Lonely At The Top?

3 Jun

‘Lonely at the Top’ was the topic of a recent podcast I listened to. The presenter was joined by three guests – two senior business leaders and a leadership coach talking about why many senior executives now hire leadership coaches to help them through their toughest business challenges.

Coaches can provide confidential, independent support for leaders who find life lonely at the top. But shouldn't the boss be capable of making decisions on his or her own?

I have been a leadership coach since 2010 and have run my own coaching business for the past 10 years. My observations on how a coach can help a leader include;

Opening the leader’s eyes to a different perspective
Looking at how the leader works on a day-to-day business and exploring with them where and how they might be more effective
A confidential sounding board. The higher you go in an organisation the fewer people you can talk to confidentially, especially if the buck stops with you
Enabling a leader to work through their thinking and reflect on the choices they have. A coach will quite often facilitate a different type of thinking that will result in ideas that the leader may not have thought of
Look at the leader’s balance in life. How is there work/life balance? How good are they at self-care? The more senior you become the more the lines can become blurred between home and life.

The challenge for those looking to hire a coach is that it’s an unregulated industry. Anyone can set themselves up as a coach and start practising with little experience or a coaching qualification.

Here are my suggestions to ask a coach to ensure you get to work with a great coach;
What coaching qualifications do you have? (All good coaches should have a recognised coaching qualification)
How often do you attend coaching supervision? (This should be a priority for a coach)
How many clients are you currently coaching and at what level? (Are they coaching leaders at the same level as you?)
How many hours of coaching have they amounted to over the past 6 months? (How experienced are they?)
Describe your coaching style and the impact it has on your clients. (Would this style be right for you?)
What personal development have you done as a coach over the past 12 months (Good coaches continually learn and develop themselves)
What coaching associations are you a member of? Is this displayed on your website? (Good coaches will be a member of a coaching association and be guided by the associations’ code of ethics)

I understand how lonely it can be at the top. Every day, leaders put themselves on the line, facing unique, daunting challenges. I strive to create a safe and confidential environment where leaders can express themselves openly and think through their challenges with the guidance of a coach.