Executive coaching is one of the most valuable tools leaders have for accelerating and sustaining their leadership growth. An executive coach, also referred to as a leadership coach, meets with a leader on a regular cadence, focusing on growing their leadership skills, overcoming challenges, and improving effectiveness. How they grow their skills and effectiveness depends on the coach and the leader’s individual needs.
An executive coach isn’t a counselor, but like a counselor, the coach-leader relationship is personal and confidential. Some leaders work with a coach for years at a time, while some choose a time-bound engagement. It all depends on your unique needs and goals. When I work with my coaching clients, this is information we discuss at the beginning of our engagement, along with any other goals.
Learn From My Past Mistakes—Every Leader Should Have a Coach
I spent my career in high-pressure, time-sensitive situations. I wanted to work on the toughest challenges in the most intense environments. However, when I look back, I know I should have had a coach.
I didn’t work with a coach because I thought that receiving support would be a weakness and I didn’t want other people to see me as weak. As a result, there were times in my life that were difficult, when I was lonely, stuck in my own head, and ultimately, less effective as a leader than I could have been. In hindsight, a coach would have improved my journey and allowed me to achieve more if I had gotten over that initial reluctance. I went far, but a coach would have made going farther, faster possible.
This challenge isn’t unique to me. Everyone has an ego. Even the most gifted leaders can still get trapped in their own head, isolated, and be forced to confront their blind spots. And without support, those blind spots can result in unhealthy decisions. Without support, some people turn to substances, their personal relationships suffer, they may take the wrong job—whatever the impact might be, you can end up in a position where you’re inadvertently holding your career back and putting your most important relationships at stake.
This is a big part of why I started Energy Leadership Advisors, and why I believe in the power of leadership coaching. I know I would have made different decisions if I had a coach, and now that I am one, I want to help leaders grow. I want to help leaders avoid the same mistakes I made. I want to see today’s leaders achieve their potential and find fulfillment in life.
Executive Coaches Help Leaders Accelerate Their Careers
When I worked in the energy industry, the CEO of our company was a hard charger and a textbook overachiever. As a result, she was one of the top CEOs in the industry. I always admired her drive, grit, and success. How did she achieve so much, so quickly? Years later, I found out she worked with a coach.
Looking back, I recognize when my peers saw the value in coaching, and used a coach to accelerate their advancement. If you know someone and you find yourself scratching your head and asking “why are they moving up faster than I am?” dig deeper. Do they have a coach? More often than not, the answer is “yes.”
Coaching with Energy Leadership Advisors Includes Business Advisory Support
Most executive coaches offer “classic” coaching—they’ll ask questions, help you understand yourself, and support you. They don’t offer advice or suggestions when it comes to making business decisions—that’s a business advisor’s job.
However, we’re able to offer a hybrid approach to coaching that includes business advising aspects. I spent so many years in high-level, high-pressure leadership positions in large corporations, so when you choose Energy Leadership Advisors, you get a coach and an advisor with a track record of success.
Having a coach is not a guarantee of success. It’s a professional support that’s safe, trusting, and objective. It’s a healthy space where you are positioned to achieve higher levels of self-awareness, identify what holds you back, and discover how to maximize your fulfillment. Some people have a counselor all the time, and some people turn to healthcare providers. The point is that everyone deserves support.
What you do with that opportunity is up to you.
How to Hire an Executive Coach
If you, or a member of your team, see leadership as a calling and way to serve others, and you want to accelerate your growth, please reach out.
I offer potential clients a free initial consultation and coaching conversation to get a sense of what working with Energy Leadership Advisors is like before making a full commitment. To get started, fill out the form on the website. I look forward to hearing from you!