Leadership coaching is powerful and is worth the investment of your time.  Coaching helps you create more objectivity about how you contribute to your role, as well as find the next level in your leadership development.   You build awareness on many fronts and learn to use your energy, talents and strengths with more impact and fulfillment.

Mimi is a senior non-profit leader in a fast-paced, well-respected national organization.  She began a coaching engagement about a year ago to help her reduce her stress levels and understand what created stress for her.  The goal was to be a stronger contributor and to grow the number of projects she could sell and manage.

During the engagement we used several assessments, read a few leadership books and I interviewed the people she works with to provide her with a confidential, feedback report.  The report was incredibly powerful for her.  Everyone in the organization has a profound respect for Mimi and her work, yet wondered how they could get her to trust them.  Mimi was shocked; she didn’t recognize that she didn’t trust them and was surprised by the feedback.  She took the feedback to heart, with the intention of working more collaboratively with others, even if it made her uncomfortable.

As we concluded the coaching contract, we wrote an action plan with her key take aways to support her continued development.  The action plan is divided into two sections.  The first section includes strategies to help Mimi stay on track and prevent building stress when her plate is so full, which is almost all the time.  She is focused on being more inclusive with others and letting go of the idea that she must produce, manage and deliver all the work by herself to ensure it meets her standard of quality.  The second section of the action plan focuses on how to build her team and use the strengths that give her energy.  Mimi will be adding to her staff soon and she will intentionally hire someone who will complement her strengths, not replicate how she works.

A year later, Mimi reports she has developed greater self-awareness including how to work smarter so she doesn’t become overwhelmed.  She has a much better understanding of how her limiting beliefs stopped her from working with others, which she now recognizes is not her natural approach.  She is determined to collaborate and embrace others’ strategies of managing clients and the work, particularly when their approach is different than hers.   Mimi understands the benefits and costs of being a lone wolf.  She is determined to stay self-aware and take herself to the next level.

Could a leadership coach help you define your strengths and support your leadership development?