If you don’t think you need a leadership coach it’s almost certain you do.
When I was in my early thirties, I was an ambitious young woman with a huge drive, passion and commitment for my advertising agency career. I was in a Senior role in a media agency, despite not having gone to college, or even finishing high school. Yes I know it doesn’t quite work like that these days!
My title was ‘Media Group Head’, an agency leader managing a group of our clients media investments and a team. In my industry this type of role is considered to be frontline and business critical. After all, we’re a service business, we have no physical product, our client services are our bread and butter.
I believed I was on the path to increased seniority, and was happy that my leadership identified me as high potential talent. That said, they also identified skills and behaviors I could improve to help get me there.
Cut to a conversation with my then CEO who offered me up six months of one on one leadership coaching. I was thrilled and excited by the opportunity and quick to get started. To say it was game changing wouldn’t be giving it enough credit. It was nothing short of transformational and set me up for both improved satisfaction and more responsibility. It changed me deeply, in particular eking out overly emotional reactive responses and improving my work life balance. Working smarter not harder type stuff.
Now I get to the interesting and astounding part. I wasn’t the only one to be offered coaching. But I was the only one that said yes. While I interpreted it as a positive, I had peers who had the opposite reaction. They found it insulting. In doing so they held themselves back from the fast track. Also, from thriving, happy careers.
Since then I’ve had coaching twice more. Every time it’s highly valuable and I learn something new. My leadership skills are better for it. I love nothing more than leading teams from a position of authenticity, with honesty, enthusiasm and I model balance. It’s learned behavior.
The fact is, everyone can benefit from coaching. Whether in the form of leadership, health, life or otherwise. Group or one on one. Including and especially if you’re a CEO. Nobody is perfect, it’s not an insult. Don’t let your ego win on this, or you’re the one who stands to loose.
Next time you’re discussing your compensation package for the year to come, factor in a leadership coach. It’s a tax free investment and the best ROI your income can provide. You’re welcome.
Originally published at medium.com