Leading doesn’t have to be lonely.

Leading can be lonely. But it doesn’t have to be.

 I distinctly remember the moment when I truly felt the weight of the organization on my shoulders. They sagged. It was after five and I was alone. I was sitting in my new office working on budgets when it hit me. The entire organization depended on me.

 At that moment, I felt very alone. It’s true what they say, it’s lonely at the top. I was new in my career working on the budget for the first time. At the time I didn’t have a Coach. If I had a Coach, they would not have been able to magically solve my budget woes; but they would have been a partner who would’ve helped me pause and reflect and create a strong plan for how to address them. They would have helped me focus on not only where I wanted to go but who I wanted to be. They would have supported my growth, and celebrated my successes.  

 Years later, I finally did get a Coach. I went to our session wanting to talk about a sticky meeting I was having with a staff member the following day. We had met once before about her role and there had been tears. We were meeting again after giving ourselves a pause. Thankfully, I had a session with my Coach in the meantime. Again, the Coach didn’t solve the situation. But I left our session with a strong plan for the sticky conversation. My plan included my pre-planning for the meeting, what I needed to do before the meeting to be in a good place to have the hard conversation, talking points and a focus on the ideal outcome was based on what I could control. The conversation was hard. But because I had prepared with my Coach, I was able to pause during the conversation, ask questions and really listen. Together, we created a successful outcome

 Based on my experience, here’s why having a Coach will positively impact your leadership:

 1)    Coaches guide you into heart-centered A-Ha filled moments of growth.

2)    Coaches create a safe space to process upcoming challenging situations and develop action steps.

3)    Coaches help you look at situations from different perspectives including who you want to be instead of just what you want to do.

4)    Coaches help you get clarity and encourage you to stay focused on what is most important.

5)    Coaches have your best interest at heart. They are supportive, but don’t give you a pass. They challenge you and hold you accountable. They often ask the hard, yet important questions. While they won’t give you a pass, they will be the first one to recognize and celebrate your accomplishments.

6)    Coaches create space to pause and reflect on where you want to go and how you want to be when you get there whether it is a challenging meeting with a staff or your annual Big goal.

  Because of my Coach, I was not only not lonely at the top but a stronger leader.

 According to the International Coaching Federation, some of the benefits of coaching include “fresh perspectives on personal challenges, enhanced decision-making skills, greater interpersonal effectiveness, and increased confidence.”  

Benefits of Coaching for Businesses
(from the International Coaching Federation)

Increased Productivity

Professional coaching maximizes potential and, therefore, unlocks latent sources of productivity.

Positive People

Building the self-confidence of employees to face challenges is critical in meeting organizational demands.