“No man is an island,” the poet John Donne wrote in the 17th century. The line holds up well in a business world that changes quickly and competes hard. Technology keeps moving. One thing has stayed the same: people thrive when they ask for help from those who are expert where they are not.
An executive coach is that kind of expert: someone who specializes in helping executives reach their full performance and potential, in their careers and in their lives.
Clients come to me when they realize they need expert help to reach their goals. Often they have exhausted what they know, and exhausted themselves trying. Others arrive already knowing they want guidance to keep growing as leaders.
Having an executive coach is no longer only about changing a behavior or fixing a problem, and it is no longer a luxury. It is how leaders reach their highest level in the shortest time.
I remind my clients that the air gets thinner at the top. As leaders rise, honest feedback gets harder to come by. I have watched executive teams grow careful about disagreeing with their CEO, worried about how it will look, until groupthink takes over and innovative thinking fades. I have seen capable executives become “yes” men and women out of fear of losing their jobs.
I have also seen successful leaders say what the organization needs to hear, even when it is a hard pill to swallow, because the organization needs it to grow. A coach is one place where a senior leader can hear that same honest truth as situations unfold.
Coaching helps most when a leader truly wants to improve and become the best possible version of themselves. Those leaders engage fully. They stay open-minded about which behaviors need to change, and they apply what they learn in real time. This is true for executives whether they are in an organization or in career transition.
Coaching also helps most at the moments when a leader feels stuck. That might be a leader who delivers results and realizes the team is not fully engaged. It might be an executive in career transition who has tried to do it alone, or with the wrong help, and has little to show for the effort. In both cases the turning point is the same: recognizing that more of the same effort will not change the outcome, and being willing to try something new and different.
Good coaching is evidence-based, and it follows a sequence. It starts with a clear understanding of where you are today and where you want to be, which becomes the basis for a measurable plan to close the gap. It builds an accurate picture of the landscape you are operating in, whether that is the market for your next role or the relationships that shape decisions inside your organization. It checks progress against the plan. It moves you into action with the people who decide. And it keeps developing you as a leader throughout.
That sequence holds whether you are leading in a current role or moving through a career transition.
Executive coaching reaches the organization as well as the individual. Leaders who grow make better decisions, communicate more clearly, and handle conflict earlier. Their people stay engaged, strong talent stays, and teams align around the same goals and adapt faster to change.
As executive coach Marshall Goldsmith told Harvard Management Update, executives should seek coaching “when they feel that a change in behavior—either for themselves or their team members—can make a significant difference in the long-term success of the organization” (Michelman, 2004).
The same value shows up when an organization fills an open executive position. The leader it needs is one who inspires people as well as drives business results. An executive in career transition who has done this work arrives able to show both.
The success of executive coaching hinges on one factor: the chemistry between you and your coach. Coaching is a personal, trusted partnership that asks for honesty, engagement, and commitment. To transform your leadership, you need to feel comfortable sharing your concerns, fears, and aspirations. When the chemistry is right, the relationship becomes a safe space for growth, and you gain an ally dedicated to helping you reach your most ambitious goals.
Choose carefully, and look for a track record of measurable results. Three questions are worth asking any coach before you begin:
A career in leadership is a marathon with a series of sprints, and the right coach helps you build the performance, endurance, and resilience to run it well.
If you are at a pivotal point in your career and want a clear read on your next move, I keep a small number of complimentary strategy calls open each week.
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Michelman, P. (2004, December). What an executive coach can do for you. Harvard Management Update, 9(12).