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A Leader Worth Following™ – Coaching

What do the best world class athletes all have in common? If we made a list of these things and prioritized the items, their coaches would be on the top of the list.

At the highest level, the difference between the “best” and the “best of the best” is measured in split seconds and inches. Every movement, thought, and reaction is broken down, relentlessly analyzed, and ultimately optimized. While athletes can do much of this on their own, it’s the empathetic, genuine, and supportive coaching that is the difference between gold and silver.

Leaders Worth Following are always looking for ways to improve themselves. The best, most lasting improvements come with dedication to incremental improvement over time, a commitment to reducing the cycle time between recognizing a challenge and turning it into an opportunity, and realizing that success can vary.

The easy stuff can have short cycle times, but the tough stuff sometimes takes much longer. Word class athletes have coaches to cut the cycle time down. As Leaders, we often don’t think we have the resources needed to make continuous improvement a priority, but we do. I know this is true because I’ve lived it.

Over my 22 years as a CEO, I tried many ways to cut that cycle time because I didn’t have time to waste. I had awesome mentors, friends, and colleagues that helped me, but most of them were unable to tell me the hard stuff, and I was scared to share my struggles with them.

My first experience with coaching was with Kevin Freiberg. It was a great experience to have someone caringly and empathetically hold up the mirror for me so I could begin to truly see myself. It was also great to have someone who was not in my day-to-day, week-to-week world who showed me unconditional positive regard, empathy, and genuineness.

Kevin helped me become a better leader and a better human. He helped me reach for goals that I thought were beyond me, and through that experience, I transformed, as did my team and organization. Kevin helped me understand that I was not the only person experiencing personal and internal challenges, like troubles at home, frustrations with myself and others, and feelings of inadequacy. He helped me realize this was the human condition, not just a special and unique experience for me.

Leadership coaching is not therapy. It’s meeting people where they are and not trying to fix anything. It’s about listening, reflecting, and gently holding up a mirror to help identify blind spots. It’s about letting someone develop their own plan for growth and change and helping them cut the cycle time by helping them see the grit they might be pouring into their own gears.

If you are curious about your development as a leader and you can embrace and thrive in change, then coaching is something you might find helpful. If you are interested in exploring a coaching relationship with me, please visit here.