In this final segment of our executive coaching series, Sarah Le Roy, Linkage Vice President of Talent Management, and Elizabeth Serio, Linkage Consultant, return to discuss what happens after a coaching session.
Image: One-on-One Coaching at GILD 2010
“A coach can take you to a deeper place than you can take yourself,” says Elizabeth. “Your coach will be more than a supportive force encouraging you to be better. Coaches provide the support necessary to make your experiences, goals, and thoughts actionable in a way that will help you become a better leader.”
“A coaching session should push you to think in ways you may not have before. It should be supportive and candid. You should feel challenged and energized,” says Sarah. “It should be fun and stimulating–the idea of the third session after GILD is to give attendees the opportunity to work on their own development with the coach who is there to provide support and reflection and help as they work to maintain their development momentum after the leader has returned to their normal office environment.”
In the end, a coach can only do so much. After each coaching session, it is up to you to take and implement the lessons and promises you make to yourself. Your coach will challenge you and push you to new limits, but coaching is ultimately about you and what you choose to take away from it. After you complete a coaching session or series, come up with a plan to check back in on your progress towards the goals you set for yourself; for some that plan may be a quarterly calendar reminder while for others it may be to schedule check-in sessions with your coach–choose something that works for you.
Whether you decide to invest in an executive coach or not, take some time to reflect on your own leadership and the leadership of those you admire. Afterwards, write down a few goals or notes to yourself and keep them in a place where you can see them regularly. You will be surprised how much a friendly reminder can help you to develop your leadership skills.
Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.
-John F. Kennedy
Women in Leadership Institute™
NOV. 13–16, 2023 | Orlando, Florida, or Virtual
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