Is coaching a competitive requirement for executives?

489 words. Reading time= 4 mins approx.

Every great athlete from Serena Williams to Muhammad Ali has hired a coach to help them reach the top of their profession. In athletics, as long as you want to stay in the game, you continue engaging a coach to help you make constant improvements in your form and style.

As an executive, your work is similar to that of an elite athlete. You have a demanding group of stakeholders who expect performance to increase month after month, quarter after quarter, year after year. The only way this can be achieved is by continuing to be more and more effective. One way to improve your effectiveness on a consistent basis is through meaningful feedback & timely advice that a coach can provide. You may have the vision, talent, and drive. However, you may need professional guidance to ensure that you utilize your skills in the best manner, and overcome your shortcomings.

As per the Experts:

David Peterson, Director of Leadership Development & Executive Coaching @ Google

“Twenty years ago, coaching was mainly directed at talented but abrasive executives who were likely to be fired if something didn’t change. Today, coaching is a popular and potent solution for ensuring top performance from an organization’s most critical talent. They are hired primarily to work with executives on the positive side of coaching - developing high-potential talent and facilitating a transition in or up. They are also called in to act as a sounding board on organizational dynamics or strategic matters.”

Ram Charan, author of the book ‘Leadership in an Era of Economic Uncertainty’

“There’s no question that future leaders will need constant coaching. As the business environment becomes more complex, they will increasingly turn to coaches for help in understanding how to act. Business people need to develop not just quantitative capabilities but also people-oriented skills, and many coaches are helpful for that. As coaching has become more common, any stigma attached to receiving it at the individual level has disappeared. Now, it is often considered a badge of honor.”

A coach is an advisor, guide, and motivator who could help you to:

v  Develop the attitude, heart-set, and mindset that enables exponential growth

v  Expand your horizons for visualizing radical goals

v  Assess complex situations, evaluate options, and decide the next steps

v  Amplify the credibility & visibility for your unique competencies

v  Gain a new perspective about specific beliefs & behaviors which propel you towards your success and those that get in the way

v  Increase your ability to lead and motivate people for better results & higher productivity

v  Equip yourself to move ahead, step-up and do what needs to be done

v  Gain the insights and feedback you need to make informed choices and decisions

v  Acquire mastery in effective communication & building meaningful relationships

The quality of your coaching relationship and clarity in your objectives are the defining characteristics for determining the magnitude of your outcomes.

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Is coaching a competitive requirement for executives?

Every great athlete from Serena William to Muhammad Ali has hired a coach to help them reach the top of their profession. As an executive, your work is similar to that of an elite athlete. 

You have a demanding group of stakeholders who expect performance to increase month after month, quarter after quarter, year after year. The only way this can be achieved is by continuing to be more and more effective. One way to improve your effectiveness on a consistent basis is through meaningful feedback & timely advice that a coach can provide.