Executive Coaching: Helping Leaders Lead

Those in leadership and executive positions are always there when those around them stumble. But what happens when someone in a C-suite position stumbles? While those in leadership positions tend to feel like they need to constantly improve the workplace around them, sometimes the best way to do that is to see where you, yourself, might need to improve. That’s where executive coaching can help. We live in a world where workplaces and work practices are constantly evolving. This blog discusses how executive coaching can prepare you for such changes, and more!

What is Executive Coaching?

Executive coaching is a process in which a coach helps an executive of an organization build important skills, gain motivation, and perform better at their job. Executive coaches can help enhance their clients’ skills and performance personally and professionally. Those in this role are often former or current psychologists, athletes, lawyers, consultants, or business professionals with strong teaching and training abilities. While executive coaching can be incredibly helpful in the face of change, it can also be helpful for everyday career concerns. Whether you are looking to improve in specific areas or handle a difficult situation, executive coaching could benefit you and your team.

Benefits of Executive Coaching

1. Provides executives with a confidential space to talk

An executive has a senior leadership role in an organization, with much responsibility for people and results, often in a ‘political’ environment. This can result in feelings of stress and isolation, especially when you don’t want to disappoint anyone. An executive coach provides a space where leaders can talk things through openly, before they are ready to announce anything concrete.

2. Improve on weaknesses

No one is without weaknesses in professional or private spaces, not even those at the top of the chain of command. Executive coaches can help talk through these areas of improvement and provide strategies to manage weaknesses.

3. Elevate strengths

However, executive coaches can help with much more than weaknesses. Sometimes, focusing on identifying and owning your strengths can be just as helpful to your overall effectiveness as a leader. Providing a space where leaders can gain confidence and learn how to capitalize on their strengths can significantly improve their functionality in their role. 

4. Enhance communication and influence

Leadership is not always about knowing what to do; sometimes, it’s about knowing who to ask or how to phrase the question. Learning how to communicate your expertise and when to ask questions can be a pivotal change in your executive position that you may just need a little coaching to achieve.

5. Offers different perspectives

Even when executives can discuss a situation with those around them, sometimes it can feel more like an echo chamber than a board room. Executive coaches provide an outside perspective that can sometimes be exactly what you need to find a solution.

6. Develop new ways to think

Finally, executive coaches help their clients develop new ways of thinking. It’s not just about solving the problem at hand, but about learning strategies to solve problems in the future. If you’ve been in one position for a long time, sometimes you just need a little help remembering how to think outside the box.

Fractional CFOs and executive coaching are just a couple of ways we can help leaders lead. TCOBI has been providing senior financial and leadership expertise to a variety of organizations in a number of different industries for 40+ years. Contact us to learn more!