Key Differences Between Executive and Leadership Coaching
Using Executive Leadership Coaching to Become An Effective Professional
Managers, leaders, and executives alike each benefit from personalized performance coaching. However, it can be difficult to choose which type of coaching to engage in: executive coaching vs leadership coaching
Each can be highly effective in providing measurable results, enhanced self-awareness, and honed skill sets. Both leadership and executive coaching focus on empowering individuals to enact meaningful change throughout their careers and connect with people to build powerful relationships.
Brain Power Advisors takes a look at the differences between the two coaching styles to help you make an informed decision about how to best advance your career and improve your organization.
What Is Leadership Coaching?
Leadership coaching is for anyone who directly leads divisions, teams, or departments of individuals. It focuses on inspiration, creativity, streamlining workflows, and ensuring a cohesive workplace environment. While leadership coaching can be for top-level executives, it generally applies to managers or other leading professionals who are responsible for ensuring groups of individuals are accomplishing goals.
Effective leaders are able to evaluate themselves and others clearly, fairly, and objectively. Leadership coaching teaches individuals how to approach managing a team with mindfulness and compassion, while also inspiring and motivating. Individuals can learn how to assess and set goals that motivate team members and employees while minimizing conflict.
Organizations that provide leadership coaching oftentimes experience increases in employee satisfaction, enhanced productivity, and more stable rates of employee retention. Highly motivated executives and professionals consider employer-sponsored leadership coaching a perk or incentive for working with a particular company, corporation, organization, etc. It’s an effective way to strengthen your leadership presence and become more of an asset to the business you serve.
Leadership coaching firms may offer one-on-one coaching, team coaching, or both. By supplementing one-on-one leadership coaching with group sessions, organizations may experience longer-lasting benefits.
Primary Goals of Leadership Coaching
Enhancing compassionate, inspiring leadership abilities. A significant percentage of employee satisfaction may hinge on their relationship with their boss. By investing in building a more compassionate leader who can inspire and motivate, employees may be more likely to perform better.
Grooming and/or preparing professionals for a role in leadership. Many organizations will sponsor leadership coaching for high-performing individuals to prepare them for more responsibility in a leadership position. This allows for a smoother transition during change of leadership.
Problem-solving or turnover prevention. Problematic managers or leaders who are struggling may engage in leadership coaching on their own or sponsored by their employer. This may be a step in a performance plan to work with the existing manager, instead of hiring a new one to reduce turnover. Alternatively, some managers may engage in leadership coaching to earn a promotion or raise.
Who Is Leadership Coaching For?
- High-performing individuals about to step into a leadership role
- Team leads
- Directors
- Mid-level managers
- High-level managers
- HR (human resources) representatives
- High-level or senior executives
- C-suite executives and professionals (CEOs, COOs, CFOs, etc.)
What Is Executive Coaching?
Executive coaching is primarily for senior executives who are responsible for both leading groups of individuals and influencing an organization to create impactful, positive change. Many senior professionals who engage in executive coaching also participate in leadership coaching.
Executives typically endure higher levels of responsibility and stress as they manage large-scale operations for successful firms, agencies, organizations, etc. Executive coaching unlocks untapped potential to enhance the performance of individuals who are already successful.
Effective executives must be able to seamlessly turn strategies into action, generate revenue, and produce measurable returns that benefit an entire company and the individuals it impacts. Work with an executive leadership coach to:
- Learn how to apply smart goal setting
- Adopt coaching strategies that support your team and company
- Strengthen your strategic thinking to reach your goals
- Overcome limiting doubts
- Apply your talents to create an inspiring difference
- Facilitate further team development to increase productivity
Coaching Is An Investment In Tangible Competitive Advantage
Much like leadership coaching, companies offering executive coaching to top-level staff see incredible returns on their investment including streamlined operations, increased revenue generation, and higher rates of overall satisfaction. Many corporations consider executive coaching to be an investment in the wellbeing of the company itself.
Executive coaching agencies typically provide confidential one-on-one coaching sessions. The details of each session usually remain between the executive coach and the executive, and are not disclosed to the organization or corporation sponsoring the sessions. However, some executive coaching firms may share general, overall progress with the executive’s company.
Primary Goals of Executive Coaching
Unlocking the potential of already successful individuals. Many high-performing individuals have already proven their abilities as effective executives. Corporations and executives may seek out the assistance of an executive coach to further unlock abilities, hone skills, and continue to develop professionally.
Investing in the short-term and long-term growth of a corporation, company, or business. Executive coaching prepares individuals for the challenges of high-level leadership and corporate influence. This gives executives and corporations an advantage over competitors and ensures a less challenging transition.
Supporting executives in their roles as individuals and as industry leaders. Executive coaches build long-term relationships to support their clients throughout their career. They serve as sounding boards and guides to assist executives during their professional development, industry challenges, and daily operations.
Who Is Executive Coaching For?
- C-suite executives and professionals (CEOs, COOs, CFOs, etc.)
- Presidents
- Vice Presidents (VPs)
- Senior directors or consultants
Then What Is Executive Leadership Coaching?
Some corporate coaches approach leadership coaching as a subset under the umbrella of executive coaching. Others consider the two coaching styles to overlap, complement, and supplement one another. Executive leadership coaching also serves as a shorthand for individuals who engage in both types simultaneously.
Executive Leadership Coaching Helps You Improve Your Management Skills
Whether you choose to invest in leadership coaching before, after, or blended with executive coaching will largely depend on your position, your needs, and the performance coach you work with. Be sure to evaluate the coaching program you work with and ensure it’s organized by accredited or licensed professionals.
How Does Executive Leadership Coaching Work?
Brain Power Advisors has developed a scientifically-validated 3-Step Executive Power Process to coach leaders and executives and enhance their capabilities.
Step 1: Discover Your Strengths With A Data-Driven Brain Assessment
First, you’ll take a discovery assessment to give you and your coach a better understanding of how your brain operates. This is unlike other personality tests which are traditionally subjective and classify unique individuals into groups.
Instead, we approach your unique brain with science, objectivity, and 44 individual data points. Our executive leadership coaches start by understanding “what makes you tick” in order to help you take advantage of your natural strengths.
Step 2: Use Your Executive Leadership Toolkit Designed By A Brain Power Coach
Once your executive leadership coach has a deep understanding of your brain’s processing patterns, they’ll develop a toolkit designed specifically for you.
Each toolkit is built to harness your abilities and take advantage of what you already possess to become a more effective leader and an influential executive.
Step 3: Engage In Regular Executive Leadership Coaching And Apply Strategy To Daily Life
Now that you have your scientifically-backed executive leadership toolkit, you’re ready to start applying it. By participating in frequent and regular coaching sessions, you receive consistent feedback from an experienced, licensed coach to become the most effective leader and executive you can be.
Benefits of Executive Leadership Coaching
Our leadership and executive experts apply best practice coaching models to advance careers, improve the well-being of organizations, and promote lifelong professional learning and development. We equip you with the knowledge and skills to create a high level of performance with long-lasting impacts.
One of the biggest benefits of executive leadership coaching is the individuals who participate will feel incredibly empowered. When a leader is feeling empowered, that energy travels throughout the organization further enhancing the performance of not only the leader but the team members themselves as well.
Another benefit is gaining a fresh perspective. Having an outside perspective is extremely powerful and often results in long-lasting changes that benefit the entire organization. With this new way of thinking, new, effective goals will come to light allowing growth in new areas. When we take the opportunity to open our minds in one area, the knowledge realized will spread into all other areas bringing further insight to the forefront which can be used to set clear goals.
This new perspective may include more self-awareness allowing the individual to step out of their comfort zone to make bigger changes and more defined choices. They will be aware of their own emotions and of those around them resulting in higher confidence and motivation.
Let’s not forget about the benefits of improved communication that can result from executive leadership coaching. Throughout the coaching process, the communication styles of the leader will be evaluated and new ways to communicate effectively will be introduced. With these new communication skills at hand, business executives and leaders will be able to improve their social skills and credibility within the organization.
Start Your Path To Becoming an Effective Leader
Consult with your executive leadership coach today to begin your path towards greater potential and an effective, rewarding career. We offer coaching that helps you to live up to your full potential and gain greater insight into your career path.
Pursue personal development and strengthen your emotional intelligence to become an influential leader with the help of an experienced coach and clinical psychologist. Receive personalized leadership development guidance and training from a team of data-driven experts.
Call Brain Power Advisors or use our online contact form to easily schedule an appointment. We’re here and ready to answer your questions about our process and coaching methodologies.