Why coaching is the key, no matter where you are in your career

If you have competed in a big sporting event, regardless of the discipline, whether it was a triathlon or a tennis tournament, it’s a safe bet that you undertook some training in the lead up.  What is certain is that the amount and quality of training you undertook will have had a significant impact on the outcome you achieved.  In fact, if someone told you they were about to run a marathon without having done a day’s preparation – you’d have a few words to say about how irresponsible they are.

When it comes to our careers and our minds, executive coaching is the brain equivalent of training our bodies for a sporting event.  We don’t expect our bodies to physically perform well in a strenuous event without a well-planned out training schedule, undertaken regularly, often months in advance.  The same principle applies to our minds and our careers.  If you are looking to obtain a promotion, become a stronger leader, be the best CEO you can be, prepare to return to the workplace or are looking to figure out where you want to take your career next – investing in yourself in the form of coaching – is essential, if you want to do it effectively. 

Just like running a marathon without any training, you can give it a go – but to do it well, you must put the background work in.

Don’t believe everything you say

Limiting beliefs can be described as negative thoughts you tell yourself, like:

• I’m not good enough.
• My colleagues are better than me.
• That CEO is amazing, I could never achieve what they do.
• I’m too old.
• My staff don’t respect me.
• I don’t have the experience to lead a team.
• I don’t know what I am doing.
• I make stupid mistakes.
• And many more imaginative and specific negative stories that your mind creates.

The brain has a negative bias and creates these scenarios and stories to keep us safe.  This worked when we lived in caves near woolly mammoths, but has the opposite effect in our modern world, creating anxiety and self-doubt, often resulting in us stagnating in roles we do not like because we believe incorrectly that we cannot achieve more.

Imposter syndrome is an extension of limited beliefs and happens to almost everyone at some point and is particularly persistent among women.  For a range of reasons, including culture and family dynamics, even the most incredibly successful women can struggle with the crippling belief they are not good enough, that they are waiting to be ‘found out’ and put back in their place.  Men equally suffer from Imposter syndrome, but it may show up differently; they may talk about it much less and hide it more with sometimes harsh consequences on them and colleagues.

This thinking pattern only gets worse the longer it is allowed to go on – whatever gender you are, if you allow yourself to continually believe you are a charlatan – or work hard to cover up what you believe are your shortfalls, you need to seek help now. 

Renée Zellweger summed up imposter syndrome nicely when she said: “Sometimes I wake up at night and go, “Oh, damn! Here we go again! What were they thinking? They gave me this role; don’t they know I’m faking it?”

The brains bias towards negativity won’t go away, it is hard wired into us.  So, it is essential that we take the time to train our brains to deal with these thoughts and limit the negative affect they have on our lives. 

Coaching is the key that unlocks the solution you already carry

One of the best benefits of undertaking coaching with us is that we coach clients how to acknowledge limiting thoughts and allow them to pass on by without negatively affecting their actions, in a way that works for them

Nowadays, as a deeper understanding of health and wellness has gained general popularity, lots of us can feel quite self-aware, with some understanding of how a mental positive attitude and healthy self-talk can have a good effect on our lives.

However, this knowledge of the importance of mindset and self-talk can be one of the reasons why our clients are quite so surprised at how much they were limiting their own growth.  It is almost impossible to separate every negative thought from fact and to recognise our own limiting beliefs and habits without expert help and the coaching process is always highly enlightening and enabling

During our coaching sessions, we create space, to undertake real reflection and work with you to develop your own tools to remove the blockages, that without someone holding up a mirror for you, you cannot see.  Our experienced coaches empower you to define and achieve your goals through proven techniques, so you can identify then deal with the thoughts and actions that are sabotaging your growth.  Identifying obstacles and barriers and overcoming them requires support and expert intervention.  Just like your weekly Pilates class works your core muscles, regular brain exercise is essential if you want your mind to stay in good condition. 

Find the time now, or lose the time later 

Far from being a luxury for senior leaders, making coaching a core part of your work life, gives you the ability to truly reach your potential.  The power of igniting the knowledge and skills within, that are hidden underneath self-doubt, procrastination and imposter syndrome, is quite simply magical.

Whether you are working your way up the management ladder, or at the top of your industry – if you run your own business or are employed – executive coaching is the input that will make a difference to how you perform.

We know how busy you are, and the thought of finding time for pure, indulgent self-development might seem almost laughable.  But we challenge you to take everything written here into consideration and think about the alternative.  Remember the results of the marathon runner who didn’t train? Investing in executive coaching shouldn’t be seen as a luxury, it is as essential as training your body to run.  Giving yourself time to step back from the daily pressures of your job is vital if you want to have a long, fulfilling and successful career.

We hear time and time again from clients that they would never have found the key to unlock their own ability without our coaching.  You can see what our clients have to say here.

When it comes to the ultimate marathon that is your career, taking time to train your brain, develop a strong mindset, remove limiting beliefs, and build up a toolset of techniques to help you bring your peak performance to your daily work, is the gold standard that you deserve.

Find out more about our coaching options today.