Step Up Your Game With an Exec Coach

All great athletes rely on their coaches to help them improve their performance and get stronger. They count on their coach to call them out when their form needs adjusting, to push them to run that extra lap when they feel like giving up, to identify the problem when a play keeps failing.

Coaches can help bring out the best in their players and create cohesive team dynamics that lead the team to victory. In the world of sports, coaches are essential and revered players. 

I believe that coaches can be equally important in the world of business. In my experience, working with an executive coach is an invaluable way to grow your leadership skills and learn how to bring out the best in others. It can give you that competitive edge to become the best possible leader you can be. 

Here are some of the reasons that working with an executive coach is powerful.

Gaining a clear outside perspective

No matter how conscientious we are, all of us have blind spots. We all have certain behavioral patterns that we are not fully aware of.

Working with a coach can be like holding up a mirror that reflects exactly how we’ve been showing up at work, for better or for worse. Having this outside perspective gives a level of clarity that isn’t possible with even the deepest self-reflection.

It can absolutely be confronting to come face to face with the places where you need to grow and change. But with the right attitude and a growth mindset, it can also be this awakening where you can see for the first time all your opportunities for improvement. 

Solutions oriented

Coaching is different from therapy in that it’s focus is on developing real strategies for growth.

You can identify the type of leader you want to be, assess where you are currently on your journey and make a game plan to shore up the differences. 

Moments of reflection

The corporate world can be such a fast-paced environment. Most of us are so busy blazing from one thing to the next we rarely take time to reflect. We usually do not stop and think about how we’ve been showing up as a leader and what kind of results we are getting.

But when we slow down and take the time to reflect, we are usually able to identify problems and make small tweaks that can dramatically improve our results.

Working with a coach is an opportunity to press the pause button and recalibrate. Although it may feel unproductive initially, usually the results are well worth it. 

See that growth and change is possible

Usually, by working with a coach you begin a process of shifting patterns of behavior that you once thought were fixed parts of your personality.

When you start to make these small shifts over time you begin to see that you are not a static being. You are dynamic and capable of evolving, developing skills and growing into an even better version of yourself. 

Bringing out the best in others

An integral part of being a leader is learning how to bring out the best in your team. By working with a coach, you are able to clearly see how your leadership style currently impacts your team. From there you can determine what shifts you need to make as a leader to help your team thrive. 

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Working with a coach can give you a huge performance edge as a leader. When each person in a company is reaching their highest potential, the entire corporation thrives. 

This is why I am excited to start my Graduate Certificate in Executive Coaching through Royal Roads University. I am eager to learn the tools and techniques to help me be the most effective coach for our leaders at LoyaltyOne. 

I’d love to hear your thoughts on executive coaching. Have you ever worked with one before? Does your organization have an in-house coach? Do you think coaching is a helpful way to step up your game as a leader? Comment below and share your experiences.