MindSet has had the opportunity to provide executive coaching services to a good number of outstanding leaders. On a personal level, I have come to greatly enjoy coaching as it gives me the opportunity to become more deeply involved with individual clients, and I inevitably end up learning a good bit myself.
We have noticed a pattern with respect to coaching services that may not surprise you, i.e., those who need coaching the least, seek it the most…and that is good. Unfortunately, the corollary is not so good: those who need it the most, seek it the least. The result? The best get better while the worst get…well, it’s not a pretty picture.
Reflecting back on my own experience, I had three amazing mentors/coaches who made a tremendous impact on my career as a psychologist and then as a CEO. Each was talented, had great professional insight, and established rapport and total trust with me. Each was also at a stage of their career where they could be (in fact, relished being!) blunt and candid. I wish I could claim to have been smart enough to have sought out all three. The truth is I was simply lucky to stumble into the first two; I was wise enough to seek out the third.
Atul Guwande’s linked article below offers great perspective on the value coaching can provide – and why many who have a drive to excel will constantly seek it out. It’s a fun read, so I hope you will take look when you have 10 minutes to do so…and perhaps it will prod you, as it did me, to reflect a bit on the importance of coaching not only for ourselves, but for the high potential people within our organizations.
Personal Best: Top athletes and singers have coaches. Should you?
– By Atul Gawande
Founder of MindSet, LLC.
