4 good reasons to get a business coach

If you want to know the benefits of a business coach, look no further than Bill Campbell.

When I first heard of the man who advised, it seemed, every big industry name in existence, from Steve Jobs to Jeff Bezos, I thought I’d misheard. After all, surely those industry leaders didn’t get coaching for their roles? Discovering that’s exactly what they did, I began re-examining the benefits an external mentor can provide to their clients. Here’s what I discovered.

1. Creates accountability

As a leader or business owner, it’s possible to feel like you’re juggling far too many things all at once. Trying to maintain balance takes up all your time and effort, and often results in important tasks or projects being pushed back. A business coach prevents this happening.

Sitting outside of the company, your business coach can see the big picture that you, sitting within it, can sometimes struggle to see. They can hold you accountable when it comes to what you need to accomplish and ensure you’re being the leader your team needs.

2. Gives you guidance

I have a friend who is excellent at her job. Due to this, she rose quickly through the ranks at her company until she achieved a high-level leadership position. However, despite being an excellent worker, nowhere along the way had anyone ever taught her how to be a leader.

This story is a familiar one for many people. Running a team is a daunting prospect, especially if you’ve never received leadership training. A business coach helps guide you through any road bumps you encounter, while providing you with the skill set you need for the future. Leadership is an ability you can learn – it’s not something that should come innately.

A business coach provides you with direction and focus, guiding you through the tricky terrain of leadership.

3. Provides an unbiased and external perspective

Can someone who’s not in your industry really provide you with advice that’s relevant to you and your team? The simple answer is yes. Bill Campbell didn’t know a thing about tech, but he knew how to foster the skills needed to allow that side of the business to flourish. He didn’t need to know how to code to teach communication or leadership skills.

A large benefit of a business coach is that they’re separate from your organisation. This means their perspective is unbiased by internal politics or thinking. Additionally, they have extensive experience in leadership coaching, providing you with an expert to help your business who won’t hold back on giving honest and insightful feedback.

4. Solidifies essential skills

In a game of tennis, all the tactics in the world won’t help you to win if you don’t know how to hit the ball. Similarly, to become an effective leader you need a solid base of core skills. A good business coach helps solidify the basic knowledge you need so you can focus on creating a high performance team.

This can include skills such as:

• Motivating and inspiring your employees.
• Providing effective and constructive feedback.
• Using emotional intelligence to adapt to different personalities in your team.

A solid foundation is essential for growth. I think, more than anything else, this is the most important benefit a business coach can bring to your organisation. With firm footing beneath you and a cohesive team to back you up, you’re able to look forward and plan for the next step you’ll take.

If you’d like to know more about how we can help you with leadership coaching in Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane, make sure you reach out to the team at ICML today.