Why is Executive Life Coaching in such demand?

What is executive life coaching? Could it be right for you? Do you know what the benefits might be that you’re missing out on? 

If you prefer listening to reading, please click here for an audio version:

Coaching Background

As a successful business leader, owner or professional you will know that coaching in business has become a trusted source of finding appropriate means to keep “raising your game”, right?

Based on some great success stories from within your peer group and from other successful leaders. How coaching helped them find, implement and own the improved outcomes they sought.

Where the coach was the sounding board, thinking partner and trusted confidant. That then holds them accountable to reaching or exceeding their goals.

Coaching has matured massively in the last decade. Almost to the point where leaders are surprised when you don’t have a coach. Coaches have also become more focused, even specialized in the areas we can best help our clients better stretch and grow. In your work. And in your life. 

Personal Relevance

I have also experienced that maturing in my personal journey as a coach over the last 13 years. 

Having accompanied several hundred business executives, business owners and professionals transitioning into leadership or their own business, in over 30 countries across the world. Helping them to stretch and grow. To more confidently and more successfully play in rooms and at levels that had thus far eluded them. As more balanced individuals. Able to bring that same expanded level of self awareness and attention to their loved ones at home. 

Enabling my decades of personal corporate executive change leadership, together with that coaching experience to develop really mature and engaging processes. That confidently merged my life coaching and executive coaching experience into very successful executive life coaching. That really works for whatever you, the client seeking to engage a coach, wishes to chase.

Understanding The Differences Between Types Of Coaches

So, let me start by differentiating a few of the many different types of coaching in the business arena for you today:

• If you’re a business owner, you might need a business coach guiding your business vision, resourcing, operations, revenues, cashflows and profitability more sustainably.
   
• And if you’re looking to achieve more clarity of purpose in your personal objectives. A more balanced, improved outlook on life, aware of your life chapters. Better relationships or career relevance or personal growth and change, Life coaching can help. Also to identify and overcome personal obstacles holding you back from what you want to be, have and do in your life. And then work.
  
  
• Maybe you’re a “business leader” wishing you had access to an Executive coach. Helping you with strengthening your (business) vision, adapting your leadership behaviours, and communication and influencing styles. The effectiveness of your teams and initiative outcomes. Guiding the management of your career, your own performance and that of those you and your leaders lead.
  
  
• Or perhaps you aspire to follow the path of an admired leader? And wish you had access to a  Mentor that  can guide you to where you want to go. With their relevant life and business experience to better leverage yours?

Each of these providing subtly different flavours to the outcomes you seek, depending on your needs.

Why Executive Life Coaching?

However, we aren’t machines. We’re humans. Sons and daughters, siblings, friends, partners, parents. Yes, we’re also confident professionals, leaders, philanthropists. But not always. Having to deal with different personal challenges. Emotional. Physical. Mental. Philosophical. Values. None of which we can just switch off when we cross the office threshold. 

And so executive coaching and life coaching come together. Holistically. Not just professionally. But also personally. In our life. Helping us leverage both the strengths of our personality and personal background. Plus our professional expertise and experience. Helping us understand where and how each affects the other. Positively and negatively. Developing an awareness of our preferences and influences. In our work. And in our life. And then applying them with volition. Across both.

The combination of life coaching and executive coaching beautifully helps already successful business people raise our game. In lasting change. Focused on outcomes tailored just for us. To further support our innovative growth into the next step or level of our aspired success. Each one uniquely different to the other. 

What makes any coach a great coach?

Research shows that great coaches really love working with people, passionate about our work, and helping others achieve great outcomes. Good coaches care more about our clients, and your results, than the money. However, the “price” you pay for our services has you “fetch” the outcomes you seek. Lest it’s simply a “talkfest”.

Industry experience shows that a good coach is not defined by a certificate. We are defined by life experience, success (personal, professional, financial), leadership skills, authenticity, ongoing personal development, curiosity, character. And by mentors we have learned from. Then by our relevant coaching training and our coaching experience. 

Bringing decades of personal, successful business, growth, change and leadership experience into the mix. In large, complex corporates or in small to medium size organizations – or both. Enabling mentoring to add very substantial additional benefits to the outcomes you can expect.

The Proof Is In The Track Record

How will you know this to be true for the coach you’re wanting to engage? 

Their track record. How long have they been coaching? With what business experience background? Supported by relevant, authentic testimonials and references verifying their results.

Like buying any good service, you’ll want to do your homework. Finding trusted people in your network, knowing the coach. Hearing how they helped them or a large, diverse range of people to achieve uncommon outcomes. For their life, business and life’s work.

The recent 15th annual Sherpa Executive Coaching survey says over 80% of  coaches are found through referrals. (And that 60% of coaches are over 55 years of age).

So What?

And why is there such demand right now? Our current pandemic severely challenged our status quo. Some are engaging coaches to help manage unprecedented demand. But most are seeking help to cope with this degree of unsolicited change. Many using this “down-time” to reinvent themselves. To take stock. Preparing themselves for whatever might be ahead. Engaging a sounding board to confidently challenge their thinking and planning that they will ride out to success, across many scenarios.

My purpose with this blog was to help give you more clarity to what executive life coaching means and how you can benefit from it. Particularly in these testing times. If you’d like to see what benefits hundreds of other other clients have found from my work over 13 years, my blog The 10 benefits of Executive Life Coaching might help. 

I trust you will find these useful. For your own personal and business growth journey. And/or for that of those that look to you for leadership. 

You’re welcome to reach out to me () for an informal exploratory conversation without any obligation.