Executive coaching: a tool for the development of leaders
30/10/2018
Rémi Zunino
Rémi Zunino

Executive coaching: a tool for the development of leaders

Is executive coaching fundamentally different from manager or employee coaching? Due to the nature of each of these functions, it is clear that there are significant differences.

If the individual coaching process remains the same whatever the position held by the person being coached, the coaching themes will be adapted to the position, but not only. The profile of the professional coach, his experience as a coach and his experience as a leader, must be consistent with the profile of his client.

Discover the file below to understand in depth all the specificities of executive coaching.

In what situations is executive coaching used?

Because of their position within the company, managers are inevitably distanced from the rest of the organisation.

A distance which, in large groups, can be detrimental to him if he finds himself in difficulty...

The challenge for the leader is to find the right distance that will allow him to best embody his different leadership positions: to develop a clear strategic vision, to have a strategic reading of his environment, his competitors and the market, to juggle permanently between the long-term and short-term vision, to engage his teams and stimulate collaboration between them in a context of permanent transformation, etc...

It is because of the diversity and complexity of these issues that it can be said that, throughout a leader's career, the intervention of a professional coach can be beneficial.

To talk more concretely about an example, let's take the case of taking over as a leader. This is a typical situation for which executive coaching is useful. It is also one of the situations most frequently encountered by Talentis professional coaches who accompany leaders.

This moment is a turning point in the life of a leader because he or she will have to adopt new postures specific to his or her new status, and interact at a completely different level within the organisation. The leader enters a new dimension in which he or she will have to find the right distance from his or her teams.

Read our article on becoming a leader.

More broadly, in the exercise of their functions, managers may have to work with a coach on various skills such as

- Developing influence

- Strengthen the impact of your communication

- Manage time and energy efficiently

- Taking a step back...

The manager can also work with a coach on the more strategic aspects of his function. In this case, the coach will act as a real "sparring partner", stimulating reflection and "challenging" ideas through sharp questioning. In executive coaching, the client works both on his identity as a leader, and on his ideas, decisions, strategy, etc."

What is the posture of the professional coach during executive coaching?

During executive coaching, the coach will adopt a benevolent listening posture, in parity with the person being coached. To be at the right strategic level, to have a fine and precise understanding of the manager's issues, to be able to "hit the ball" with him/her on strategic subjects, these are the qualities expected of a coach who is preparing to accompany a manager individually.

What is the posture of the professional coach during executive coaching?

How does a manager choose a coach?

Once the executive has clearly identified his/her coaching objectives, he/she can discuss them with his/her HR manager, who will suggest coaches who have been carefully pre-selected according to their ability to meet the executive's challenges.

The discovery interview that follows will allow the manager to validate the alliance with the coach. Does he expect the coach to be a sympathetic listener, or rather a partner who will challenge his ideas and push him further into his limits? Or even both at the same time? In any case, the manager will make sure to choose the coach he/she feels is best equipped to help him/her advance his/her objectives. A coach capable of giving constructive feedback, of questioning his ideas, but also a coach with whom there is the possibility of creating a link.

All about business coaching with our guide

Does a leader coach have to have been a leader himself?

At Talentis, we have this philosophy.

We believe that the coach who is about to accompany a manager must have a broad vision of the latter's issues and adopt a true "business partner" posture. This can be broken down into 3 points:

- Strategic vision

- Understanding the organisation

- Good understanding of transformations

It is easier to understand the complexity of these issues if you have been a leader yourself.

To guarantee our clients expert support, we only recruit the top 5% of coaches. They all have a minimum of 10 years' experience in business as a leader and a minimum of 1000 hours of leadership coaching under their belt.

Are there specific modalities for executive coaching?

There are no specific modalities for executive coaching. As in all individual coaching, the tools and methods are varied. It is up to the coach to adopt the right posture and identify the best approach to support the manager's objectives:

- Setting the scene

- Writing

- Metaphorical representations

- Challenge / mirror effect

More offbeat arrangements, with experts present, can also be proposed:

- Horse Coaching: as the horse is a mirror of human emotions, working alongside it allows individuals to have clear feedback on their leadership and assertiveness.

- Work with actors and singers to improve oral communication.

- Managing stress and energy with Mindfulness.

- Do the coaching session while walking, in a park or in the forest...

Has any executive coaching in your career made a particular impression on you?

I remember a boss of a large French service company who told me: "You can't imagine how lonely I feel...".

Today, executive coaching has become so important that even entrepreneurs are coached.

The latter are coached to work on their identity as a leader and as a "founding leader". How to accept the fact that the commitment of its employees will very rarely match their own, which is often more than 100%? How do you move from the start-up stage to the "Scale Up" stage? Or how do you give up certain missions for the benefit of the teams?  

If one were to find a phrase to characterise executive coaching, it would be: "To be coached as an executive is to show courage, self-confidence and humility in order to meet the challenges of profound changes.

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