After working in large corporations for twenty years and providing leadership coaching for ten years, I have come to a conclusion that virtually every organizational leader needs coaching at some point in his/her career.
This is not speculation – this is evidence that I have accumulated through my own experiences and the experiences of my clients. Whether my client is new or experiencing a change to his/her role, building a new relationship with his/her boss, or struggling is his/her role, all of them need a coach.
Why don’t folks reach out to a coach proactively once a troubling behavior or fascinating challenge is becoming evident vs. waiting until “we are sick of dealing with this issue?”
It could be that we are hoping the troubling behavior or fascinating challenge is just a spike – a temporary “blip on the screen” that will take care of itself as time passes. “I’m not worrying about Susan. I’m sure this is just a blip and once she figures it out, all will be well.”
Perhaps we are so busy that we don’t have time to worry about other people’s spikes in behavior. “You’re kidding me, right? I’ve got so many of my own blips and you expect me to worry about others?”
Or maybe we rationalize that everyone has good and bad behaviors, and as long as there are more good behaviors than bad behaviors, everything will be okay. “He can be a real pain, yet he is our best salesperson … what do you expect me to do?”
Take a look around your organization. Who can be, with a little assistance, a better leader than they are today? What are you doing about it?
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Ed’s new book, Raise Your Visibility & Value: Uncover the Lost Art of Connecting on the Job is now available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Please check it out and share the word!
