Pretty much every large organisation will tell you that its most important assets are its people. And quite a few of them actually mean it.
But how many organisations take sufficient care of these assets, especially when it comes to the exceptional talents that are the most valuable?
No organisation that strives to be high performing should ever watch its talented people fail – this precious commodity is too scarce to squander. Executive coaching can benefit talented people at all levels; however, there is an added advantage when it is applied to younger high-potentials. At this early stage it is possible to catch and deal with issues before they become ingrained, avoiding the need for the much tougher ‘remedial’ work needed if issues are not addressed until the person is very senior.
Here are a few examples of contexts in which executive coaching can work.
An executive is having problems because his ‘style’ is creating waves
Failure at the highest levels is rarely due to technical deficits; more often, as executives rise, their increased visibility results in personal issues that were indulged or ignored lower down the ladder getting noticed by key stakeholders.
If the executive has an open personality, and accepts he needs to modify his behaviour, the situation can usually be recovered via coaching. If he’s not up for this, then better look for a new successor, which could get messy.
But why expose yourself to this avoidable risk? Early coaching when the executive was first identified as having serious potential could have addressed these issues long ago, or confirmed his unsuitability as a future candidate for the top job.
Successfully separating a ‘first among equals’ from the pack
There comes a point when the organisation will want to identify a clear successor for a senior post, usually from a pool of potential candidates. This can be tricky; the also-rans may become disgruntled, while the ‘anointed one’ may have difficulties coping with his or her new prominence, and end up declining the opportunity or just leaving, which is a waste of good talent.
If the coach is called in after the succession announcement has already created problems, then coaching may be able to rescue the situation – or not. The anointed one needs to understand that stepping up will permanently alter relationships with the rest of the pack; leadership can be a lonely job. As for the ‘losers’, coaching has a limited chance of winning them back, as their expectations have probably already been mismanaged by the organisation.
Again, you can avoid this risk by coaching your stars as they rise, getting them to accept their weaknesses, and their likely fit with the demands of top leadership. Those who realise that their capabilities or personalities are not best suited to the top job will probably self-select for less demanding (but potentially more fulfilling) roles.
Potential leaders with little self-insight
Usually these executives do not realise how they are really viewed by the rest of the organisation. Talented people may end up being sidelined for reasons that they can’t understand, because it involves traits and behaviours they are unaware of.
Early intervention pays dividends here. If the executive isn’t offered coaching until he or she is being considered for a top role, it may be too late; having risen so far already, sheer ego may make the executive dismiss the coaching insights put in front of them, and conclude that the problem is not them, but the organisation.
Potential leaders who lack confidence
The problem here is that good people who could make great leaders just don’t put their hands up for senior roles through a lack of confidence. Often, the lack of confidence isn’t really about the executive’s own innate capabilities, but a fear of not fitting in with the existing leadership culture. This is an area where coaching can be beneficial, provided there are no fundamental issues surrounding self-esteem.