Are You Ready to Be Coached?

In business leadership it is very often the case that the skills and approach that made a leader successful in one organization will not guarantee the same results in another, or as Marshall Goldsmith put it, “What got you here, won’t get you there.” 

Over the course of a typical leader’s career there will come a time, or indeed many, when they need to make changes to their mindset, behavior, or approach. Enter executive coaching, one of the most effective and proven routes to helping a leader develop their skills. 

In her recent Harvard Business Review article, Genesis leadership consultant Brenda Steinberg challenges leaders to ask themselves the question, “Am I ready to be coached?” before getting started. According to Brenda, many professionals who engage executive coaching support are not ready. Here are some core characteristics that differentiate leaders who are ready to be coached:

Tolerance for discomfort

Simply put, when undergoing executive coaching you may have your old ways of thinking or doing things challenged — as such, it’s important to embrace or (at the very least) tolerate the discomfort. 

Openness to experimentation

When undergoing executive coaching, you may be presented with some new ideas that may require some experimentation. Individuals who are ready to be coached will always be open to trying something new, and (yes) failing on occasion.

Willingness to take responsibility

Taking responsibility and really owning the changes that you’d like to see from executive coaching is an essential aspect of being coachable!

Self-discipline

Making significant changes as a leader is not something that will happen overnight. It’s important to exercise self-discipline and patience because things will not always fall into place as originally planned. 

Next Steps:

For further insight into what it takes to be a coachable leader, read the full article here.

To learn about the executive coaching options available at Genesis Advisers, including tailor-made coaching scopes to suit your unique leadership transition challenges and budget, please visit our Accelerate Leaders page and complete the inquiries form. 

If you are responsible for supporting leadership transitions within your organization, please select the appropriate option on the same inquiries form and one of our experts will contact you as a priority.