How to find a leadership coach
Posted by Dr. Earl R. Smith II in Leadership, tags: adviser, advisory board, angel investor, board of directors, CEO, chairman, coaching, consulting, director, earl r smith ii, earl smith, Executive Coaching, federal circle, federal contracting, funding, Governance, government contractor, investing, investment, investor, Leadership, leadership assessment, leadership coaching, leadership development, leadership styles, management assessment, managing partner, Personal Growth, the federal circle, turnaround, Turnaround Management, Venture CapitalDr. Earl R. Smith II
Managing Partner, The Federal Circle
DrSmith@Dr-Smith.com
Dr-Smith.com
It is the dream of many executives in this world to become a great leader. Some are born leaders while others develop leadership qualities thorough perseverance and diligent work. In my long experience with leadership coaching, the later group is the larger by far – and the most productive. The ‘natural’ is often beaten out by the ‘self-made’ leader.
Leadership coaching is one of the hottest things trends today. Many businesses are seeking the help of leadership coaches to train their management team. They believe that, if the Chairman, CEO or Chief Executive officer, Vice presidents and senior Managers are provided with skilled training in leadership coaching, the company will see a tremendous increase in productivity and a greater rapport between those at the management level and their subordinates. The reason that leadership coaching is increasing in popularity is that these experiences have been largely positive.
There are different categories of leadership coaching. Some leadership coaches specialize in providing a range of exclusive skills to their clients. Then there is the strategic leadership coach who deals with the subject in general and provides all the training and skills to make you a leader. The first group is made up of specialists who have experience and training in various disciplines. The later are people who have built and managed successful organizations.
Leadership coaches – like the personal leadership coach and the leadership life coach – are specialists in the field of leadership coaching and deal with the deeper issues and skills that go into making an effective leader. They impart special skills through techniques and seminars and deal with issues like personal growth, leadership styles, leadership development and much more. Here emphasis is more on making the management team members more effective leaders.
In any big company, there are leaders who are present in every level, it is the task of a good leadership coach to recognize and bring out the leadership qualities and values in those people by helping them identify and develop themselves as successful leaders. Good leadership coaches are passionate about their work and are highly motivating. They have the capacity to develop successful leaders in any organization. The motivation skills that are present in leadership coaches are bound to attract executives who are also passionate about being excellent leaders. Good leadership coaches will be able to identify and recognize special skills that clients already possess and help them perfect those skills. Leadership coaches help their clients build up on values, skills and qualities that they already possess.
When a person undergoes transformative change, they become examples for other people. Their personal growth has a great influence not only on those working under them but also their family, friends and even the society. This process starts with finding a leadership coach. Finding a good leadership coach is not an easy task with so many people putting forth their credentials as leadership coaches. Here are a few parameters that can help identify a good leadership coach.
Look for a leadership coach who has years of experience in training leaders and who has excellent credentials. Look for a coach who has been a leader – a successful leader that people will follow. A good leadership coach should have excellent references from leading companies who have benefited by their leadership coaching seminars and programs.
A good leadership coach should be able to customize an ideal leadership-training program after identifying the leaders in the organization. A customized leadership program deal with the values, issues and other factors that can help enhance the particular group in any organization.
To find a good leadership coach one has to scrutinize with great care every detail of what the leadership coach is likely to offer, and what guarantee he or she can provide. If you want to know more about leadership coaching, send me an e-mail and we will arrange a time to talk.
© Dr. Earl R. Smith II
Related Articles:
- Coaching Can Help You Become a Great Leader
- Nine Steps to Becoming a Great Leader
- A Leadership Coach – Finding the Right One
- Leadership Coaching – Making a Difference
- Leadership – Coaching for Leadership Development
- Leadership – a Sense Outside of the Self
Dr. Smith is Managing Partner of The Federal Circle. The Federal Circle partners with teams and existing companies. We help them up their game and win big in the Federal space. We also arrange funding for acquisitions and expansion by acquisition. Our model is based on the belief that, if you select the very best and work with them in a highly professional and focused manner, the results will be truly amazing. He is the author of Amazing Pace: Turbo-charged Business Development – a book that shows how Advisory Boards can dramatically increase revenue. Dr. Smith is also the author of Dream Walk: Parables for the Living – a book of Raven Tales and exploration.
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Well said, Dr. Smith.
I would only add that leadership is not learned in the classroom but on-the-job with the guidance of a mentor or coach. Leadership is a contact sport: a series of interactive conversation that pulls people toward becoming comfortable with the language of personal responsibility and commitment.
The sustainable success of leadership development results not from ongoing contact between the coach and coachee, but rather from continuing dialogue among the individuals trying to make changes and their trusted change partners or peers. On a regular basis, these developing leaders ask for feedback on how they are progressing on their targeted behaviors.
Leaders who ask for input and then follow up to see if progress is being made are viewed as people who care, studies reveal. Coworkers who don’t respond to feedback are considered to be uncaring.
“The leader of the past was a person who knew how to tell. The leader of the future will be a person who knows how to ask,” noted Peter Drucker in a classic statement. Colleagues believe leaders who ask for input increase their effectiveness.