Full disclosure – I am a coach who has a coach.
For a long time, I was reluctant. I know myself to be motivated, driven, I’ve never been shy about expanding my comfort zones. What could a coach possibly teach me that I wasn’t already doing for myself? I had made it this far without one … why now?
The reality is that having a coach is so much more than simply what you can learn. It’s about the power that having a coach beside you, who is as invested in your success as you are, brings to the table.
Executive coaching for leaders is both very similar and drastically different than coaching at other professional levels. Executive coaching means helping your client to find their ‘flow.’ To take the vision you have set for yourself and push it – extending you to the fullness of your potential.
As leaders, it is our job to do this for our team. But without a coach, who is responsible for doing this with you? This relationship is very much a partnership in your success. It is designed to give you the tough truths while celebrating each step you take outside of pre-set limitations you may not even realize you’d placed upon yourself.
Most executive coaching programs last for six to twelve months and are almost always in a one-to-one capacity. This allows for regular meetings, with each a continuation and building block atop the other. When I work with my executive-level clients, one of the first things we do together is create a plan of action; these steps have a direct impact on how you adjust and reframe habits, behaviours, and perspective to achieve that next level of you!
A critical component of the executive coaching process is your willingness to participate fully. I ask my clients to come to each session prepared with what they hope to achieve and what they want to discuss. Of course, these things do deviate as required to address immediate need items – but for the most part, one can expect to use the following thought process to prepare to get the most out of each session:
What achievements have I had since my last coaching session?
What did I hope to accomplish but haven’t?
What leadership challenge am I facing right now, is this self-imposed?
What is the most important item I would like to address in this coaching session?
What do I need to do to get the most out of this session?
Most importantly, though? Follow through! As a coach, I hold all of my clients accountable – not to me, but themselves. Only in being accountable to yourself, to the vision you have created, and the plan you’ve agreed to follow, can you achieve ambitious results! This really does prove to be the most beneficial element of a coaching relationship – for many of us, an external source of accountability is often the motivator needed to navigate the “tough stuff” that can hold us back from much-needed growth.
My challenge to you is this – ask yourself what is at stake right now if you DON’T reach that next level of you? Why would investing in yourself right now mean for the bigger impact on your goals? What legacy are you trying to create as a leader, and how plausible is it to achieve if you don’t take the time to explore new opportunities for development?
Finding the RIGHT coach for you is a critical element in the process, and I invite you to take advantage of an Insight Chat to see if this is the right fit for you. Spaces are limited, and book fast.
Email success@keyelement.ca to learn more today.
