, decision-making, or team dynamics. Go beyond recounting past successes to explain how these experiences offer practical solutions to current challenges the executive faces. Showing how your experience translates into real, actionable results reinforces the perception of value and competence.

To earn a new C-suite executive’s trust, start by showcasing your expertise through relevant success stories and case studies. Demonstrate your understanding of their industry and challenges by providing tailored insights and actionable strategies. Establish credibility by sharing your credentials and past achievements. Engage in active listening to fully grasp their goals and concerns. Offer a clear, customized coaching plan that aligns with their vision. Regularly check in to show commitment and adaptability. Building trust is a continuous process, so consistently deliver value and be transparent about progress and setbacks.

Executives need to be aware of intentionally setting challenging goals at work. To do that with credibility and trust the coach needs to exemplify goal setting in the coaching process. In an earlier post, I mentioned Whitmore's hierarchy of goals as Dream goal, End goal, Performance goal and Process goal. Executives need to create a purposeful vision as a North Star, and work towards that with End goal milestones using SMART performance metrics and then processes to achieve them. Once they start doing this for their future, they become proficient in doing it for other tasks in work-life. It's not merely the trust between the coach and the executive that matters, but the transference of this in other work-life relationships that follow.

Understanding a new executive’s goals is crucial for building trust. I once coached a COO who was focused on streamlining operations. In our initial sessions, I actively listened and asked insightful questions to fully grasp their objectives and challenges. This demonstrated my genuine interest in their success and helped tailor my coaching approach to their specific needs. By aligning my coaching strategies with their goals, we quickly established a strong partnership, enabling them to achieve significant operational improvements and feel more confident in their leadership role.

In coaching a C-suite executive, it's not about delivering formulas or strategies—they can get that anywhere. The real value lies in asking the right questions—those that disrupt their thinking, challenge their assumptions, and push them out of their comfort zone. A great coach doesn't provide answers; they create space for deep reflection, guiding the executive to insights they couldn't reach alone. In my opinion the role of a (good) coach is to help leaders see what they don't see themselves. It's about empathy, understanding the unique pressures of their role, and having the courage to challenge their perspectives. And remember that trust is built not by what you tell them, but by what you help them discover on their own.

Coaching is especially valuable during transitions—whether a person is stepping into a new role, joining a new company, or preparing for higher responsibilities. The quicker a client adapts to their new situation and gains acceptance, the more beneficial it is for the organization. Coaching also plays a crucial role in situations requiring leadership behaviors, such as managing upwards, handling stakeholders, and leading teams. Executives who undergo coaching are typically quicker to learn, more adaptive, and better equipped to deliver results without stress. The impact of coaching is evident in their ability to perform effectively in challenging environments, leading to tangible benefits for both the individual and the organization.

Quickly deliver actionable insights and practical advice that addresses their immediate concerns. Providing early wins or valuable perspectives can demonstrate your worth and reinforce your expertise.

Providing immediate value is essential in earning trust with a new executive. I remember working with a CMO who was unsure of the coaching process. I made it a point to offer actionable insights and quick wins in our early sessions, focusing on areas they could improve immediately, such as communication with their team. These small but impactful changes led to noticeable improvements, which validated the coaching process. Seeing real results early on helped the CMO recognise the value of our sessions and fostered a trust-based relationship that paved the way for deeper, long-term growth.

Maintaining confidentiality is the bedrock of an effective coaching engagement. Assure your client that you uphold the highest standards of confidentiality and it is absolutely safe for them share their thoughts, feelings, emotions, fears, apprehensions.

Ensure that the executive feels safe in sharing sensitive information with you by emphasizing confidentiality. Reassure them that everything discussed will remain private, which is crucial for building trust.

Let the coach exhibit flexibility, adaptability and willingness to change in the safe coaching space so that the executive client mimics the coach's behaviour in work-life situations. One permanent thing in work or life is change. Now it's accelerating. That change is bound to be reflected in the work-life situations of the executive client. A rigid set of competencies to model or a toolbox of memorise techniques will be useless except in transactional coaching. In stressful work-life situations for the coach to be credible and trusted, the process must be in the moment, sensory, not knowing and generative to provide value to the client. The coach must be vulnerable to accept that they don't know when they don't. Coaching is not-knowing.

The best adaptable coaching style is to highly flexible, ready to adjust strategies based on evolving needs and industry shifts. For that, actively seeking and incorporating feedback, ensuring coaching approach stays connected, relevant and responsive. This adaptability not only addresses immediate challenges but also aligns with long-term strategic goals. On top, agility and commitment to continuous improvement, we help executives navigate dynamic continuity plan and environments, driving sustained success even in unpredictable conditions.

To gain the trust of a new C-suite executive, start by building a genuine rapport. This means actively listening to their concerns and aspirations, demonstrating empathy, and showing a sincere interest in their personal and professional development. Your initial conversations should revolve around understanding their perspective and the specific context of their industry. By showing that you are invested in their success and willing to tailor your approach to their unique situation, you establish yourself as a supportive ally in their journey.