Why do we need coaching? How can the C-suite benefit from it?

Everything that happens in a coaching session can happen in everyday work life as well. It just takes much longer. Leaders can grow and develop at the pace that their busy days will allow them - which means it takes years to make any real progress - or they can accelerate the whole process significantly by working with a coach.

Leaders can either choose to learn only when things hit rock bottom (because that is usually the only time we disentangle ourselves from our busy schedules to work on our personal growth) or they can take out an hour a week now and save themselves a lot of trouble later.

Additionally, leaders can decide that it’s enough to grow only to the point where they are utilizing their already uncovered skills or they can get a coach and leverage their full potential.

“I absolutely believe that people, unless coached, never reach their maximum capabilities.”

― Bob Nardelli, former CEO, Home Depot

Coaching helps leaders identify areas for growth. 80% of what they are doing is probably great. Of the remaining 20%, some aspects would qualify as good enough, and some would constitute actual weaknesses. Areas for growth are not just in the weaknesses but also in the untapped potential that can be leveraged to take the executive to the next level – literally or figuratively.

If you are ready to plan coaching, click here.

The first job of the coach is to clarify what exactly is missing at present and consequently where the growth needs to happen. The leader might think, “I want to improve my executive presence.” How to approach that and what exact issues to work on will vary from case to case. One leader might feel this because of his lack of confidence and avoidance of confrontation, another might be referring to his struggle to engage his reporting employees and collaborate with his peers. 

“Coaching takes a holistic view of the individual: work, corporate values, personal needs and career development are made to work in synergy, not against one another.”

– British Journal of Administrative Management