I want to share something that’s close to my heart.
I often hear some common misperceptions around leadership coaching.
You might have heard people talk about it or even tell you that you don’t need a coach or ask, “Who needs a coach? An executive. People in the C-suite. Or an athlete maybe. But you?”
Well, why wouldn’t anyone aiming to have a successful career and bring their best foot forward in their professional lives want to reap the benefits a coach can bring?
Leadership coaching is not therapy and it’s also not meant to be a tool for underperformers – that’s sadly a complete misperception.
Think about the top athletes who make it to the Olympics. Each one of them has at least one coach (if not many more!).
Leadership coaching is the same. It’s aimed toward helping you reach your potential and be the best leader you can be. It’s about getting you from where you are now and how you’re showing up to where and how you want to be…
And a coach can fast track this process like nothing else. No book or podcast or video will ever be able to compare.
This is also why people like Bill Gates or Eric Schmidt shout from the rooftops that EVERYONE NEEDS A COACH.
With a coach, you’ll develop ways to be more focused and productive, to build stronger relationships with higher influence, to better engage and motivate your team, and to feel more confident and calm even in the midst of chaos.
But here is the thing… I actually disagree with Bill and Eric. I DON’T THINK EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE A COACH.
Ok, they may ‘need’ one but they shouldn’t ‘have’ one.
Wait a Minute, Not Everyone Benefits from Coaching?
Yes, you read that right.
Sadly, some people simply do not want to invest financially or put in the time that is needed for coaching. Some people don’t like to be challenged to do more, or they’re resistant toward doing things differently. If this sounds like you, then coaching will be a waste of money and time for you.
But if you’re open to investing your time and resources into becoming the best leader that you can be and learn the skills that will serve you for the rest of your career…
…then here are 5 additional signs that will show whether or not you would be a great fit for coaching.
#1 If You Want to Grow Personally and Professionally
If you’re desiring more from your personal and professional life, coaching is the #1 tool to help you get there.
Coaching is like the water to your day that can fuel the growth that you’re craving.
A leadership coach can give you tips to make your personal and professional life flow better and offer challenges and strategic suggestions to help you step out of your comfort zones and breakthrough any barriers that may be holding you back.
#2 If You Want to Learn from Your Past Mistakes
Not everyone is willing to dive into their past or be introspective and reflective in order to learn and grow.
Learning from past mistakes requires you to be open, and willing to examine your past.
Yup, you need to reflect on the situations in your past that could have gone better to see where you could have done things differently, and how you can use these lessons to be better moving forward.
Even if you feel like a particular situation or incident was someone else’s fault, you can still think about what you could have done differently and what you can learn from the situation and apply it from this point forward.
You must be willing to ask, “What was my part in this?”
When you do this, your growth as a leader will be on steroids!
#3 If You Want to Become a Confident Leader
Sometimes people go throughout their days and, for the most part, they feel that they’re doing fine. However, there are also moments when feelings of insecurity, or feelings of incompetence or even the thoughts of being an imposter arise.
If you can pick up those moments and figure out, “What is it that made me insecure in that moment, and how can I build the muscle and strength to get more confident in those situations so I can really show who I am and what I can bring to the table?” then you’re absolutely going to love leadership coaching.
In fact, I often measure the success of my work in my clients’ level of confidence…
Because it’s that important!
#4 If You Want to Enhance Your Self-Awareness and Eliminate Blind spots
In everything that you do, self-awareness is at the core of it all.
Unless you are aware of all that has happened, and the behaviors that are either helping you or not (i.e. your blind spots..), you will not be making as much progress in your career as you could.
This is because without it you’re simply not able to see what’s truly going on.
Coaching will help you become way more self-aware and it will shed a beaming light on your blind spots.
Once you start coaching and adopting the frameworks your coach recommends, you will begin to see yourself in a different light, from different perspectives.
People often ask me if I ever talk about personal things as well, and I tell them yes, of course.
You’re one person – you’re behavioral patterns, your thoughts and your personality don’t change when you walk into your office. You’re one and the same person.
And with that, the self-awareness and confidence that you gain through coaching will automatically have a ripple effect on all other areas of your life…
…be this in your relationships with family and friends, in your community, or in your pursuit of other interests and passions outside of work.
#5 If You Feel Stuck in Your Career
If you feel like you’re not really where you want to be right now, or you’re saying to yourself that, “I am not sure where I’m going or what my next steps are.” then coaching might be exactly what you need.
Figuring this out can be very hard to do on your own.
A coach can help you explore these existential concerns in a really structured, beneficial way so that you can take the right actions and gain the clarity you seek as you do so.
In Conclusion
These are the 5 signs that can indicate whether or not leadership coaching is right for you.
So, if any of these signs resonate with you and if you are ambitious and committed to growth and success (whatever that might look like for you), then decide right here right now that leadership coaching is part of your 2020 plan!
Find a coach who fits with your style and offers what you’re looking for, and give leadership coaching a try.
It’s amazing to see both from my own experience and from all of the clients that I work with, just what coaching can do.
I’ve been working with different coaches since 2013 and one thing I know for sure…
I wouldn’t have accomplished what I did (…from promotions to maternity leaves, from career changes to building a successful business and so on) if I had tried to do it by myself!
And I wish the same level of support for you.
If you’re interested in learning more about my coaching programs (including the monthly Leadership Circle) then, I’d love to speak with you! Head over HERE to set up a call to talk and find out what’s the right move for you this year
