CEO Coaching with Joanna
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CEO Coaching Services

What is CEO Coaching?

Good CEO coaching should be tailored specifically around the CEO’s needs. Like every individual, every CEO is different and has a different set of challenges. To understand those challenges, the coach themselves should ideally have specific experience at management level within a corporate environment, and with strong business, industry, and cultural intuition, in order to appreciate the political environment the CEO operates in. It can otherwise be difficult for the coach to appreciate the pressured and political environment the CEO operates in.

What challenges are CEO’s facing today?

Leading themselves, as well as the organisations they run, is often a mysterious, messy, and rarely simple process. With the winds of change blowing through global corporations today, CEO’s and their executive teams face enormous challenges in order to sustain high operating results.

Some of these challenges include globalisation, economic and political change, tougher governance and stringent regulations, as well as the new environment we’re now living in with Covid-19 – all of which make realising Shareholder value increasingly challenging.

Unfortunately, it’s usually only when a business is being challenged, that a red flag is raised around the CEO or the leadership team’s behaviour and how that needs to shift. Ideally for the CEO, clarifying what it is he/she and the organisation stand for upfront, and identifying areas where support is required, should be intrinsic to their career progression, and not simply a knee-jerk reaction to poor performance.

How can CEO coaching make an impact?

More than 50% of CEO’s seldom receive honest external feedback on their leadership behaviour. Yet research has shown that almost all would be receptive to suggestions from a coach to recognise and work with their leadership blind spots.

Blind spots in leadership behaviour can become harmful to business performance, and when performance and revenues reverse, coaching can become a clear reality check for executives on how they are behaving as leaders.

Executive coaching provides the CEO with a confidential, safe space to explore various leadership topics and unearth these blind spots, including, amongst other elements, defining a clear Company Vision;  creating an honest, interactive business Culture; focusing on Strategic Priorities and Deliverables; ensuring peak Performance across teams; and orchestrating Transformational Change across the organisation, where required.

Which skills are often underdeveloped in CEO’s?

In pressured working environments, it can often become difficult to see the wood from the trees. Patterns and habits develop that can become hard to undo on one’s own, let alone recognise. It is often behavioural change that results in the deepest and most rewarding impact on a CEO’s success and, by proxy, the management around them.

Here are some examples of behavioural skills we focus on:

• Cognitive patterns of awareness and how they manifest, including the ability to analyse, problem solve and reflect, to see alternative patterns and connections
• Interpersonal and relational skills that create and nurture effective relationships and networking capability
• Intrapersonal and Intuitive skills, such as self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and sensitivity to, and perceptiveness of others
• Body somatic awareness – to build personal impact and resilience – paying attention to how we relate, act, and manage perceptions
• Ethics: to be aware of congruence and authenticity in our behaviour; to make clear moral choices and act in good faith
• Spiritual: to rely on one’s inner purpose and let that reflect in our actions, thus also permeating a satisfaction in what one does

 

Impact and Presence

For a CEO in a leadership position, learning to lead whilst being sensitive to various aspects of power is key. More than anything, clarifying an overall purpose, sharing the vision with the company, and the CEO’s overall impact on the organisation, play a big role in a CEO’s success.

Most often, the CEO’s authority is developed through previous experience. Executive coaching however, is particularly focused on the impact and presence the CEO creates day-to-day and how they are perceived by others around him / her.

Impact and presence are integrated into many aspects of CEO coaching we provide, including, amongst others:

• Conflict management
• Listening skills
• Strategic planning
• Team building and delegation
• Decision making
• Motivational skills

Curious about how Executive Coaching could enhance your Impact?

Send us a message or get in touch on +44(0) 7715 134776

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In the current business landscape, organisations face increased pressure both internally and externally. Leadership coaching can be an ideal solution as it helps align the organisation’s goals with the professional and personal aspirations of team members. With employees no longer staying with one organisation for their entire career, coaching becomes crucial for retaining talent, improving competence, fulfilment, and positive contributions to the organisation.
One of the biggest challenges for leaders today is the complexity and uncertainty across the work environment. The Covid-19 pandemic has drastically changed the way we work, requiring leaders to make instinctive decisions in the face of uncertainty. Seeking multiple perspectives, listening to others regardless of hierarchy, and adapting to change are key skills for leaders. Maintaining morale and inspiring positive, transformative change are also critical aspects of leadership in ambiguous times.
Leadership coaching provides a safe space for leaders to uncover their blind spots and develop real behavioural changes that benefit both the individual and the organisation. By improving executive influence and performance, enhancing interpersonal skills and relationships, increasing flexibility in managing change, and identifying solutions to work-based challenges, leadership coaching can have a significant impact on a leader’s effectiveness.
Many leaders may find themselves at a crossroads in terms of their career path or whether their current role aligns with their aspirations. Leadership coaching can be instrumental in helping leaders identify their strengths, development areas, and the appropriate tools and mindset to reach their career goals. At Distinctions Executive Coaching, we offer tailored Career Coaching as part of our leadership coaching services to support leaders in achieving their desired career outcomes.
CEOs face the challenge of making remote work effective and maintaining communication and visibility. CEO coaching can help with the navigation of remote work challenges by embracing collaboration tools, ensuring team members are aligned, and striking the right balance between too many and too few check-ins. Flexibility and understanding individual circumstances are also essential aspects of remote work management.