Becoming an executive coach requires a certain level of qualifications and training. To be successful in this role, you must have a minimum of 125 hours of specific training for coaches through an ICF ACTP or ACSTH program, 10 more hours of training with mentors, and a minimum of 500 hours of coaching experience. You don't need to be a teacher or consultant to become an executive coach, but you must be a curious person who is willing to challenge someone's thinking and approach. The Organizational Development Institute outlines 15 different types of training, so it is important to research and study the main differences and similarities before deciding that executive coaching is the right form for you. The customers we work with select training packages, with the most popular being the six-month package and the 18-month package.
To be a successful leadership coach, you must have a strong understanding of business. This will allow you to effectively help your customers achieve their goals. You don't want to do all the work to get clients and then disappoint them because you're coaching them, but they expected someone who would give them answers quickly, develop solutions, and maybe even lead the project work. It is difficult to reduce the educational and certification trajectories of the many executive coaches that exist, but suffice it to say that when defining the areas of specialty and the parameters of their coaching work (that is, an executive coach must know how to listen well to understand what the executive is looking for in terms of coaching), an effective executive coach will pressure the CEO, perhaps sometimes to the point where the CEO feels uncomfortable. To maintain the professional coaching credential, coaches must participate in at least 100 hours of coach-specific training every three years. Today, there are a large number of training organizations and education and certification programs, but good and bad executive coaches still come from all of them.
Many choose to attend an accredited coach training program or an executive training certification program. If you're thinking about becoming an executive coach, it's important to understand what makes a great coach. The coach must also be able to manage any resistance that arises and, at the same time, maintain a constructive relationship with the executive. Executives are often under a lot of pressure to perform, so the coach must be able to gain their trust and respect quickly. If you decide that you want to add coaching as a side job or develop a successful career as an executive coach, you'll need to define a pricing model for your company. The philosophy of executive coaching serves to reinforce a partnership that establishes a platform for the executive to receive personalized feedback and guidance to maximize organizational, professional and personal performance.
If these challenges are not effectively addressed, they can cause a rupture in the coaching relationship and derail the training process.
