Characteristics to Look For in Your Next Executive Coach

Finding an executive and leadership coach that is the perfect fit for both you and your business takes a fair amount of research, but is well worth the effort when you connect with someone who can unlock your potential as a leader. If you’re new to leadership coaching, the process may seem overwhelming and it can be tempting to simply start working with the first coach you find. However, there are specific qualities you should be looking for in an executive coach to ensure that they are both qualified and a good match for your needs. Here are five steps you should be taking when shopping for a coach, and what they will reveal about their methods.

Evaluate their profile

It is essential that you interview any coach that you are interested in working with, just as you would with a potential new employee. This will be most telling about their style of coaching and approach. You are looking for someone who is open-minded, an active listener, and completely focused on the process. An ideal coach will create a safe and exploratory environment for you to grow, and will have forward-thinking conversations with you to help you find the solutions that work for you. They should  also feel strongly that any success belongs to you. Red flags include coaches who promise extraordinary results or have a one-size-fits all approach.

Check for Credentials

The leadership and executive coaching market is saturated with many professionals, but not all of them have the skills or experience to give you and your business the value you deserve. When looking at a potential coach, look them up on the International Coach Federation registries or the registries of the Board of Credentialing for Coaches. These two accrediting boards register coaches based on their experience, education, and the number of hours they have worked with clients. They also require continuing education to ensure that their coaches have the most current information and are keeping up with their skills.

Look Out for Coherence

It is important to evaluate the level of coherence a potential coach has between what they promote and what they themselves practice. In particular, you should find out if they have their own executive coach. Theoretically, if they believe in the power of coaching, they should also have a coach of their own so that they can continue to expand just as their clients are. Similarly, an executive coach should belong to a supervising group to reflect with on a regular basis about their practice as a coach. If an executive coach is encouraging your growth, but is not working to grow themselves as well, there is misalignment between their mindset and actions.

Understand the Coaching Process

An executive coach worth their weight must offer a customized approach in working with you. Cookie-cutter consulting isn’t providing you any value and certainly cannot be considered coaching. Valuable coaching is about adapting to you as the client, and bringing individual solutions for your specific situation. An executive coach is there to help you build and design the strategies for what you want and need.

Investigate References and Recommendations

Finally, when researching executive coaches, it is imperative that you look for their references and recommendations. Most commonly, you may be able to find these on the coach’s LinkedIn profile or perhaps even on their website. This will be useful to you in two ways. Firstly, you will be able to see who the coach works with, and whether or not they have worked with individuals or businesses that are similar to you. Secondly, you will get a feel for how the coach works and how they help manifest success for their clients, and whether or not that will be useful to you.

These key indicators are important to consider when researching possible executive coaches. You may be interested in an industry-specific coach, but here at Equanimity Executive, we don’t believe that is necessary. Coaches with industry-specific experience may wind up becoming more of an advisor or consultant due their inside knowledge, but keep in mind that this advice isn’t what you are looking for. You ultimately need a coach that challenges you and gives you the opportunity to create new opportunities for yourself.  Similarly, industry-specific coaches can have biases based on their own work and that may limit your exploration and innovation. As adaptive executive coaches, Equanimity Executive focuses on your needs as they are, from a fresh and open-minded perspective.

Looking for an executive or leadership coach may seem like an overwhelming prospect, but by considering these qualities, you will find a professional with the personality and ability to relate to you and your needs.