Most challenges Leaders face will be work orientated, but it can often be personal issues that need to be addressed as they can impact on work-life. Everyone benefits from dedicated time-out to look at the bigger picture; check progress with the strategic direction and analyse sticking points. This is where coaching can help.

Working with a coach is dedicated time-out for you. Time to step back from the day-to-day demands. Time to focus on the bigger picture. Time to give voice to those nagging thoughts and deep-rooted concerns.

As a whole, resourceful, creative person, coaching gives you the key to unlock those resources and find the answers you are seeking.

Setting objectives at the very beginning of the coaching programme, is imperative in providing purpose to the coaching and a benchmark for measuring progress.

A good coach balances curiosity with compassion. An even better executive coach brings empathy and understanding from a position of experience – a background in business.

A coach:

• supports you to achieve your desired outcomes

• listens to understand

• questions to understand

• reflects back what you have said

• helps you untangle your thinking

• works with you to identify options

• encourages you to view challenges from different angles

• raises self-awareness and impact

• helps you realise your own culpability in the problem

• helps you understand your emotions and responses better

• identifies your own strengths and weaknesses

• creates balance and perspective

• gets you past procrastination

• works with you to identify next steps

• provides the key to unlocking your potential

The ethics of coaching are to listen deeply to the individual with no other agenda than to support and help the client reach a desired outcome.

Coaching can be of specific benefit if you are facing a current challenge and unsure as to how to approach or solve it. More typically clients choose regular sessions helping them to lead more effectively and deal with challenges as they arise.