Executive coaching is a powerful learning approach that helps develop an executive's leadership performance and better manage increased workloads and stress. It is a collaborative relationship between coach and leader that is tailored to meet the needs of busy executives. Through executive coaching, CEOs can make better decisions, improve performance, and create greater self-awareness, communication skills, and emotional intelligence. Research has found that those who have received executive training are significantly more effective leaders with greater resilience. Coaching can provide a powerful development tool that leads to positive change and improved performance, career growth, and organizational success.
It is important to differentiate between coaching for development and coaching for change. During the dedicated time with an executive coach, leaders can take a step back from the day-to-day emergencies and focus on their priorities, address problems that prevent them from moving forward, and make their business move in the direction of their dreams. Executive coaches work closely with leaders to provide and interpret valuable feedback, identify challenges and opportunities, ask thought-provoking questions, act as a sounding board, and facilitate learning. For an average of six months, an executive coach challenges leaders to create measurable goals and develop plans to achieve them in incremental steps. Working with a dedicated executive advisor can also connect leaders with cutting-edge experts and resources to help solve complex challenges. In a study conducted by the International Coaching Federation, 70% of participants reported improving their communication skills in the workplace after training.
The Harvard Business Review describes a scenario in which the CEO of a sports shoe company hired a friend to train his volatile chief operating officer. The benefits of executive coaching are clear: it helps executives become more effective leaders with greater resilience. It provides an opportunity for leaders to take a step back from their day-to-day responsibilities and focus on their priorities. It also helps them identify challenges and opportunities, ask thought-provoking questions, act as a sounding board, and facilitate learning. Finally, it connects them with cutting-edge experts and resources to help solve complex challenges.
