How Executive Coaching Can Help Leaders Grow

If reading books on leadership made people great leaders, then we would have an abundance of extraordinary managers in every organization. While theory and knowledge are undoubtedly valuable, true leadership excellence requires more than just absorbing information. It demands practical application, self-reflection, and a continuous journey of growth.

This is where Executive Coaching comes in, offering leaders a transformative experience that goes beyond what books alone can provide. Let’s dig into 7 ways that working with an Executive Coach can help leaders grow.

1. Developing more self-awareness:

Have you ever heard the phrase, “You don’t know what you don’t know.” Well, it’s true. It’s extremely difficult to assess your blind spots if you don’t know what they are. Working with an Executive Coach helps leaders gain a deeper understanding of their strengths, overdone strengths, blind spots, values, and beliefs. By increasing self-awareness, leaders are able to identify areas for improvement faster than if they tried doing it on their own. They are then able to capitalize on their strengths much more efficiently and can enhance their effectiveness as leaders.

Additional Resource: 5 Common Blind Spots Leaders Uncover in their 360 Assessments

2. Strengthening leadership skills:

Being a great people leader is much different from being a great expert leader. This is where an Executive Coach helps provide a structured approach to strengthening leadership skills. Leaders can receive guidance and support in areas such as communication, delegation, decision-making, conflict resolution, stakeholder management, and team building so that they don’t have to figure it out all alone. Through targeted coaching, they can enhance their abilities and acquire the necessary tools to lead their teams more effectively without having to learn from unnecessary mistakes that could decrease productivity, diminish morale, ruin relationships, or erode the manager’s own confidence.

Additional Resource: The First 30 Days as a New Manager

3. Setting goals and action plans:

When leaders work with an Executive Coach directly, they are able to define clear and measurable goals that are aligned with their personal and organizational objectives. A coach can walk the leader through the process of creating a strategic action plan that outlines specific steps with realistic timelines to achieve these goals. By providing accountability and feedback, coaches help managers stay focused and track their progress, leading to improved performance.

Additional Resource: How to Create a Strategy for Your Team

4. Enhancing communication and interpersonal skills:

Effective communication is vital for successful leadership. But not everyone is gifted at communicating or being an active listener. Coaching enables leaders to improve their communication and interpersonal skills, including active listening, giving constructive feedback, and fostering positive relationships. These skills enhance their ability to connect with and motivate their teams, resolve conflicts, and establish a collaborative work environment. Overall, by working with an Executive Coach, leaders will not only learn skills and techniques that improve their communication, but they will also learn how to get more communication out of their team.

Additional Resource: How to Build Connection with Your Team Members – with Jess Podgajny

5. Building confidence and resilience:

Executive Coaching helps build confidence by providing support, guidance, and encouragement. Coaches also help managers develop resilience and navigate through setbacks or difficult situations, enabling them to maintain their effectiveness and bounce back from adversity. Confidence is a lot like a rubber ball. While full of confidence, the ball bounces effortlessly. However, as a leader faces setbacks, challenges, or criticism, it’s like the ball gets deflated. It loses its bounce, and they may start doubting their abilities. But just like a ball, confidence has the potential to bounce back. Through working with a coach, practicing self-reflection, learning from mistakes, the ball begins to re-inflate.

Additional Resource: Three Ways to Learn From Mistakes and Failure (and Not Get Knocked Down)

6. Enhancing decision-making and problem-solving abilities:

Managers often face complex decisions and challenging problems. Executive Coaching can enhance a leader’s critical thinking, decision-making, and problem-solving skills. Coaches provide frameworks, techniques, and perspectives to help managers approach issues more effectively, analyze options, and make informed decisions that align with their organizational goals. Since no two situations are exactly alike, a coach can help the leader navigate possible solutions that may work in the situation they are facing. That way, the manager can make a decision with more information at hand and be confident that they are doing what is best for every stakeholder involved.

Additional Resource: Second-Guessing Ourselves & Decision Hangover

7. Managing work-life balance and well-being:

Executive Coaching acknowledges the importance of work-life balance and well-being for managers. Coaches assist leaders in setting boundaries, managing time effectively, and prioritizing tasks to prevent burnout. There are numerous techniques that Executive Coaches can recommend to assist with the physical and emotional toll that being a leader can take on a person. By promoting self-care and stress management techniques, coaching supports managers in maintaining their well-being while successfully fulfilling their leadership responsibilities.

Additional Resource: Burnout, Boundaries, and Saying “No” – With Teresa Vozza

Overall, Executive Coaching offers leaders a tailored and supportive approach to developing their leadership capabilities. It empowers them to maximize their potential, navigate challenges, and achieve sustainable success in their roles.

The invaluable partnership between new managers and Executive Coaches can be nothing short of transformative. As leaders step into their roles, they are faced with a myriad of challenges that extend beyond the pages of leadership books or the lessons of experience. It is in these crucial moments that the guidance, support, and personalized approach of an Executive Coach become paramount.

An investment in Executive Coaching is an investment into not only the success of the leader (now and in the future) but also the success of the team and ultimately the organization.

Additional Resources:

Ep 110: Misconceptions About Leadership Coaching

Ep 111: The Risks of Delaying Your Leadership Training

Ep 128: When to Work With a Leadership Coach