Are you ready for leadership coaching?

Leadership coaching is a hot topic these days — just look up how often it is mentioned in Harvard Business Review if you don’t believe me. However, many people aren’t sure if coaching is for them or if they are personally ready to be coached.

After reading this article, you’ll walk away knowing if you are ready for leadership coaching and how it can help your kickstart your leadership development, unlock your organizational growth, and upgrade your management skills.

Basic questions to ask yourself to see if you’re ready for leadership coaching

While the rest of the article will go into depth to help you see if you’re ready to be coached, here’s a really easy way to tell. Start by just asking yourself these five questions.

1. Are you feeling “stuck” and unable to identify the best path forward? 
2. Are you feeling unsatisfied with the results of your current leadership style? 
3. Are you eager to create deeper and more meaningful relationships within your organization and beyond? 
4. Do you have any questions or doubts about yourself or your abilities as a leader that you would like to explore?
5. Do you want to increase your impact on your team and organization?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you may be a great candidate for a leadership coaching program.

What to expect from a leadership coaching relationship

The role of the coach in leadership coaching

The role of the coach in leadership coaching is to facilitate a positive learning environment in which the leader can explore their goals and develop their skills. Unlike a consultant, a coach isn’t there to just give you all of the answers. Rather, the coach is there to assist you in finding your own answers, learning new skills, and making progress on your goals.

The coach will also provide you with feedback and assistance as you work to improve your performance and increase your effectiveness as a leader. They will help you gain clarity on what you want to achieve and develop an action plan to get there.

The coach will listen carefully and help you explore the most effective approach and strategies for reaching your goals. They will offer insights and exercises to help you develop a clear vision and strategy for success. 

The coach will also provide you with feedback and accountability to help ensure that you are on track with your goals and taking the necessary steps to reach them.

The role of the coachee in leadership coaching

The coachee’s role in leadership coaching is to be an active participant in the process. This means that the coachee must be open to the coaching process and be willing to engage in the process from start to finish.

If you don’t have a deep drive to change, improve, and grow, coaching is not for you! For coaching to work, you must want to change.

The coachee must be willing to accept feedback, engage in self-reflection and self-assessment, and be willing to take action to make the necessary changes and improvements. 

Additionally, coachees must be committed to the process and must be honest and open with the coach. If you’re not forthcoming, the process is always going to be limited in its effectiveness.

What to expect from the leadership coaching process

The goal of the coaching process is to equip leaders with the knowledge, skills, and strategies necessary to create sustainable and positive change. The process is tailored to the individual needs of the leader and the organization.

It is important to note that the process is heavily participative. This isn’t a magic bullet where the coach will roll in and give you the answers to all of your problems.

Setting the stage

One of the first steps in the leadership coaching process is setting the stage for coaching. This may involve defining the scope and goals of the coaching relationship, establishing ground rules, and agreeing on the frequency and duration of coaching sessions. 

The coach and coachee should also discuss any potential challenges or obstacles that may arise during the coaching process, and develop strategies to overcome them.

Establishing goals

Once the stage has been set, the coach and coachee will work together to establish clear goals and objectives for the coaching relationship. This may involve identifying areas for improvement, setting measurable goals, and defining the metrics and benchmarks that will be used to track progress. 

The coach and coachee should also discuss the challenges and opportunities that may impact the coachee’s ability to achieve their goals, and develop strategies to overcome them.

Developing action plans

Once goals and objectives have been established, the coach and coachee will work together to develop action plans. This may involve identifying the specific actions and tasks that the coachee will need to take in order to achieve their goals, and establishing a timeline for completing each task. 

The coach may also provide resources, tools, and support to help the coachee implement their action plans.

Tracking results

Throughout the coaching process, the coach and coachee will track progress and adjust the action plan as needed. This may involve regular check-ins, evaluations, and feedback sessions to ensure that the coachee is on track to achieve their goals. 

The coach may also provide additional support and guidance as needed to help the coachee overcome challenges and obstacles.

How to prepare for leadership coaching

Identifying areas for improvement

Before you begin the coaching process, it is important to identify the areas in which you would like to improve and your desired outcomes from business leadership coaching. This may include areas such as communication, motivation, team development, decision-making, communicating with senior leadership, and other areas of leadership.

You should also take some time to identify any potential challenges or obstacles that may limit your ability to make progress. This could include lack of time, limited resources, or a lack of support from other members of the organization. In your one-to-one coaching session, your coach will help you work through obstacles and address your specific needs to develop your full potential.

Once these have been identified, you can work with your coach to develop strategies to overcome these challenges and ensure success.

While coaching focuses on addressing the leader as a person, identifying these obstacles upfront can be helpful to have a realistic picture of what coaching can do for you.

Setting goals and objectives

It is also important to set clear, measurable goals for yourself and your organization. These goals should be based on the areas in which you are looking to improve, and should include timeline, benchmarks, and metrics for measuring success.

Your coach will help you to refine these goals and break them down into achievable objectives.

During your coaching conversation, you and your coach will develop an action plan to help you work towards these goals. This plan will include specific tasks and activities that you can work on between coaching sessions to make progress towards your goals.

It is essential that you are committed to following this action plan and actively working on it between sessions. Coaches provide you with support, guidance, and accountability to help ensure that you are making progress and reaching your goals.

By setting clear goals and working towards them with the support of a coach and maintaining a growth mindset, you can make significant progress in your leadership development and improve your ability to drive positive change in your organization.

Is leadership coaching worth the time and money?

In short, yes! Leadership coaching is well worth the time and money if you are committed to achieving results. Leadership coaching can help you come up with the answers to help you maximize your own performance and is one of the best ways to measurably improve your personal and professional life.

Leadership coaching is the biggest poorly kept secret of business leaders.

The process of working with a coach can provide the expertise, guidance, and accountability that leaders need to take their leadership to the next level throughout an organization. A coach can help you gain clarity on your goals, develop a plan of action, and keep you on track to success whatever your leadership position.

One important thing to recognize is that leadership coaching is now offered online. You don’t have to pay for a residential leadership development program or expensive on-site coaching. The beauty is that online coaching services can provide all of the benefits of a coaching approach to leaders at all levels while keeping costs reasonable.

Still, coaching does require an investment of both time and money. It is completely worth it, but you don’t have to take my word for it. Look at the data.

The proof is in the pudding

• A study by the Institute of Coaching found that 70% of individuals who received coaching reported improvements in their work performance, relationships, and communication skills. 
• Additionally, that study found 86% of companies felt that they more than recouped their investment in coaching.
• A Fortune 500 company conducted a study on the return on investment (ROI) of executive coaching. They found that 77% of respondents reported that coaching had a significant impact on one or more of nine business measures, with the most positive impact being seen in overall productivity and employee satisfaction. The study concluded that executive coaching produced a 788% ROI, with a 529% ROI excluding the benefits of employee retention. https://gvasuccess.com/articles/ExetutiveBriefing.pdf
• In a survey of 100 executives, mostly from Fortune 1000 companies, Manchester, Inc. found that a company’s investment in executive coaching often resulted in a significant return on investment. On average, the ROI was nearly six times the cost of the coaching. The study emphasized the importance of executive coaching in improving various business metrics, such as productivity and employee satisfaction. https://www.perspect.ca/pdf/ExecutiveCoaching.pdf

These benefits highlight the potential impact and effectiveness of leadership coaching in helping individuals and leadership teams develop and enhance their professional abilities.

How to get prepared for leadership coaching

If you’ve identified that leader ship coaching is for you, then what can you do to get prepared?

1. Set clear goals and objectives – Establish measurable goals and objectives for the coaching process and be sure to set time frames and benchmarks to help track progress. An effective coaching model is built around identifying clear goals and helping you achieve them.

2. Assess your strengths – Identify your current strengths and areas for growth that can be used as a basis for your coaching. Ask for feedback from your colleagues and supervisors to help you identify areas that need attention.

3. Get to know your coach – Spend some time getting to know your potential coach to ensure they can provide the guidance and support you need. Leadership Coaching Network offers 15-minute initial consultations for just that purpose! Every coaching practice and coaching style varies widely, from more directive coaching to forms of coaching that are almost entirely question-based. Your preferences may change depending on if you’re a senior leader, a new leader, or have a lot of previous coaching experience.

4. Prepare for the coaching sessions – Take some time to review your objectives, notes and reflections from previous development reports or annual reviews provided by your employer. It takes a great deal of buy-in and even homework to get all of the benefits of coaching. Coaching can create new insights, but you need to be asking the right questions of yourself in between sessions as well.

5. Commit to the process – As mentioned before, you need to be committed to dedicating time and energy to the coaching process. Be prepared to actively participate, be open-minded, and be willing to make changes. Leadership coaching offers a great deal, but it all hinges on you being dedicated to living out the transformation that takes place through the process.

Take the next step in your coaching journey

Coaching can be a powerful tool to help you take your leadership skills to the next level. The methods are proven and the effects are real, not only for your personal development but also for helping your entire organization, team dynamics, and organizational culture.

By answering the above basic questions and ensuring you’re in the right headspace, you can ensure that your coaching experience leads to maximum impact on you and your organization. 

If you have questions about leadership coaching or any other aspect of professional development and growth, contact us at Leadership Coaching Network.

We provide professional coaching and consulting services for individuals and organizations to help them reach their fullest potential.

Our experienced coaches who have recognized coaching certifications offer personalized plans to help individuals and teams grow, lead, communicate, and succeed.

Let us help you reach your professional and personal goals. Book an initial consult or contact us to learn more!