The Benefits of Executive Coaching

Executives in high performance organizations face constant dynamic challenges and unending performance pressures. This often results in their focusing on leading their organization but less so on their own leader development. Yet continuous development is paramount to being able to sustain effective leadership over the long run and to prepare the individual to attain the next higher position in the organization. Genetics-based research has demonstrated that no more than 30% of leadership capacity is something individuals are born with. Instead, over 70% is gained through life experiences. Yet, those experiences must be seized upon through reflection and deliberate meaning-making. Toward this end, executive coaching has many benefits for leaders seeking growth.

• First, coaching provides a structured and deliberate process for guided reflection. Good coaches provide tools, systems, assessments, and self-development exercises and readings to drive the development process.
• Second, one of the things leaders struggle most with is in establishing concrete developmental SMART goals. Coaches can help to refine goals and objectives into effective and practical targets.
• Third, if the coach is themselves an accomplished and experienced leader, they can offer advice and counsel to provide actionable solutions or new ways of thinking about the current challenges the individual faces.
• Fourth, effective coaches are confidants and a neutral source with no other agenda than to provide advice, transparently speak truth to the individual, and help them grow. They can challenge deep reflection in the leader to identify their strengths, limitations, and blind spots.
• Fifth, effective coaches serve as a source of accountability, periodically checking in with the leader to ensure progress is being made toward developmental goals.

Coaching is typically best accompanied by assessments, preferably 360⁰ assessments such as the Leader Functions Index© – which provide ratings from followers, peers, and more senior leaders. External assessments are critical in increasing self-awareness. They not only identify strengths and limitations, but help the leader understand how they project themselves to others, and more specifically, how they project themselves differently to various groups (i.e., followers v. peers v. leaders).

We provide highly experienced coaches with both significant academic and practical leadership experience who have “been there and done that”, having led at levels ranging from the tactical to the strategic levels of organizations. These coaches can provide deep and meaningful coaching experiences to assist leaders with their challenges and guide them to seize opportunities.

For pricing and questions, please contact info@leaderfunctionsindex.com