So you’ve started to really excel in your career and you’re taking on more work, more responsibility, and more supervision–congrats! While you may be thrilled with the new opportunity, there’s no doubt that being a high-level leader presents new challenges that can quickly become overwhelming.
The good news is that business leaders don’t have to take it all on alone. If you are navigating big business transitions, dealing with the management of a team with diverse goals and needs, or just need a sounding board, it may be a great time to work with an executive coach. Executive coaching services have far-reaching benefits for leaders, but also for their teams and overall company culture long-term.
Professional coaching for improving leadership skills gives businesses a strong foundation for growth and sets teams up to succeed even in the midst of challenges.
But before we dive deeper into the benefits of executive coaching, let’s first get clear on what this type of business coaching is for.
What is Executive Coaching
Executive coaching is professional training focused not just on growing the bottom line, but rather on leadership development as a whole.
An executive coach can be hired for numerous reasons, and typically used to be engaged when a company was in trouble. Things have shifted more recently as leaders have seen the benefits of coaching to help prevent organizational disaster altogether.
Now an executive coach typically helps facilitate big transitions within the company, acts as a sounding board for the executive team, and/or addresses gaps in organizational process or team management.
The role of an executive coach overall is to bolster foundational leadership, clarify goals and visions, and in turn, strengthen team relations via coaching sessions.
Why Executive Coaching is Important in Leadership, Business and Career
Now that you know what executive coaching is, you may be wondering what benefits you and your team could actually see from entering into a leadership coaching engagement.
Here are some of the huge benefits my team and I have seen from our executive coaching packages:
- Increased self-awareness in leaders. So much focus in business has been about profit and automation, but the reality is that we’re human. If we don’t seek to better understand our own motives, strengths and weaknesses, and communication styles, how can we be a good leader? Executive coaching helps executives to improve leadership skills, and lead by example. Your employees are inspired to follow your lead while honoring themselves along the way.
- Identifying blind spots. Having an outside perspective helps business leaders to unveil what they previously couldn’t see. An executive coach helps identify blind spots in both process and team dynamics. They help your team get rid of inefficiencies and develop better systems both operationally and in terms of communication.
- Navigating challenges. Being a leader means being the person your team looks to in times of change and stress. A leadership coach can help you develop a plan for big transitions that will likely affect all teams across an organization. Whether your team is quickly expanding and you need help balancing culture and profit, or if you are seeking ways to support your employees when changing processes, an executive coach helps you navigate the stormy seas.
- Better work-life balance. Great leaders communicate well, know what to delegate, and empower their team to have ownership over their work. Implementing strategies from executive coaching means being able to step away from work, turn off the email notifications, and take more time to be present in your life outside of work. I share more about how to have better work life balance on the 5th Color Your Dreams Podcast Episode, Time and Energy Management to Get Your Life Back.
- Allows for more visionary work. When you are able to truly step into your role as a leader, you get out of the day to day hamster wheel and step more into a visionary role. Your team feels confident knowing what needs to be done, and you are able to focus on the bigger organizational goals.
- Improves communication. Knowing how to handle tough conversations as a leader and teaching your executive team those skills too means your team feels comfortable expressing their unique needs, struggles, and goals. I share more on how to have better communication in the 7th Color Your Dreams Podcast episode, “From Cancel Culture to Conscious Conversations in Business and Life.”
Finding the Right Executive Coach
Signing up for executive coaching can be incredibly beneficial in your leadership journey, but it’s important to find the right coach for you and your organization. Every business and each team has unique needs and challenges, so it’s important that a coach understands those nuances.
When looking for an executive coach for women of color, find someone with a proven track record in their coaching experience, great references, and a deep understanding of the world of business.
As a business and career coach for women of color and allies, I quickly learned the importance of personalized coaching. If you’re looking for an executive coach of your own, make sure you aren’t being brought into a one-size-fits-all coaching program. I share more on my coaching style on my 19th Color Your Dreams Podcast episode, “Staying True to You: The Color Your Dreams Approach.”
My own executive coaching program is NOT a cookie-cutter program that’s built for everyone because I acknowledge the uniqueness of businesses and their leaders across the board. My executive coaching style is personalized and professional, customized to your unique needs as an individual leader and as part of a cohesive team.
If you would like further support in your career, business, or leadership, my team and I would love to support you in creating a sustainable life! You can schedule a 30-minute legacy business or career review call with me to see if it’s a good fit to work together, and you’ll receive 3 action-items from me.
