Why Leaders Need More Than One Executive Coach

Last week, I attended a conference where I met a very successful business owner. He owns five businesses and oversees two-non-profits. We joked about retirement and, he told me he wasn't done yet in terms of building a portfolio of successful companies.

I asked him to tell me the reason why he was able to achieve such high levels of success. He indicated to me that he could not have done this alone.

He relies heavily on his coaches. He then went on to explain that he's currently working with three executive coaches!

I have to say; I was taken back by this. I've never heard of a business person working simultaneously with more than one coach. When I gave this further thought, the idea of working with more than one coach makes complete sense to me. Here's why.

Professional athletes have more than one coach. That's because each coach has expertise in a particular area of the game.

In fact, the New England Patriots (my home team) have a dozen coaches on staff including, a defensive line coach, a quarterback coach, and a head coach. Not to mention, athletes like New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady have personal coaches to help keep them in tip-top shape.

The gentleman that I met last week said each coach helps him improve a particular area of his business. For example, he relies on one coach to help him bolster his sales skills, while another helps him think through operational issues.

Working with more than one coach at a time is a brilliant strategy that can help you grow exponentially, both professionally and personally.

Consider the following when engaging more than one coach.

• When seeking a coach, let this person know that there's another coach already on board. Not every coach will be comfortable with the idea that you'll be receiving input from more than one outside resource during your engagement with them. It's best to find this out early, so you're freed up to find someone comfortable with this arrangement.
• Look for a coach with expertise in an area that your current coach does not have. This will help to avoid the butting of heads when each coach tries to advance his or her agenda.
• Examine the initiatives closely you're trying to move forward this year. Invest the bulk of your resources in a team of experts who can help you strengthen the weaknesses you may have in these areas.

Leadership is a contact sport, which requires that you be brilliant in terms of strategy and execution. You don't have to go it alone. Surround yourself with a team of coaches who are interested in one thing only--helping you soar!

? Matuson Consulting, 2019.

Interested in learning more about working with an executive coach? Reach out to me at [email protected].