You may be wondering what exactly an executive coach is and what it is that they do. An executive coach is a qualified professional who works with executives to help them clarify their goals, gain self-awareness, achieve their development objectives, unlock their potential, and act as a sounding board. Unlike consultants or therapists, they usually avoid giving advice or trying to solve their client’s problems. Rather, executive coaches ask questions that can help the executive clarify and work through their own problems. They create a safe environment for you to engage in a collaborative dialog rooted in sharing ideas, exploring concerns, considering new perspectives, and improving performance.

Executive coaches do their best to help you tap into your own problem-solving abilities by asking questions, challenging your assumptions, providing resources, helping to provide clarity, and occasionally offer bits of advice with permission. Executive coaches will also help administer and interpret behavioral assessments, establish development goals, and conduct confidential interviews to help the executive gain self-awareness. The executive coach will also help you explore the areas where you may feel “stuck” and help you establish an actionable plan to move forward. They may also support you through testing, adopting, and reinforcing new work habits. Executive coaches are also there to hold you accountable for the execution of these new plans and habits.

Over the past few years, executive coaches have become increasingly common – once a rarity, executive coaches are now sought after by corporations and individuals alike. Most clients are happy and excited to be working with an executive coach, and often already have an idea of what they would like to work on. Executive coaching has become a widely accepted, and even expected, resource at many companies. Executive coaching provides a brief but valuable pause for executives, allowing them to re-engage in business with greater confidence, certainty, and purpose.

The Benefits of Executive Coaching

By going into an experience with an executive with an open mind and the willingness to grow, many benefits are possible. A good executive coach will help you gain greater self-awareness, see those around you more clearly, learn the best ways to respond and adapt to being a leader, leverage your strengths, build more productive relationships, achieve your goals, and more. In order to get the most out of your time with an executive coach, it’s important to be coachable. This means being willing to go through the daunting, frustrating, and sometimes embarrassing process of realizing you need to grow and actually doing what it takes to carry out that growth. No matter how old you are or how senior you are in your career, you will have to be willing to put your ego aside and be a novice in some areas.

Working with an executive coach can be challenging and a little scary, but if you’re willing to be brave, vulnerable, and committed, your coach will be able to have a much greater impact in helping you become the business leader you want to become.

The Angel Advisors offers an exclusive twelve month executive coaching program in Atlanta, GA. It is aimed to C-Level executives, seniors leaders and young leaders as they prepare to assume greater responsibilities and expand their leadership capabilities.

Ready to get started? contact us here.