By Trevor Smith, Executive Coach, The Orchard Partnership
Young leaders often report being on a ‘performance treadmill’ with little time to step back and reflect. They usually approach their careers from a technical perspective with less time spent on developing the soft skills needed to flourish at a higher level.
Therefore, Executive Coaching assignments often centre around carving out time for reflection, increasing self-awareness and developing the competencies needed in the future.
I recently completed a coaching assignment for a 32-year-old Asian team leader in the marketing sector. As directed by the HR Leader and Line Manager, we focused on the following:
- Having the confidence to lead authentically
- Carrying out a ‘gap analysis’ of current competencies compared to those required at the next level and beyond
- A deeper understanding of the self, through the use of a comprehensive personality assessment tool
- Obtaining 360 degree feedback and reflecting on the impact his actions were having on his team, peers and the organisation as a whole
- Working more effectively with colleagues in both Hong Kong and the European Head Office
This well-structured Executive Coaching assignment gave the young leader an opportunity to step away from their task-focused daily environment, re-group and plot their course for the future.
Being highly coachable, the young leader made real progress. After 10 hours, the Line Manager reported noticeable changes to his approach. His team responded well to his new authentic leadership style.
The young leader wrote to me afterwards. He expressed, “Overall it has been a highly empowering experience for me.”
Executive Coaching for young leaders is not a cost, but rather an ‘investment’ in organisational prosperity that can pay immediate dividends. After all, our future is in their hands!
Trevor Smith
ICF ‘Professional Certified Coach’ Managing Director—The Orchard Partnership ts@theorchardpartnership.com
Paul Arkwright
