Executive Leadership Coaching: How To Be Your Own Executive Coach

You've recently been promoted to, or hired for, a position with somewhat more responsibility. Congratulations!

You've got a larger staff, across multiple functional areas, and have a high-profile in the business.

Perhaps you are a first time leader of a whole business unit.

Previously,  https://www.facebook.com/engagingmindsonline/ 've led teams in only several areas (sales, marketing and business development, for example).

Now, the scope of your new role encompasses functional areas (i.e. finance, R&D, operations) you've had little experience in leading.

You're finding this level of responsibility overwhelming and realize that you can't rely on past methods of leading. Your well-worn and comfortable operating style is not nearly sufficient, or sophisticated enough, to meet up the challenges facing you in this fast-moving and much more complex role.

Further, it's critical you do not stumble during your on-boarding phase. You're being tested and you also have to act fast.

So, how would you approach this challenge?

Be your own executive coach by learning new leadership skills:

   First, recognize that you need a fresh approach. You're no longer coping with issues and questions in one, narrowly focused area, nor grappling with issues that are easily solved.

   Develop and strengthen new leadership skills - influencing ability, diplomacy and building alliances. You can be relying an increasing number of on your influencing ability, rather than dictating how things should be done. Your peers, direct reports and/or board members will all have polished negotiating skills and strong personalities. You may be using your diplomatic skills to create consensus. Yours is no longer the only vote of importance. You will have to reinforce your ability to form strategy alliances to be able to propel your opinions and vision forward.

   Find new ways of staying in touch with what's happening on leading lines. Getting honest feedback becomes more challenging the higher you climb. Direct reports do not want to deliver bad news and tend to agree with what you say. Initiate direct contact with a small number of customers/clients and schedule time with rotating employees - to learn where in fact the weaknesses lie and problems exist.

   Figure out how to delegate more fully. Avoid the tendency to over-supervise within your former area of responsibility. It is a classic exemplory case of new leader behavior and can be regarded as insecurity and an inability to delegate effectively.

   Accept needing to learn a new group of terms, tools and ideas.You may well be uncomfortable in the positioning of learner because it does not match your style of confident and decisive leadership. However, should you be directing brand new functional areas, it is especially essential to overcome your hesitancy. You will require a basic knowledge and fluency of the current problems facing your team(s) to be a highly effective leader. As the saying goes, "get over it" and become a student.

Staying flexible and available to fresh executive leadership approaches will allow you to grow in your new role. Further, you will set a robust example for your direct reports - that they can replicate to stretch as leaders of these own teams.