Why is Leadership Coaching Essential for Personal and Professional Growth?

Do you ever worry that you're not your best advocate? Does giving honest feedback feel overwhelming?

You might be:

? Feeling stuck in your current role

? Getting overlooked for promotions

? Eager to develop your skills and advance your career

? Struggling to make difficult decisions and deal with challenges

? Currently performing well

We often assume a coach is only helpful when we are underperforming. Actually, we recommend coaching when everything is going smoothly. It's better to proactively seek a coach to leverage your success rather than wait for things to go downhill. Either way, the right coach will help you identify blind spots and identify techniques to change your approach.

If you want to become a skiing instructor but have limited experience skiing, would you hire a teacher or try to self-teach yourself? In most cases, people become leaders without any previous exposure or training. They assume that their experience in an industry or company will prepare them for the job at hand.

But back to the skiing example, you can see how this approach is ineffective. How can you excel at something when you don't know the techniques, tools, or common pitfalls? It may take a ski coach a few seconds to spot a problem with your body positioning that can transform your approach, whereas you may struggle to identify the issue and not progress.

Here are some of the benefits you can expect to see from an infinitely adjustable relationship:

Improved communication

People look to their leaders for guidance. If you feel stressed and ill-equipped, how will you find time to develop relationships and demonstrate trust?

A coach will look at your communication style and perhaps encourage you to demonstrate a greater degree of empathy and understanding. They will help you refine your listening skills and provide guidance on how to effectively communicate with different individuals and teams within your organisation.

Greater self-awareness

With a heightened level of self-awareness, you can better understand your strengths and weaknesses. What's my purpose? How am I limiting myself? How am I sabotaging my career growth?

As you become more familiar with yourself, you will be able to adapt your behaviours and mindset to overcome problems and build resilience. It will be easier for you to identify areas where you procrastinate and where you are wasting your time.

Tasks requiring delegation can be met with ease instead of fear. With mental health issues such as anxiety, self-awareness enables you to spot warning signs earlier and act before it escalates both for yourself and also for those who report to you.

More balance in your life

It's no secret that burnout and stress are common at work. When you are not prepared, you are more likely to overwork; assuming the more hours you put in, the more success you will achieve. People in the process of proving themselves — whether for a promotion or in their new role — tend to put the most hours in. If you're the first to arrive and the last to leave, senior staff will surely notice your commitment.

This type of overwork is often regarded as 'pointless productivity'. In other words, spending hours working but not necessarily being productive. A coach can assist you in setting boundaries and challenging your beliefs about how you could, or should, spend your time and energy.

Increased adaptability

The past few years have taught us that business is never quite stable. The increase in AI technology and the changes to how and where people work mean leaders must be adaptable and flexible in their approach.

It is imperative that they are open-minded, receptive to change, and capable of pivoting their strategies as needed. Coaching creates a learning and growth mindset to navigate through these challenges whilst supporting you in the steps along the way.

How does leadership coaching help personal and professional growth?

On a personal level, coaching creates space for you to sit back and assess your goals. It's not uncommon for people to change careers, industries, or switch roles after working with a coach. Professionally, a coach hands you a toolkit filled with all the insights to lead.

Many organisations do not tailor training programmes to meet employees' needs. A coach provides personalised guidance to fully support you.

What type of coaching do you need?

We have a fantastic group coaching opportunity taking place in September with our CEO Thom Dennis who has spent decades supporting leaders and organisations for success. Due to popular demand, our 'Coaching for the Future' programme is back for middle managers eager to progress. Thom brings to coaching multiple areas of expertise, including a deep understanding of skills such as cultural intelligence which is critical for boosting collaboration and team communication.

? He joined the UK's elite Commando Force as a Royal Marines Officer and trained Navy officers at Dartmouth and Greenwich.

? He worked as a personnel manager of 7,000 in the Ministry of Defence.

? Global corporations trust Thom's expertise. From the Royal Bank of Scotland, Transocean, Pfizer, Conoco Phillips, Citigroup, Shell, BP and Centrica.

? Thom holds multiple qualifications including an MSc in Change Agent Skills and Strategies and is a Certified NLP Master Practitioner.

? He is also a Certified Facilitator accredited by the CQ? Center.

? Thom has coached many Fortune 500 and FTSE 500 leaders.

In ten one-hour weekly sessions, you'll learn the following:

Mastering Self-Leadership

Effective Communication

Vision & Strategy

Understanding Others

Team Dynamics

Leadership in the Digital Age

Adaptability & Resilience

Organisational Culture

Innovative Leadership

Continuous Growth

There are lots of coaches available, but very few have the lived experience required to understand how to thrive in today's complex and rapidly changing business environment. In each session with Thom, you'll have a chance to ask him about personal issues and engage with peers to share insights and perspectives.

Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to learn from a highly experienced leader and connect with a community of ambitious individuals. The online group coaching takes place on Wednesday 25th September at 18:30 (GMT).

Click here for more information and to reserve your place.