Three kinds of coaching every leader needs
Every elite athlete in the world has a coach. Think about it. Serena Williams is arguably the greatest tennis player in the world, and she has a coach. Michael Jordan played at a level the world had never seen, and he always had a coach. In an effort to get back to the top, Tiger Woods hired a new coach.
If these athletes are the best at what they do, why can’t they just coach themselves?
Here’s why: You can’t see what you’re doing from inside yourself.
Seeing what is needed to get better requires the vantage point of a good coach. A good coach can stand to the side, tell you what you’re doing right or wrong, and give necessary input for improvement. A good coach can communicate clearly what they’re seeing and help you see why you can’t see from inside yourself.
In the world of marketing it’s no different. As your expertise in a field increases, your ability to see with fresh eyes decreases. You begin to think from within your expertise and explaining what you do, who you are, what you sell becomes more difficult. Your language becomes more “insider” and more complex.
One of the few knocks on LeBron James has to do with his “bigger than life” persona that tends to overshadow every coach a team can hire. It’s been reported by players that LeBron dominates the huddles, calls the shots, and acts as the coach, star player, manager, etc. etc. But everyone knows this: Even LeBron James needs a coach. So do you.
Here are three kinds of coaching every leader, business owner, and manager needs to be successful.
- Personal Life-Coaching
We can only lead as effective as we live. When our lives get off track (and hey, it happens to everyone), it seeps into our work life and suddenly, our ineffectiveness in one area becomes our ineffectiveness in every area. We can feel it. We try to hide it, but internally we struggle with it. We try to stuff it down, but it keeps coming outl. As an executive or a leader, having someone who can stand to the side, see what’s going on, and give us a fresh perspective can help us discover the adjustments needed for better success. - Clarity Coaching
I’m more convinced than ever that a coach focused on helping our managers, team leads, marketing departments be clear about communication and messaging is essential for success. We all believe we’re clear when we communicate. However, we all know communication is complex. Having a trained clarity expert can help develop effective messaging quickly with simple, clear language. - Strategic Marketing
I believe in what we do as marketing consultants for a reason: It’s difficult to know how to self-promote and not hurt your business. If you don’t understand the power and place of story – and what your role should be in the story – you’ll be wondering why customers walk away. If Donald Miller’s Storybrand has exposed anything to the leadership and marketing world it’s this: You have to strategically make sure your customer is the hero of a compelling story, not the target of manipulative marketing.
Coaching in life and business is important. Find coaches and mentors who can help you with these three coaching needs and you’ll find your investment pays more than it costs.
