Over the last few decades as an executive leadership coach, I have identified three groups of people that tend to benefit from coaching more than others.
These individuals come with varying strengths and backgrounds, of course, but there are patterns in the types of challenges they face based on their positions, number of years in their role, and industries they work. These are the challenges that coaching is designed to improve.
Here are the 3 main groups of people that benefit most from an executive leadership coach.
1. CEOs and Decision-Makers
Most people don’t walk around boasting about their weaknesses or challenges; we would much rather talk about and read things that reinforce our greatness, right? I have found this to be especially true for CEOs and executives.
After working hard to earn such an impressive role and receiving praise from subordinates and peers, the thought of having areas that need improvement can be a difficult pill to swallow.
It turns out that the higher up on the executive ladder people are, the less they believe they need coaching. In reality, these leaders need coaching more than just about anybody because:
- They have the greatest ability to influence the most people.
- The people who work under them are probably not going to provide honest feedback about their communication and management skills (or lack thereof) out of fear of potential repercussions.
An executive leadership coach serves as an unbiased and honest assessor of your leadership skills, ready and willing to give you the feedback your team might not know how to relay.
2. New Leaders
Have you recently stepped into a greater leadership role at work? While you’re taking the time to learn the ropes and new responsibilities of your position, you also have to navigate how to manage more people, resolve conflict, influence your team, set clear expectations, communicate effectively without appearing too soft or too domineering, etc.
Navigating all of the new technical, interpersonal, and managerial skills at the same time can be quite overwhelming, especially when you’re trying to figure it out on your own. An executive leadership coach is able to analyze where your leadership is already strong and how you need to improve to be effective. A coach is also there to hold you accountable as you grow in your position and face new challenges for the first time.
3. Healthcare Leaders
In the healthcare industry, much of the training focuses on knowledge and skills, and many leadership positions are filled by the most skilled individuals in their fields often omitting the assessment of their leadership acumen. This disconnect is amplified by the lack of leadership training most healthcare professionals do not receive.
Many healthcare professionals are selected for leadership roles without receiving proper leadership training, and they quickly find themselves overwhelmed or less than fully effective by the responsibilities of management on top of their technical duties in a high-stress environment. This situation can snowball into problems that can negatively affect people under their care, their peers, and their own success.
While most leadership coaches fail to understand the unique challenges presented to healthcare professionals, I actually have 30+ years of firsthand experience in the healthcare industry and am positioned to help you identify these challenges, set clear goals, and make an actionable plan to bring results.
Are you curious about executive leadership coaching? You can take this quick leadership assessment to schedule a FREE 15-20 minute introductory session with me to learn more.
About Dr. Wilkerson, PD, MBA, PCC.
Do you want to increase your impact? Do you want to increase profits under your leadership? Do you want to develop and use your abilities to the fullest to better connect with and lead others? Executive Leadership Coaching covers these bases. Dr. Jerrund Wilkerson, PD, MBA, PCC, has more than 30 years of successful executive leadership coaching in the United States and internationally.
As a licensed pharmacist, he is particularly passionate about helping develop effective leaders in the healthcare community. Dr. Wilkerson has coached and trained thousands of managers and leaders. He is a certified coach and member of the John Maxwell Leadership Team.
CLICK HERE to learn more.