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The Best Executive Coaching: Key Qualities You Must Have!

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The Point: The performance of a leader can be greatly enhanced with executive coaching. It’s just not the “practice” in and of itself of executive coaching, it’s the “perfect practice” that’s required in order to increase effectiveness and results. The Tip of the Spear Ventures’ Centered Executive Coaching methodology is based on proven leadership qualities and targeted results of the leader/business.

The Best Executive Coaching: Key Qualities You Must Have!

 

So what are these essential qualities of Executive Coaching (or the Tip of the Spear Ventures’ version titled “Centered Executive Coaching”)? Here are four (4) key qualities that if you’re investigating a coaching leadership development program you’ll want to insure are incorporated:

  1. Leaders Lead

We’ve seen time and again that successful leaders lead. In other words, they not only come up with the mission direction for the organization, but lead the organization themselves by taking the initial first-steps. While leaders who don’t take such “lead by example” moments can sometimes find themselves out in front of an initiative, one of the principles of Centered Executive Coaching consists of target (goal) identification as well as action plan creation. It’s in this action plan creation that the leader is put into play as the main character!

  1. Empathy

Empathy has been defined as the intellectual identification with or vicarious experiencing feelings, thoughts or attitudes of another. This is self-explanatory in the sense that a leader has to put themselves in the shoes of their clients if they are to understand the client’s problem. From that perspective, they can put in place appropriate methodologies to combat the client’s behavior that negatively impacts on their performance.

  1. Ethical Nature of Professionalism

A good executive coach has a set standard of ethics to follow. There are those “do’s” and “dont’s” that they should follow religiously (NOTE: All Tip of the Spear Centered Executive Coaches subscribe to the International Coach Federation’s Code of Ethics (CLICK HERE to review the ICF’s Code). This is because ethics is one of the cardinal rules of all the professionals, especially those offering coaching services. Therefore, it is a case of preaching water and drinking water, not the other way round. Any demonstration of a lack of ethics and personal responsibility is unacceptable.

  1. Ability to Put Ideas into Action

They say that you should be able to put the ideas that you theoretically teach or come up with into action. Leading by example is the phrase. When a leader does this, they will be able to show their constituents that what they teach is not only theoretical, but practical as well. In that case, they serve as inspiration to the clients, which serve as an efficient way of turning around their behavior for the purposes of positively influencing their businesses.

SUMMARY

From the discussion, we’ve illustrated that certain qualities are indispensable when it comes to good Centered Executive Coaching interactions. Leaders and executive coaches have to display qualities such as being ethical, having empathy and being good leaders themselves in order to produce good leaders through leadership development.

So which other qualities do you think a good leader/coach should possess in order to achieve the objectives of Centered Executive Coaching?

Why You Need Executive Coaching More Than You Think!

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The Point: Executive Coaching can help you become a better leader, period! With statistics reflecting that more and more successful leaders are engaging in executive coaching, we thought it would be interesting to take a look at the specifics behind “Why?” they are considering this as a preferred leadership development offering… Enjoy!

Why You Need Executive Coaching More Than You Think!

Many leaders would like to consider Executive Coaching, or the Tip of the Spear Ventures’ Centered Executive Coaching as something ordinary. On the contrary, this is a subject that holds a gravity that cannot be compared. It is exactly what should be done if you purely understand what it means to manage your time well, how to make timely and logical decisions, and to strike a balance between the personal and professional target in life and needless to say, meet your best productivity and job effectiveness among other reasons.

Executive Coaching Equals Balance

Does Executive Coaching help you balance your life? As an executive, your life majorly revolves around your office and other related duties at perhaps the expense of your family and personal life. This should not be the case. Having an executive coach helps one strike a balance between their personal and professional goals. This makes one forget about minor stresses that may be very injurious to their lives (or business).

Executive Coaching Equals Better Decision Making

In the same vein, the aspect of decision-making is very significant. Both in the office and at home, the value of making quick decisions cannot be overrated. Centered Executive Coaching equips you with the important techniques to handle the hurdles at the workplace as they come. This is of great relevance especially if anyone wants to achieve success in life (both personally as well as professionally).

Executive Coaching Equals Better Time Management

Time management can be thought of as a real disease. Any successful person in the context of holding an executive position cannot afford to not manage their time effectively. In the current life where change is the only constant thing, there seems to be a short time but with a lot in store to be done in a single day; quality time management is a must. This is a skill that never escapes you if you are being executive coached individually with by a coach who understands your tight schedule.

Executive Coaching Equals Practicality

Centered Executive Coaching is very practical and its applicability in real life is something that has passed the test of time and events. Unlike being coached as an organization, your executive coach leads you through matters that affect you and you alone. This is attributed to the fact that nothing else has an agenda in the process except yours. This personal touch ensures you feel extremely esteemed and makes you implement what you have learned with the vigor and the urgency it deserves.

Executive Coaching Equals Better Leadership

Logically speaking, not every being on this earth has a burning desire to lead. You are capable of managing, but perhaps not being a capable leader until you go through Centered Executive Coaching. This coaching exposes you to the most current challenges and their solutions one-to-one (1:1), plus how to go about solving future challenges when they arise. As a matter of fact, clients have said that Centered Executive Coaching helps keeps them competitive amongst their peers.

Spoiler alert- reading through this post is one thing- getting started is a completely different one. When will you get started? When will you reach the level of leading with influence!

What Causes Executive Coaching To Fail? (What you Should Do About It To Succeed!)

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The Point: Have you ever imagined of what the world could have been if there wasn’t failure nor success? You’d be forgiven to think that all there would be is success. At the same time, and it is very subjective, you could conclude that success and failure exist in a conflicting manner. Our executive coaching methodology here at Tip of the Spear (Centered Executive Coaching) is no exception to these! However, we’ve identified some of the most common demises to successful executive coaching as follows… Enjoy!

What Causes Executive Coaching To Fail? (What you Should Do About It To Succeed!) 

Lack of Proper Communication

First, the executive coaching engagement can fail because the coach and coachee (client) fail to communicate properly. A virtuous man once said:

“What we have here is a failure to communicate.”

–Strother Martin (in the 1967 movie Cool Hand Luke)

Miscommunications occur in leadership development when an executive coach doesn’t take the time to understand the relationship surrounding the coachee. The coachee in turn develops negative attitude towards the coach, hence erecting barriers in the process. As a result, the coachee can end up becoming frustrated, and seeing little/no results from the coaching experience.

No Room for Human Error

Human beings can never be perfect. However, there is always a pursuit for perfection. The two very rarely meet! Know that there should always be room for imperfection. When the coachee and the executive coach enter an agreement, they make a dangerous assumption that “all will be well” and the organics of a business relationship will surface. Such assumptions can, and often will only lead to dissatisfaction and shifting of blame in the end. It is of paramount importance that all factors are considered (all the conditions of the organization) to allow for any unexpected occurrences and to provide success a shot in the executive coaching arrangement.

Partial Dedication

Coachees often fail to appreciate the value of the fact that they are the ones who are supposed to work and not their coaches. As a result, they opt to leave the whole duty to the executive coaches who carry on to the end without helping them in any way whatsoever. This unfortunately can be very common. Before this process rises to the relationship surface, the coachee should know that he or she plays a central role in the success of the program.

Destructive Criticism

The executive coach can get frustrated in the middle of the leadership development program. This happens especially if the coach cannot handle pressure and criticism from the coachee (or the sponsoring committee from the organization that is paying for the initiative). The ability to deal with negativity and any other issues arising from the client is a virtue that should not depart from the executive coach. Coachees should also be educated (and dedicated) to behave maturely and to promote a conducive coaching and learning environment.

Setting Surreal Targets or Goals

The setting of goals is a must in an executive coaching initiative. There is no success in any undertaking without the ingredient of being goal-oriented. It enables the two parties to remain on course and hence realize the ultimate purpose. The organization should involve both the coachee and the coach in setting the standards to make the goal inclusive and without working any assumptions.

SUMMARY

 

A cocktail of the above-mentioned reasons could see the titanic of the executive coaching to sink (or remain afloat!) On the contrary, if their remedies are put into application and in record time as we prefer at Tip of the Spear during our Centered Executive Coaching initiatives, success is realized more times than not (and with a 100% satisfaction guarantee!)

Why You Need Centered Executive Coaching More Than You Think!

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The Point: Centered Executive Coaching can help you become a better leader, a better leader of others, and a better leader of your business… Period!

Centered Executive Coaching Services Overview

Many clients we introduce the Centered Executive Coaching model to as part of their leadership development would like to consider it as just another ordinary Executive Coaching program. On the contrary, Centered Executive Coaching is a subject that holds a gravity that cannot be compared. With it’s multi-focus offering, Centered Executive Coaching addresses three aspects of every business required in order to succeed:

  • Focus Area #1: The Leader (Leader Centered Coaching)
  • Focus Area #2: The Stakeholders (Stakeholder Centered Coaching)
  • Focus Area #3: The Business (Business Centered Coaching)

Centered Executive Coaching therefore exactly what should be done if you purely understand what it means to manage your time well, how to make timely and logical decisions, and to strike a balance between the personal and professional target in life and needless to say, meet your best productivity and job effectiveness among other reasons.

Centered Executive Coaching Equals Balance

Does Centered Executive Coaching help you balance your life? As an executive, your life majorly revolves around your office and other related duties at perhaps the expense of your family and personal life. This should not be the case. Having an executive coach helps one strike a balance between their personal and professional goals. This makes one forget about minor stresses that may be very injurious to their lives (or business).

Centered Executive Coaching Equals Better Decision Making

In the same vein, the aspect of decision-making is very significant. Both in the office and at home, the value of making quick decisions cannot be overrated. Centered Executive Coaching equips you with the important techniques to handle the hurdles at the workplace as they come. This is of great relevance especially if anyone wants to achieve success in life (both personally as well as professionally).

Centered Executive Coaching Equals Better Time Management

Time management can be thought of as a real disease. Any successful person in the context of holding an executive position cannot afford to not manage their time effectively. In the current life where change is the only constant thing, there seems to be a short time but with a lot in store to be done in a single day; quality time management is a must. This is a skill that never escapes you if you are being executive coached individually with by a coach who understands your tight schedule.

Centered Executive Coaching Equals Practicality

Centered Executive Coaching is very practical and its applicability in real life is something that has passed the test of time and events. Unlike being coached as an organization, your executive coach leads you through matters that affect you and you alone. This is attributed to the fact that nothing else has an agenda in the process except yours. This personal touch ensures you feel extremely esteemed and makes you implement what you have learned with the vigor and the urgency it deserves.

Centered Executive Coaching Equals Better Leadership

Logically speaking, not every being on this earth has a burning desire to lead. You are capable of managing, but perhaps not being a capable leader until you go through Centered Executive Coaching. This coaching exposes you to the most current challenges and their solutions one-to-one (1:1), plus how to go about solving future challenges when they arise. As a matter of fact, clients have said that Centered Executive Coaching helps keeps them competitive amongst their peers.

Spoiler alert- reading through this leadership development post is one thing- getting started is a completely different one. When will you get started? When will you reach the level of leading with influence? Also, if you need help with your communication skills training as a leader, please read a previous post on our Leadership Communication Skills Training.

The Best Communication Skills Training for Leaders: Key Qualities

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The Point: When considering the best leadership communication training programs, there are certain key qualities that you must consider in order to get your maximum return on investment (ROI).

The Best Communication Skills Training for Leaders- Key Qualities

Since the inception of communication skills training for leaders, one point has been repeatedly emphasized: You cannot be a leader if you don’t communicate well (And for good reason too!) After all, if you, as a leader, fail to get your message across to your audience, they won’t be compelled to follow you. I hear this all the time in executive coaching conversations. This is just one of the things that you need to learn to become a successful leader. Thankfully, you get to learn about this in communications training. If a leadership communication skills training program doesn’t include this point, it isn’t good enough. In fact, there are some other key qualities you need to check, including:

Range of Communication Styles

As a leader, you need to know about different communication styles. This way, you can use the most appropriate one in any given situation. This will make you a more effective communicator and therefore a better leader. Hence, it is a given that you should look for a communication skills training for leaders program that covers a range of communication styles. There is no point in learning one particular style. After all, no two persons are the same and you have to deal with a variety of situations as a leader. So, you have to be prepared for it.

Variety of Personality and Behavioral Techniques

Along with being able to communicate according to situation and location, you have to gauge the personality and behavior of the person/people you are communicating to. This becomes more important when you have to address a group of people. This is why it is crucial that the program you select helps you learn how to understand the different personality types of people you talk to in your capacity as a leader and how you have to communicate with them.

Suitable for Beginners

Some courses are advanced and require the participants to have some prior knowledge of communication skills. If you lack the requisite knowledge, the program is no good for you. So, you should opt for a program that is designed for beginners. While it is a given that you have the necessary charm and charisma a leader requires, but a lack of communication skills shouldn’t be a hindrance to your ability to learn them.

SUMMARY

These are the key qualities that make a communication skills training for leaders the best. Of course, you have to factor in price and location, but your final decision should be based on the three points covered above!