Five Reasons Why Executive Coaching Is Critical During Turbulent Times

Executive coaching has been used as an important tool for leadership and business growth. Prior to COVID-19 lockdowns leadership coaching was seen as something important for those on the C-Level journey. However, with COVID-19 restrictions on many businesses, we have seen significant changes to working conditions, with working from home top of that list. With change becomes even more reason to deploy leadership coaching and support for senior executives and for management teams. With quarantine, isolation, and social distancing having significant impacts on daily operations it is unsurprising that we aren’t feeling as connected to each other as we once were. Interestingly, the sense of being ‘connected’ with others is an ongoing theme in coaching and mentoring conversations during business as usual settings, and it is no surprise that this is the number one reason why companies are reaching out to organisations such as The Leadership Sphere to provide structured and supportive coaching services as a way to help people better understand the change process and adapt to new ways of living and working. In this way, corporate coaching programs can have far reaching benefits for individuals and teams and let’s take a closer look at the five reason why executive coaching is critical during turbulent times.

Gain Greater Self-Awareness

Having self-awareness is often overlooked as being a skill because it seems fairly simple. However, we are all the main character of our own lives and the majority of us tend to overlook (or are simply unaware of) our faults or the deeper emotions behind our reactions to certain situations. Coaching programs for managers can help to develop a stronger emotional intelligence that will allow them to become better at understanding where their strengths lay and where there is room for growth.

Become More Empathetic

Learning to truly understand the emotions of other people will lead to stronger relationships with colleagues and teams. This builds trust between leaders and their teams. In particularly turbulent times, trust between leaders and teams could not be more important. When issues arise, they are likely to be solved sooner when an individual knows that their concerns will be met with kindness. There is no hesitation in bringing it to the manager’s attention. The Dare to Lead Program that is run by The Leadership Sphere helps leaders to connect with the mantra of ‘Clear Is Kind’ and provides good counsel around how to apply this to your own life and approach to leadership.

Improve Emotional Intelligence

While self-awareness and empathy are aspects of emotional intelligence, the importance of developing our overall emotional intelligence should not be forgotten. Self-regulation, motivation, and social interaction are also key pillars of a person’s emotional intelligence. It is important to have a strong understanding of each of them. In times of uncertainty they serve us well in terms of building relationships and connecting with each other. When we understand our limits, we know when to reach out for help. Knowing how we react to situations and recognizing our own feelings and being able to observe first before drawing conclusions are all skills that can be developed when provided with the right coach to prompt us to reflect and consider the world through the view of what others are experiencing, rather than simply the goals and objectives that we have in front of us. 

Increase Adaptability

Change is difficult. There’s no getting around that. But change is a necessary step towards fulfilling our potential. In some cases we have no choice but to dive in head first; executive coaching can help to prepare us for this by giving us the skills to adapt quickly. We may even already be capable of this, but don’t always realise it until forced to put it into action. When presented with the opportunity to adapt and grow, we must learn to turn away from the initial ‘stress response’ toward one of curiosity. As the rate of change increases, so too does our need to provide executive coaching services and support for our senior leaders and managers, not in isolation, but as part of a broader leadership development program that is focused on enabling clarity, capability and commitment at every level of an organisation.

Become a Better Leader

The most effective leaders are those who take the time to show their teams that they care about more than just the work itself. Great leaders display compassion and understanding towards those whom they lead. They have invested in themselves (and by extension their teams) by actively trying to develop and maintain trusting relationships with their team on individual levels. A coach plays an important role in challenging us to become a better leader, they ask questions to spark reflection and consider where we are strong and where we have limitations.

What coaching support do you have for your leaders and managers?

When facing times of uncertainty, it becomes more important than ever to ensure that our leaders and managers are well equipped in their understanding of themselves and their interpersonal relationships. In order to effectively lead through turbulent times, The Leadership Sphere places significant value on resolving crises, connecting, and building before returning to work in a new way. By providing leaders with the opportunity to undertake corporate coaching programs, you are giving them the skills they need to develop trust and become better leaders. 

For more information about The Leadership Sphere and how we can support your leaders with leadership development, executive coaching and high performance team programs please visit our website or call us on 1300 100 857.

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