Why do senior business leaders need an Executive Coach? An expert in talent development provides four of the best reasons why.
I recently read a very on target article in the Atlanta Business Journal by Alice Waagen, President of Workforce Learning. In the article she lists four great reasons why a senior leader can benefit from coaching:
1. You need an objective, unbiased assessment of your observations and actions
"Rarely does a CEO have a “truth teller” in the organization. Just think of that hapless emperor who had been told by a young child that he was shorn clothing". At The Frontier Group we have seen that one of the major benefits of an Executive Coach is that a leader can tell them things that they do not necessarily want to share with others in the organization.
2. You need accurate and timely feedback on your leadership effectiveness
"Coaches can interview people around you at work and get good feedback for you on what you are doing that works and what you need to change". We routinely use a 360 assessment tool as the basis for our coaching. This assessment helps the leader see how their self awareness measures up to how others see them.
3. You need someone to guide you through reflection and self-analysis
"I have had clients tell me that the best part of having a coach was to have an uninterrupted period of time every month to think without distractions. Someone who asks you good questions can really get you thinking". The most precious commodity an executive has is time. Coaching sessions allow them to separate from the business fro a brief period to gain valuable time for reflection.
4. You need an outsider’s point of view on an issue
"You need to hear from someone who works with other executives and sees what works and what does not work. This is especially helpful if you grew up in your organization and have limited experience with other companies and their cultures and ways of doing things. A coach can increase your knowledge of best practices and ways to get things done". Everyone can benefit from having benchmarks to measure their performance. This where an experienced coach like our senior team at The Frontier Group can add value
Alice Waagen is president of Workforce Learning, a leadership development company that since 1997 has provided executives with the skills and knowledge they need to build positive and productive businesses. Waagen has a passion for working with leaders to identify their successful leadership practices as well as to grow their knowledge and skills to increase their impact on the business. She consults with leadership teams to coach them into building better internal partnerships to achieve results.
