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What does an Executive & Leadership Coach actually do?

Writer's picture: Jackie BoothJackie Booth

If you’ve ever considered working with an Executive and Leadership Coach, you’ll typically have come across the concept one of two ways:


1. Your employer has suggested it to support your professional development

2. Someone you know has worked with one and raved about it


You’ve probably heard that they can be good to help you set goals and achieve your dreams.

However, that can sound wishy-washy.


How will they actually help you, especially when it comes to taking your leadership to the next level?


The simple truth is that if you don’t know what you want to achieve, researching which coach to choose becomes something of a challenge.


In order to provide some clarity and help iron out any misconceptions, I’m going to walk you through what you can expect. I want to help you to see what benefits you can attain and what overall experience of having a life or executive coach is like.


How an Executive and Leadership Coach helps!


1. Getting to know yourself


Ultimately, coaching will help you find out more about yourself; what makes you tick, how you respond to certain situations, what motivates you, why you fail and why you succeed.


A good coach will give you the techniques to build your self-awareness, to get to know your core values, strengths, skills, motivations and what might be holding you back. Essentially, you’ll start to discover more about who you really are.


Coaching is not counselling, but everyone has emotional blocks or triggers that will hinder you from taking action.


Your coach will work with you to understand what your stopping points are and help you unlock and overcome them.


A good coach isn’t a battering ram. They’ll not let you dodge the difficult questions, but they’ll also let you take it at your pace.


You’ll set the agenda and you can discuss as much or as little as you like.


It can be tough at times as we’re so used to stepping over our feelings and failures, but speaking from experience as both a coach and a client, it’s 100% worth it.


2. Getting clarity


Having a coach can give you the space, time and freedom to really think about what you want and where you’d like to get to.


Most of us have a vague idea of how we’d like our career to look but lack the clarity to make it a reality. Yet, it's likely that the goals and objectives you have now are led by your organisation and are results driven and work focused.


What about your own career goals and leadership dreams?


What does success look like?


What do you want to achieve by the end of the year?


Your goals and vision are your own individual and personal road-map that encompasses both your personal, as well as professional, wants and needs.


Goal setting, visioning and dream building is where most coaches will start with you. It can be intensive and unfamiliar and may feel like a lot of work.


When it comes to personal stuff, you’re probably used to setting a few resolutions on New Year’s Eve, but that desire and motivation quickly fades by the end of February. This doesn’t happen with coaching.


Your coach will support you to find what works for you and teach you how to make it something that you do and want to do on a regular basis.


3. Securing the time


An important part of coaching is your commitment  to yourself. It’s about your determination to succeed and your motivation to take action to make positive changes in your life.


Your coach will help you through these but the responsibility of doing the work, both in and out of the coaching sessions rests with you.


Your coach won’t be prescriptive, or give advice, or handhold. However, they will support you to be resourceful and discover the answers and solutions that work for you.


If your coach did the problem solving for you, then at the end of the session, nothing would have changed.


You wouldn’t be able to carry your learnings through into real life situations and could end up back at square one.


Coaching is a team effort, and your coach will also have a commitment to help you achieve the best possible outcome for you.


4. Getting things in place


One of the great things about coaching is that it gives you a structure of support. There will be set times in your diary that you can access your coach, as well as planned meetings.


The times in between these sessions is where you implement what you’ve learned and take action. These together are what creates the structure.


You can plan ahead and allocate time for whatever it is you’re working towards, and you can check back with your coach whenever you need.


They have your back and want you to succeed as much as you do.


What to think about before working with an Executive and Leadership Coach.


Deciding to have a coach is a big step and one that shouldn’t be rushed.


One of the main factors to consider (besides the cost) is how much time you have to commit to it.


You’re not going to see changes overnight, so you need to be realistic when thinking about the time and energy you have to give. You don’t want to get to the end of your programme and feel like you’ve not made the most of it.


However, don’t let lack of time hold you back completely.


It’s amazing what we can make room for when we see the value.


An executive and leadership coach is more than just a mentor—they are also a strategic partner, a mentor, a confidante, and an advocate for your professional growth and development.


By offering personalised guidance and support, they will empower you to overcome challenges, harness their potential, and thrive as leaders.


In a world that still presents significant barriers to female advancement, the role of these coaches is not just valuable; it’s transformative.


How I work and who I love to work with.


All of my coaching programmes are designed to support you to step into your next level of leadership, wherever you are along your journey. 


I love working with people that need support, and this might include:


●       dealing with time and people management challenges

●       feeling overwhelmed with responsibilities

●       building confidence and overcoming imposter syndrome

●       fostering resilience and adaptability

●       resolving conflict and dealing with toxicity.


Importantly, on a personal level, you get the clarity and support to action plan the next leadership step to take that’s right for you.


Check out my signature 12-month 1:1 coaching programme Next Level Leadership Transformation where I share my knowledge and experience to help you identify what you want to achieve, and enhance your confidence along the way.


The programme employs a variety of tools, strategies and methods to support and motivate you to thrive as a successful and confident leader.


Jackie


P.S. Looking at costs? Check out my blog "How Much Does A Coach Cost?" or visit my programme pages for more information.




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