Although executive coaching is becoming increasingly popular, a couple of misperceptions are quite persistent. Such as that executive coaching has to be always action-oriented, that in coaching we never examine a person’s past, or that the coaching process is more important than the coach. That’s, probably, all wrong.
The market for executive coaching is not regulated, and with more coaches in the marketplace it can be difficult for you to choose the right coach. Often it is recommended to select based on the coach’s credentials, their experience, and a chemistry check. But all these criteria are poor predictors for the success of your coaching engagement. Read here what to do instead to find the best coach for you.
This time of the year is always a good time to reflect and to plan for the next year. Most people I work with are extremely busy, and many tell themselves that they don’t have any time for reflection. But if you don’t find that time, you will find yourself always in reactive mode, just somehow picking up the pieces that others throw at you. At the end of the day you feel you have not accomplished much — and suddenly you notice another year has just rushed by, and you wonder what you have actually done the whole time…
Is your job ‘ok’, but it does not truly fulfill you? Do you perform well, but you feel you are not fully utilizing your potential? Then, one reason could be that your job is not aligned with your core values and motivators in life. Understanding your core values can help you not only to find the ideal job, but also to develop yourself further and utilize your full leadership potential.
As a manager these days, you often have to lead without formal authority, that is leading without being the boss. You may work on a project with peers internationally, or your may be an expert without any direct reports who is never less expected to exert influence on the organization. This may sound difficult, but will eventually get a lot easier, be fun eventually, when you follow these seven steps.
To develop people and to improve employee engagement and performance, you may want to use coaching techniques as a leader. A key coaching technique is to ask “powerful questions”. Here is a question cheat sheet for you.
Leaders using coaching techniques need a structure to make the coaching successful. The GROW model provides a powerful framework for people development, employee engagement, and performance.
Many executives are likely to blindly follow the expectations of others rather their own inner compass. The question you have to ask yourself before taken the next career step is this: do I really want this?
The higher you move up the corporate ladder, the more external confirmation you receive that you are doing things right. And you are receiving less honest and less candid feedback. But such feedback matters, because behaviors that may have been tolerated in your previous job could now seriously sabotage your new role and ultimately your career. Read about typical behaviors that you want to avoid in order to prevent derailment.
Leadership is synonymous with strength and courage, so what happens when you need help? Isn’t that a sign of weakness? The truth is: great leaders know that they can accomplish great things only with and through others, and they will make use of all the help they can get!
