Even the most seasoned leaders run into obstacles and situations that hold them back. You can have a great vision, but the daily challenges of conflict, time management, hiring, team motivation, and all kinds of other things can keep you from achieving that vision.
A leadership coach is someone who partners with you 1:1 to help you sharpen your leadership skills, navigate the challenges of leadership, and improve the performance of your team. No matter whether you’re just getting started or are a top-tier executive looking to keep your skills sharp, leadership coaching gives you the insight, accountability, and support you need to be the leader you want to be!
What Does a Leadership Coach Do?
Simply put, a leadership coach helps you realize your potential and reach your goals. Unlike traditional training programs that offer one-size-fits-all advice, leadership coaching is a personalized, hands-on process designed to address your unique strengths, blind spots and vision as a leader. Whether you’re stepping into a new leadership role, managing a high-performing team, or facing a tough organizational challenge, a leadership coach will provide guidance, feedback, and practical strategies for whatever situation you’re in.
A leadership coach usually works through a series of regular 1:1 coaching sessions for a number of months to provide you with encouragement and consistency. They serve as an experienced, neutral coach in your corner, ready to instruct and encourage. A great leadership coach challenges you to think critically about your leadership approach, identify habits that may be holding you back and develop strategies for building stronger relationships with your team.
It’s also important to note that leadership coaching isn’t just for the highest-paid or executive-level leaders. It’s helpful for leaders in all phases of the leadership journey – from new managers to C-suite execs. Wherever you are on the leadership spectrum, the right coach can offer you the support, structure, and accountability you need for growth.
Watch: Professional Leadership Coach Ron Alford explain What is Leadership.
How Can a Leadership Coach Help You?
Here are some specific areas a leadership coach can help you with.
Goal Setting
Goals are essential for your growth as a leader. Your coach will help you set S.M.A.R.T. goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-sensitive) to keep you moving toward the target. These goals can range in focus from personal development to team performance, and your coach will keep you accountable.
Vision Casting
Vision is crucial to leadership. In fact, it’s how many leaders get into leadership in the first place – they cast a vision people believed in. But as time goes on, it can be difficult to get a fresh vision for the future. Day-to-day tasks and routines tend to blur the line between what you’re doing today and where you’re going in the future. A leadership coach can offer a seasoned, neutral perspective to help you get clear on where you’re going, develop a roadmap to get there, and effectively communicate your vision to your team.
“Our endurance in life is directly tied to the clarity of our vision. When you see it, it should get you excited to do the tasks that you need to do right now in order to keep going.”
Will Metscher
SWC Professional Leadership Coach
Related: Why Every Leader Needs a Coach
Time Management
Time is not on the side of most leaders. There are just too many priorities and objectives, and other important aspects of leadership tend to fall by the wayside. This is where a leadership coach comes in, helping you master techniques like scheduling, delegation, and prioritization. You’ll become more efficient, decisive, and focused on what really matters, meaning you’ll waste less time doing tasks that aren’t important and cost-effective for a leader to do.
Attitude and Self-talk
Leadership is hard work and not for the faint of heart! That’s why your attitude and the way you talk to yourself are crucial. Responding to situations that arise appropriately and avoiding negativity can help you maintain an attitude that’s contagious with your team. Your leadership coach can help you develop your confidence, sharpen your perspective and equip you to face the challenges that come your way. They’ll teach you how to create good habits around attitude and self-talk that will serve you well in a multitude of areas.
“Your beliefs shape your thoughts, which lead your emotions, which fuel your actions and drive your results. When you’ve got empowering beliefs, your actions become a byproduct of those beliefs.”
Steve Reiner
SWC Professional Leadership Coach
Communication
Strong leaders know how to tailor their message to different audiences, whether they’re rallying their team around a big vision, navigating a crisis, or giving constructive feedback. They also understand that communication is a two-way street – listening actively, reading between the lines, and creating an environment where people feel heard and valued. A leadership coach helps you sharpen these skills so you can lead with impact.
Team Leadership
Strong team leadership isn’t just about managing people – it’s about inspiring them, aligning them around a shared vision and creating an environment where they can do their best work. With the right coaching, you’ll learn how to navigate difficult conversations, motivate individuals with different work styles, and create a team dynamic where engagement and trust thrive.
“Every individual is driven by a unique set of internal and external factors. As a leader, identifying and responding to these unique motivations can lead to a better relationship with your team, and more importantly, increased productivity. You don’t have to work as hard to motivate someone when they motivate themselves.”
Angie Moss
SWC Professional Leadership Coach
Delegating
The difference between average leaders and great ones is their ability to delegate. When a leader can delegate well, they spend less time on less valuable work and more time on higher level strategy and initiatives with a greater return. In addition to the prioritization that delegating provides, effective delegation serves as a way to empower individuals on your team to grow into more impactful roles. Your leadership coach can assist you in determining which tasks to delegate, to whom, and what to focus on, instead.
Conflict Resolution and Difficult Situations
Conflict, difficult conversations, uncomfortable situations… they come for every leader at some point in time. How you as a leader handle these scenarios will determine the type of leader you will be in the future and how the people you lead will see you. It can be a situation as simple as a mild disagreement to something complex and sensitive. A leadership coach can train you in the techniques you need to lead through these uncomfortable situations professionally, calmly and constructively.
Emotional Intelligence
It’s no secret: being a successful leader requires a high emotional quotient (EQ). Having the self-awareness to know your own emotions, situational awareness and how it plays into your decision making is a superpower not every leader automatically has. Having the right leadership coach in your corner can help you develop that awareness, improve your interpersonal skills, and maintain healthy relationships with the colleagues you work with.
“Do you want to be happier, have more influence, be a better decision-maker, and go farther in your career? We all do! A self-aware person can identify their feelings, understand the impact they have on themselves and others and use this knowledge to manage their actions and interactions effectively.”
Adam Outland
SWC Professional Leadership Coach
Personal Brand
Some leaders balk at the notion of having a “personal brand,” but the best leaders understand they carry a certain gravitas into every room. Their presence, reputation, and influence shape how they are perceived in every interaction. The right leadership coach can help you hone your perspective and refine your presence so that you show up with clarity, authenticity and authority. They can guide you in defining what you stand for, ensuring that your words and actions align with your values.
“Understanding who you are, your strengths, weaknesses, values, passions and goals is the first step in developing a personal brand. Self-awareness helps you to project an authentic image and understand how you are being perceived in order to control the image you’re projecting.”
Matt Kirby
SWC Professional Leadership Coach
Problem-Solving and Resiliency
If you want to lead for the long haul, you must be resilient. Handling tough moments is only the first step. Much of developing resilience and your skills as a problem-solver comes down to having a sounding board to bounce ideas off of and get feedback from. A great leadership coach acts as your trusted confidante, someone who you can visualize success with you in this particular area. A leadership coach can also help you empower your team to solve their own problems and relieve you of the need to be in the middle of the minutiae.
How Does Leadership Coaching Work?
Southwestern Consulting’s leadership coaches offer a coaching process that’s both comprehensive and personalized to your unique needs. Here’s how it works:
1. Assessment and Goal Setting
Your leadership coaching journey starts with assessing your current leadership style, what your strengths are, and where you need to improve. Your coach will work with you to set S.M.A.R.T. goals that serve you on your way to realizing your potential.
2. Customized Strategy
Using your assessment results, your coach will create a personalized, flexible plan for you. Your plan will include actionable strategies for the specific areas you want to improve, exercises to refine those skills, and timelines to track your progress.
3. Coaching and Accountability
Using regular 1:1s, your coach will give you feedback, help you overcome challenges, and keep you accountable to your goals.
4. Measuring Progress
Measuring your progress as you go through the plan ensures that every step you take and milestone you hit aligns with your goals.
Is Leadership Coaching Right for You?
You can’t become a better leader on your own. You can read all the books, attend all the webinars and conferences, and follow all the influencers, but there is just no substitute for having a leadership coach in your corner. If you want to reach your leadership potential, partnering with a leadership coach is a wise investment.
At Southwestern Consulting, our leadership coaches are ready to partner with you every step of the way. Our mission is to empower leaders like yourself to overcome any obstacles holding you back and help you become more impactful and resilient.
If you’re ready to work with a leadership coach, schedule a free Strategy Session. We’d love to hear more about your needs and how we can work with you to help you reach your goals.
What Can Coaching Do For You?
Listen to Cary & Lane Terzieff’s Journey with a Southwestern Consulting Leadership Coach
