How leadership coaching can unleash your excellence

Are You Working ON your Business or IN it?

There’s excellence in you. I see it.

As a leader, if your average day is anything like mine, you have back-to-back meetings that leave little time for big picture thinking. And it’s that big picture thinking, visioning, and dreaming that makes a great leader. That’s a tough spot to be in when you don’t have time to do what’s most important.

If there’s anything I’ve learned, it’s this: we have to make the time for what’s most important. It will never just be conveniently presented to you. You need to make it happen.

That’s why I have always been a big proponent of planning days out of the office to work ON my business rather than IN it. Honestly, stop right here and block your calendar off right now. Even if it’s a month from now. Choose a couple of days of focus and commit to them. Your team depends on it.

Key Questions

“So, Joe, what should I do with those days?” you ask. Pause your notifications. Grab a notebook and pen, find an inspirational spot and just think. Dig deep. Here are some questions to ask yourself:

What are my most important priorities as a leader?

Where are my motivations and how can I better use them in my role?

What are my weak points and how can I improve them?

How am I supporting my team’s growth?

How well am I communicating?

Do I have a clear vision for my team and has it been shared in writing? If it’s not written down, it’s not real!

What five steps can I take to move the needle in the next month?

These are some of the key areas we get after in my leadership coaching sessions. I’ve found, many leaders need the accountability or support of a coach to help them walk this journey and I’ve been honored to work with leaders from lots of different industries that have discovered major ahas in the process—leading to improved communication company-wide, employee satisfaction, and retention numbers.

The Stats

I had my team pull some helpful info here to paint the full picture.

With economic issues in the US, constant change and rampant burnout in the workplace, businesses need talented, skilled leaders more than ever, according to Forbes. “Executive coaching prepares leaders for transition and growth and helps them mediate workplace behaviors, support project success, and provide long-term results.”

Leadership coaching makes a significant difference, to the tune of a 7x return on investment, according to research from PwC and the Association Resource Center. How so? Skilled leaders improve engagement and retention while supporting employees, improving performance and the company’s bottom line along the way.

When leaders take the time to work on themselves, they’re able to lift their whole team up. It makes sense. Not only will you bring new skills and understanding to the table, but you’ll be great motivation to your team to follow in your footsteps.

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: Did you block your days off to work ON your business rather than IN it? Prioritize that time today.