As the business environment evolves and competition grows stiffer with disruptions emerging in varied forms, steering the modern organisation has never been more complicated for executives. Consultancy company Coaching International CEO says being at the helm is a lonely job, which necessitates support for executives.
Consequently, top leaders are turning to executive coaches to help them navigate these new challenges and equip them with skills such as communication and emotional intelligence (EI). Most big-league executives have or have had a coach at one point in their career, says CEO Coaching International.
But what exactly is executive coaching and why is it a must-have tool for today’s business leader? What are the benefits to the business and the individual?
Mr Timothy Oriedo, an executive coach and a big data analytics professional, says this type of coaching targets the level of leadership that is tasked with stewardship, vision and oversight in an organisation. These are board members, CEOs and teams close to them and management executives.
‘‘It helps the coachee to navigate the operational environment of their day-to-day work,’’ he explains, noting that a coach does not tell the professional what to do ‘‘but only inspires them to think critically and to approach issues differently.’’
“Today, organisations are contracting executive coaches to encourage leaders to move out of their comfort zone and achieve their potential in new areas of growth,’’ says Dr Mbithe Anzaya, the chief executive of Kaskazini Coaching-Africa and an executive coach.
She adds: ‘‘As a leader, you may doubt your ability to excel in an expansive or more challenging role even when others can see your potential. Executive coaching seeks to guide and support you as you realise and drive the actualisation of your potential.’’
Mr Oriedo agrees, ‘‘Executive coaching helps leaders to remove biases that might be hindering them from making the right moves. This way, executive coaching acts as a driver for change and, therefore, to make the organisation change-ready.’’
Globally, emotional intelligence (EQ or EI), is emerging as a top skill needed by executives. Dr Anzaya explains that EQ encompasses self-awareness, awareness of others, authenticity, emotional reasoning, self-management and inspiring performance.
‘‘EI entails understanding your emotions and those of others. How a leader feels affects their team. An emotionally self-aware leader is sensitive to how their feelings play into their decision-making, behaviour and performance and those of others. Such a leader is sensitive to the perspective of others and acknowledges their value, which in turn impacts their performance.’’
She adds that leaders who show up positively in their work inspire positivity in their teams, noting: ‘‘Leaders who are self-aware are more impactful. This also applies to leaders who are authentic; a team is more trusting of you as a leader if your words and actions are genuine.”
Executive coaching could take a group, team or individual approach. Says Mr Oriedo: ‘‘Individual coaching is a one-on-one engagement between a coach and the executive that could happen over breakfast, during a walk or a game of golf.’’
In executive coaching, confidentiality is critical as provided for in guidelines established by various bodies such as the International Coaching Federation. Executive coaching impacts both the personal and professional lives of executives, according to Dr Anzaya.
“Leaders often report an improved work-life balance. This is because through the coaching journey, they unearth how to communicate, to listen and ask better questions, which in turn translates to better relations with team members and people in general.”
The Covid-19 pandemic has also triggered disruptions in organisations, creating demand for coaching services for their top leadership to align with the new business environment.
But even before the pandemic, businesses were operating in a VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous) environment, including an explosion of information, which created demand for support for their executives.
Mr Oriedo says: ‘‘Many executives are often ill-prepared to handle the different situations that arise from this VUCA environment. Coaching top leaders empowers them to steer their organisations through the disruptions and into the future.’’
To engage a coach, Dr Anzaya says compatibility is a critical consideration to make, and advises leaders to seek out a coach with the skills and experience required to guide them in their desired area of growth.
“Although experience counts, executive coaches are trained to address scenarios of varied natures. They, therefore, do not necessarily have to be subject experts in a given area to coach.”
Mr Oriedo says most executive coaching programmes have a minimum of four sessions. Sometimes there are more, depending on the need, the frequency agreed on between the coach and the client and their budget. A session could cost anywhere between $100 and $1000 per hour.
‘‘Professional coaching is like a pilot’s job. The more hours you have clocked the higher the charges because this comes with higher certifications,’’ he says.
