If your organisation has recently hired new leaders, or promoted managers to leadership positions, executive coaching can be an invaluable resource. It can provide them with the support they need to understand who they want to be as leaders, and help them cultivate their own unique leadership style.
In this short guide, we share everything you need to know about how executive coaching can support first time leaders.
Why Is Executive Coaching Beneficial for First Time Leaders?
Executive coaching isn’t just ideal for those in executive and C-suite roles, it’s also beneficial for first time and future leaders who are yet to find their feet.
Here are just a few reasons why executive coaching is beneficial for first time leaders:
Executive coaching encourages first time leaders to learn and master new skills
Coaching provides leaders with a safe space to talk openly about their worries, concerns, strengths and weaknesses
Working with a coach enables first time leaders to seek personalised support
According to the Institute of Coaching, coaching is proven to improve work performance, relationships and communication
Coaching supports leaders in developing their decision-making skills
Executive coaches help new leaders set clear goals that they can work towards and provides the tools they need to reach them
Coaching empowers new leaders, helping them boost their confidence in their abilities and role
Let’s dig into some of these elements in more detail.
How Can Executive Coaching Support First Time Leaders?
Coaching is a very personal experience. What one person needs from a coach can be completely different from what someone else might need. So how coaching can support first-time leaders really depends on the individual.
For example, imagine your organisation has just promoted a manager to a leadership role. Even though they might have managed people before, they could find themselves needing help to inspire, motivate and engage others. In this case, working with a coach can help them develop these important skills.
On the other hand, you might have a new leader who's not very confident in their abilities. They might worry that their team will question how they got their job. Here, an executive coach can help them build confidence and self-awareness, and support them in leading diverse teams, while also guiding them to master essential skills like decision-making.
There are many other ways executive coaching supports first-time leaders:
Personal Learning Plans: At the start of a coaching programme, coaches can help leaders create personal learning plans that focus on their development areas and goals. These plans give leaders a clear vision of where they want to go and how they can get there, with the coach's support.
Continuous Feedback: Getting feedback is crucial for learning how to lead effectively, but it’s not always easy to receive. Working with a coach gives first-time leaders constructive feedback, whether it’s from the coach’s own observations or from peers through discovery calls. This feedback helps leaders keep improving.
Building Resilience: First-time leaders will inevitably face setbacks in their careers. What matters is how they bounce back. An executive coach helps leaders build resilience, so they can lead their teams through tough times with confidence.
Handling Challenges: Great leaders need to be able to handle both internal and external challenges. Coaches can help new leaders manage these challenges better, teaching them how to continue leading their teams and driving change even when things get tough.
Developing Emotional Intelligence: Coaches help leaders improve their emotional intelligence, which is essential for understanding and managing their own emotions and those of others. This leads to better relationships and a more positive work environment.
Strategic Thinking and Vision: Coaching helps leaders develop strategic thinking skills, allowing them to set a clear vision for their team and organisation. This strategic perspective is crucial for long-term success.
Strengthening Communication Skills: Good communication is key to effective leadership. Coaches work with leaders to refine their communication skills, ensuring they can clearly convey their vision, listen actively, and inspire their team.
Work-Life Balance: Coaching provides leaders with strategies to achieve a healthy work-life balance. This balance is important for maintaining their well-being and sustaining their performance over time.
By focusing on these areas, executive coaching not only helps first-time leaders succeed in their current roles, but also prepares them for long-term success.
Executive Coaching with The Leadership Coaches
At The Leadership Coaches, we’re passionate about the development of new and future leaders. We want to help organisations raise talent from within and support them in becoming the best versions of themselves.
To support organisations, we’ve designed three coaching programmes, which have all been developed with in-built metric progress indicators..
To find out more about our programmes, call us on 03450 950 480 today. Alternatively, email info@theleadershipcoaches.co.uk to arrange a no-obligation chat with a member of our senior leadership team.
