Why CEO Coaching?
Executive coaches work with you step-by-step, bringing you to a greater self-understanding, enhanced self-management, and increased depth of empathy. These skills don't just make you a better CEO, but a better leader.
“Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence, and making sure that impact lasts in your absence.”
- Sheryl Sandberg (COO, Facebook)
Moving From Working In to Working On
As the leader of your business, you are responsible for spotting problems and delegating solutions. You are responsible for setting goals and thinking about the future. Every minute that you spend working on tasks that can be delegated and divided is a minute that you are not planning, strategizing, and building the best business possible. Therefore, it is essential to work on your business, not in it. Being the visionary for your company means you cannot be the sole person working on each aspect of that vision. However, being a leader that can create the best business and culture requires the following:
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Self-Awareness and Understanding
One of the fundamental areas that coaches target is self-awareness. There is a good reason for it; self-awareness is the catalyst by which growth occurs. Oftentimes, awareness of one’s emotions brings about discipline to control one’s emotions, or at the very least, the task of self-discipline is made more attainable.
Self-discipline is not limited to negative emotions; it helps one direct those emotions into constructive avenues. Once you gain control over every aspect of your professional life, you will start to see improvements in time management, organization, and work-life balance.
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Empathy and social skills
Empathy is that special something that allows people to feel how another individual is feeling. Chances are, if someone empathizes with a problem you have, you feel it. It leads to understanding other people’s emotions and enhanced interactions with business colleagues and subordinates. Furthermore, people will easily be led by you and seek your counsel.
“Empathy is not a soft nurturing value but a hard commercial tool that every business needs as part of their DNA."
- Rene Schuster, former CEO Telefonica Germany
Social skills make up the fabric of successful relationships, whether it’s in the workplace or elsewhere. Teams with high emotional intelligence have an abundance of advanced social skills and excellent communication skills, meaning they can lead without coming across as dominating.
They negotiate effectively so that all parties feel like it was a solution where everyone benefits. They work well in teams, combining their leadership and negotiation skills to help accomplish the goal.
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Improved Leadership ability
All the things we have addressed before are crucial steps towards becoming the leader your organization needs. People with high emotional intelligence are better leaders, in part because of empathy.
People under your leadership need to know you hear them, understand them, and more importantly, that you care about the situation. Your skills will be able to excel in these situations, the more people are comfortable coming to you about situations, the better you can understand said situation, the better you can address it.
