Find Top Executive Coaches Near You

Executive Coaches

It may come as no surprise that effective leadership is one of the most important ingredients for business success. Successful leaders are those that create a positive workplace where all employees feel valued and respected. They provide enough resources to support employees and help them perform their work productively and efficiently. 

Sounds straightforward enough, right? The truth is, leadership is multifaceted and leaders are constantly faced with new circumstances and challenges. To be a good leader, you need to be equipped with the right tools to navigate through the ups and downs of running a business and managing people.

That’s where executive leadership coaching comes in. In fact, 86% of organisations surveyed at the Institute of Coaching feel like they regained the investment they made into coaching or more. If anything, hiring an executive coach only demonstrates your willingness to hone your skills and serve your organisation to the best of your ability.

When should I hire an executive coach?

Leadership coaching is tailored to you and your needs, but here are some common scenarios where you might benefit from hiring an executive coach:

• You feel like there’s something holding you back from fulfilling your full potential
• You want to increase engagement and morale in your team
• You want to be better prepared for change 
• You want to increase your executive presence 
• You want to create a more diverse and inclusive workplace 

What is an executive coach?

There are many types of coaches around nowadays: life coaches, business coaches, team coaches, accountability coaches—the list goes on. As the name suggests, executive coaches work specifically with business owners and executives who hold a leadership position in a company or organisation. Their role is to help you reflect on your current leadership style, strengths and weakness and give you the tools and resources to refine your skills, achieve your goals and become a more effective leader.

What do executive coaches do?

Executive leadership coaching isn’t a training session event or workshop, but more of a partnership between you and someone that has extensive experience as a leader or coach which qualifies them to help you identify what’s holding you back, remove the obstacles in your way and realise your goals. While they don’t fully step into your shoes and solve your problems for you, an executive coach will help you clarify what is standing in your way and find a clearer path to move forward.

Popular executive coaching services include:

• Team coaching
• Group coaching
• Career coaching
• Leadership development 

What are the benefits of executive coaching?

Below are some of the top benefits of hiring an executive leadership coach: 

• Identify existing and hidden strengths and weaknesses for greater self-awareness 
• Refine the skills and abilities you currently have while developing missing or weaker skills
• Solidify your goals as a leader and the steps you need to take to achieve them
• Learn how to deal with people, problems, issues and challenges constructively (both on an organisational and personal level)
• Develop conflict management skills and learn how to have difficult conversations 
• Shift your mindset to gain new perspectives and adopt a more flexible and creative leadership style that doesn’t crack under pressure 
• Learn and implement new leadership techniques that support performance across your whole team

What should you expect from an executive coach?

Before you begin your coaching sessions, you should have a clear idea of what to expect. This usually involved a combination of the following:

• One-on-one meetings: You’ll meet with your coach either in-person, virtually or via telephone to discuss your goals, challenges and progress as you move through the program.
• Assignments and activities: Your coach will set various practical assignments and to build and develop your skills and overcome hurdles.
• Feedback and assessments: You’ll discuss the activities and assessments with your coach and get feedback to improve further.
• Performance evaluations: You’ll meet with your coach to discuss what you have gained over the course of the sessions/program and what you can do to continue to implement your new skills and progress further.

How do I find an executive leadership coach?

Executive coaching has a low barrier to entry which makes it a very saturated market. With so many coaches claiming to be able to help you, it’s important to choose the right person. Here are some of the key things to look out for:

• Experience: If you want to relate to a leadership coach you’ll need to ensure they can walk the walk. Any good coach will have a decent amount of experience in a leadership position as well as experience coaching leaders. Ask them about their previous role as a leader and what led them to become a coach. Also ask them about the number of clients they’ve coached and ask for testimonials and reviews.
• Credentials: While there are no formal qualifications for leadership coaching (essentially anyone can call themselves a coach), some coaches will have credentials from organisations like the International Coach Federation. This evidences the training and hands-on experience they’ve undertaken. Many coaches also have a background in psychology which can be advantageous in helping you understand thought patterns and behaviours.
• Their offering: What is their commitment to you as a coach? What are they claiming to offer you? Do your research and ask questions about how they developed their program. A good coach will take the time to understand exactly what you’re looking for to understand if their offering is right for you.
• Values: Do their values align with your company’s values and goals? During your initial conversations try to get a feel for their philosophy.
• Personality: You will become very well acquainted with your coach, often talking about personal issues and setbacks. There will need to be a certain level of openness and honesty if you want to get the best results, so make sure they are a good personality match and you are comfortable with them.

How much does executive coaching cost?

Some coaches charge an hourly fee while others may charge a set rate for a coaching program. They may also offer a discount rate if you purchase a bundle of coaching sessions.  To give you an idea of prices, you can typically expect to pay between $150 to $500 per hour for one-on-one leadership coaching depending on their experience.

Executive coaching can be fundamental in supporting your professional growth and organisational success. If you’re ready to hire a leadership coach, we can connect you with a range of coaches here on SavvySME. Simply answer a few questions and we’ll introduce you to the right people.