Max de Pree, former CEO of Herman Miller, and author of Leadership is an Art, Leadership Jazz, and Leading without Power simply, yet profoundly expressed the importance of encouraging, accepting and leading change on the path to reaching one’s full potential. He stated, “We cannot become what we need to be by remaining what we are.”
The best leaders are in constant pursuit of growth, and that is only achieved through change. However, change is not easy. It is uncomfortable. Our tendency is to resist it at every turn, choosing instead to embrace a routine that doesn’t rock the boat of expectation. The problem arises when the routine becomes a perpetual purgatory and we
become stagnant in our approach to the work. The result is a state of homeostasis that stifles growth and innovation and leaves us with feelings of discontent.
What is the purpose of a leadership coach
Sometimes a gentle verbal nudge or even a slightly more challenging linguistic push is needed to encourage the initiation and/or the acceptance of change. One effective approach is to hire a leadership coach to provide the encouragement that will guide and empower you. The purpose of a leadership coach is to help you:
- Bring awareness to behavioral patterns or beliefs that might be holding you back.
- Identify the fears that keep you from making progress, so that you can come up with strategies to overcome them
- Get clarity on what you really want and set tangible goals
- Process next steps
- Keep momentum towards what you want to accomplish
- Stay on track and rapidly reach goals
Why you should consider getting a leadership coach
Having a coach who walks alongside you can help you increase your potential, performance and engagement during times of change, rapid business growth and role transitions. A coach will assist with helping you identify the pain associated with change while also helping you meet your individual objectives. When a leader incorporates the tools provided by a coach, space is made for additional skill building. As you seek to become a more effective leader, your coach will help you leverage the strengths you’ve uncovered through coaching to overcome obstacles. Not only does this energize the individual leader, but it can have a profound effect on an entire team, encouraging the free flow of innovative thoughts and ideas that creates an environment of consistent professional growth and elevation.
We often work with executives and leaders who want support for the following:
- Executive performance – you want to better perform in a certain way as an executive
- Talent development – you want to develop talent on your team and have a specific person in mind
- Issue/conflict resolution – there is a conflict with a person or situation that you find yourself in and you want insight for action
- Career path/succession planning – you want to think strategically about your career and succession path
- Influence/executive presence – you want to influence the culture in a specific way
- Change leadership – you want to continue to lead change and growth through your leadership
Are you looking for a leadership coach?
We’ll help you build on your self-awareness, social-regulation, and the skills you’ll need to sustain your growth through transition.
Scott Hackman is the Founder and CVO of Scott Hackman Ventures. He has over 15 years of experience in business advising, coaching, and leading growth through transitions.
Meet Scott.
