You're leading a team project. How can executive coaching elevate your success?

I love the "Johari window" model to illustrate some of the benefits of coaching. It's a tool designed to help us better understand our relationship with ourselves and others. It involves a two-by-two grid of four cells across two dimensions 1) known to self: yes or no 2) known to others: yes or no The four quadrants represent 1) known to all: the arena 2) known only to self: facade/hidden 3) known only to others: blind spot 4) unknown With questions, we can uncover more of the blindspots, and even the unknown. And at the same time we may make conscious decisions about what to show.

Often in large firms, coaching initiatives are separated from the business as usual meetings - and so the learning through coaching doesn't always translate into actual behavioural/cultural change. There are separate sessions catering to 'soft-skills,' and when people come back to the 'real meetings,' such as Programme calls, Board Meetings and Committees, soft skills are somewhat forgotten. To make coaching truly effective, we must break this silo, and bring the coach into the real world to observe leaders in regular ecosystems.

An executive coach helps leaders enhance their decision-making skills by encouraging new perspectives and fostering innovative thinking. Coaching builds resilience, helping leaders navigate setbacks and maintain composure under pressure. By promoting work-life balance, coaches reduce burnout and increase overall well-being. Executive coaches help in setting personalised growth plans, tailoring feedback to each leader's unique strengths and areas for improvement. This individualised approach ensures relevant and sustainable development. Ultimately, coaches help leaders become more well-rounded, emotionally intelligent, and impactful in their roles.

In more ways than one: First coaching creates awareness. It will make the leader mindful of strengths to play up and weaknesses to work on as identified opportunity areas. It will lead to a heightened sense of knowledge of team dynamics. All of this will hone a sense of oneness in the leader to do what is absolutely correct for the good of the project and the greater good of all as a collective unit, leading to better work outcomes and therefore success rate.

An executive coach can empower a leader in many ways to help him build a successful team project by aligning his team with a clear purpose and goal, developing effective collaboration and communication through strategies such as NVC, finding and building on individual strengths, fostering a positive team culture, and ensuring accountability. By encouraging growth mindset, patiently overcoming shortcomings and celebrating smaller wins, the coach can ultimately help the leader build a high-performing team that achieves its goals and delivers successful outcomes.

Executive coaching can enhance your project leadership by improving goal-setting skills. A coach helps you create clear, attainable objectives for yourself and your team. This process breaks down big tasks into smaller steps. Better goal-setting keeps projects on track and ensures everyone understands their role.

A 2022 report from McKinsey & Company highlighted that leaders who set clear goals with their teams are 1.4 times more likely to deliver projects on time and within budget . Example: A CFO I coached was struggling to get their team aligned on a major financial project. By focusing on setting specific, measurable goals, they were able to create a shared vision that energized the team and improved performance. Personal Experience: In a past leadership role, I saw firsthand how clear goal setting during a critical project kept the team aligned and motivated, leading to a successful outcome.

Team leaders can benefit significantly from a systemic team coach who has also worked in similar capacities. All team coaching would also include some mentoring elements as well as part of team development. Team Goals need to be far more than SMART. What one learns from Project Aristotle is that for high team performance, the goals need to be shared and aligned with meta goals that benefit all stakeholders and their values, they need to be related to rewards for performance, and the performance needs to be measurable as ROI. To arrive at this collaborative shared co-visioning of goals the team need to be emotionally bonded in a safe space where all members are on the same page. There are many elements to fulfil in team goal setting.,

Goal setting through executive coaching is crucial for success in leading a team project. This process provides clarity and direction, allowing the leader to align the team's actions with strategic objectives. It also helps prioritize tasks, optimizing the use of time and resources. With clear goals, the team feels more motivated and committed, understanding their role in achieving the objectives. Additionally, coaching fosters accountability and adaptability, enabling the leader to adjust strategies when facing challenges. In summary, executive coaching, through effective goal setting, enhances performance and ensures a more successful project.

Executive coaching pushes you to go beyond gut reactions in decision-making. It’s about learning to slow down, consider all angles, and anticipate the ripple effects of your choices. By embracing a structured approach to decision-making, you not only enhance your project’s outcomes but also build a stronger foundation for future challenges. This kind of strategic thinking becomes a cornerstone of your leadership style, empowering you to lead with clarity and confidence in any situation.

A 2023 study by Harvard Business Review found that leaders who received coaching improved their decision-making speed and accuracy by 30%, which led to better project outcomes . Example: An executive I coached was faced with a pivotal decision during a product development project. Through coaching, they learned to weigh the potential impact on all stakeholders, leading to a more informed and effective decision. Personal Experience: I recall a time when coaching guided me through a critical decision-making process, ensuring I considered all angles before taking action, which ultimately steered the project to success.

Decision-making in a team setting requires these elements at the minimum. 1. Open authentic curious communication exploring multiple stakeholder needs and challenging limiting beliefs 2. A psychologically safe space where each member experiences emotional interdependence allowing communication as above 3. Awareness based on a deep exploration of the values of what the team wishes to achieve related to challenges of limiting beliefs that can lead to critical and clear decisions to move forward. 4. Consideration of multiple viewpoints of as many stakeholders as the team's decision would compact and whose actions would impact the team's decision 5. The presence of a capable coach who brings the team together to collaborate towards the goals.

Decision-making through executive coaching significantly enhances my success in leading a team project by providing a more structured and thoughtful approach. Coaching helps me analyze available options with greater clarity, identify risks and benefits, and consider the impact of each decision on project goals. This leads to more informed and strategic choices, improving team efficiency and increasing the likelihood of achieving desired outcomes. Additionally, coaching fosters confidence in the decision-making process, reducing uncertainty and strengthening leadership.

The secret of high performing teams is having the right combination of people with attitudes and skills needed. Furthermore, they should feel energised with the environment and the mission of the project. An Executive Coach can help the leader build or convert existing teams into an High Performing Team. Emotional Intelligence of the Leader is the key. An high EQ leader will address motivation, interpersonal relationships and other team dynamics effectively. Additionally, there are leadership and management frameworks which can be used based on the context. One such tool is the “Five Dysfunctions of a Team” and another is, “Silos, Politics and Turf wars” - both from Patrick Lencioni.

Whether large or small, every team has unique dynamics that impact on performance, so developing a more effective team culture is one of the key ways that leaders can add value to their organisation. Leadership coaching is the most powerful tool to provide guided reflection and a safe environment to explore ideas to develop a stronger team.

Great executive coaching can help you consistently access your best mindset, skillsets, and tools to elevate individual, leadership, and team performance. The door to change (and often success) is locked from the inside. With powerful questions the coach challenges and champions. With deep listening the client has access to a sounding board - an active mirror to prompt reflection and growth. Team projects involve higher level skills that may not be taught in traditional leadership training. Group work often requires a co-created picture of the future, communication that yields shared consciousness, behavioral norms, trust building, and shared accountability. Leaders don’t need coaching, but it sure can help accelerate and elevate.

Often when managing projects there is not enough focus on the people involved and the impact they will have on the outcomes. To effectively manage a successful delivery it is essential to consider the needs of individuals within the project team. An executive coach can help raise awareness and understanding of the team dynamics. It is helpful to consider people’s preferences for communication, decision making etc You can work together on ways to build buy in, connection and collaboration which will all improve the performance of the project team and therefore ultimately get the best results.

I believe that a coach can help you to develop greater self-awareness by developing your leadership style and emotional intelligence, which is crucial for adapting your approach to different team members. Improved communication skills, particularly in clarity and active listening, enable you to convey your vision and strengthen collaboration. A good coach also equips you with conflict resolution strategies and decision-making frameworks, ensuring you address conflicts promptly and make informed, strategic decisions. They guide you in effective delegation and trust-building, empowering your team and boosting morale. Finally, coaches assist in navigating change and fostering adaptability, allowing you to respond swiftly to challenges.

Executive coaching can significantly elevate your success & personal growth while leading a team project: a) ???????????????? ????????-??????????????????: Executive coaching helps you gain a deeper understanding of your leadership style, strengths, and areas for improvement. You can identify how your behavior impacts team dynamics & project outcomes. b) ???????????????? ?????????????????????????? ????????????: You can develop your ability to communicate clearly and persuasively. c) ?????????????????? ?????????????????????? ?????? ????????????????-????????????: Executive coaching encourages you to think strategically and make decisions that align with both short-term project requirements and long-term organizational goals.

I have seen how leadership coaching offers a highly effective way to support continuous learning for organisational leaders, as it provides a safe space to experiment with ideas, and develop and focus thinking in a way that builds confidence and develops individual's analytical skills.