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Many people may be surprised by the substantial personal and professional growth they can achieve by partnering with a professional coach. Through the tailored guidance and support a coaching engagement provides, individuals often discover strengths and capabilities that lead to breakthroughs in their careers and personal lives.
Even clients who have clear goals in mind when they begin working with a coach can find themselves growing in unanticipated areas. Here, 13 members of Forbes Coaches Council explore less considered areas of growth that the structured approach of coaching can unlock to help clients surpass their own expectations and reach new levels of success and fulfillment.
1. Character
The most important, yet least considered, area of growth is character. Many focus on improving the skills they need for success. While skills are important, they are an outside-in approach and should be secondary to character development, which is an inside-out approach. Critical character traits that must be developed are integrity, honesty, kindness, patience, selflessness, love and respect. - Lillit Cholakian, NewGen Global Leaders
2. Awareness Of One’s Strengths
In my professional experience, it has become clear that people often do not take enough time to increase their awareness of how they like to do things. They often spend more time trying to use tips, tricks and hacks to get things done and seldom apply enough thinking about their own unique strengths profile. Increasing this awareness often unlocks an individual’s performance potential. - Steve Shrout, Steve Shrout Coaching
3. The Ability To Admit You Aren’t Sure
Owning up to being unsure is powerful. It opens up an avenue for genuinely listening to diverse opinions and thoughts. Moreover, it also makes others feel included and valued. - Basav Ray Chaudhuri, Coach with Basav
4. Opening Up About So-Called ‘Weaknesses’
One of my coaching friends opened up about his mental health battle and, in one instance, a close call with suicide. This was a tough thing to bring up and to speak about more or less publicly, but the person had strong feelings about what it would mean to others, even if it would cost him in terms of immediate revenue and opportunities. It ended up strengthening others. - John M. O’Connor, Career Pro Inc.
Forbes Coaches Council is an invitation-only community for leading business and career coaches. Do I qualify?
5. Well-Being
I emphasize an underrated asset: well-being. More than the ability to rebound from setbacks, well-being allows for a triple win, as it increases leadership IQ, enabling leaders to plan more effectively thanks to their nonreactive presence. In our turbulent world, the ability to stay centered amid disruptions and respond to difficulties with ease may be a leader’s most vital quality. - Lisa Marie Platske, Upside Thinking, Inc.
6. Personal Responsibility
In coaching, clients often come to understand the significant impact of personal responsibility on outcomes. This heightened awareness of their own responses enables them to make strategic shifts in influencing how others experience events, leading to positive interactions and outcomes. - Steve Walsh, Exceptional Transformations LLC
7. Recognizing How Strengths Can Also Get In The Way
Too often, we focus on our strengths as our superpowers and overlook the ways those same skills get in our way. As coaches, we increase self-awareness around situations in which we may need to dial back our strengths. For example, I am strong at basing my decisions on facts, not stories or biases. This gets in my way when I rely only on what I can prove and overlook the value of emotional gut checks. - Kathleen Shanley, Statice
8. Empathetic Negotiation
The significance of developing empathetic negotiation skills often goes unrecognized, yet it stands as a pivotal achievement in coaching. By emphasizing your understanding of the other side’s perspectives and fostering empathy, you can not only enhance your negotiation abilities, but also cultivate lasting, harmonious relationships, amplifying the impact far beyond the negotiation table. - Alla Adam, Alla Adam Coaching
9. Active Listening
I think there is tremendous power in a simple rule: “Talk less, listen more.” If you adopt this practice, you will find that when you do speak, your words are more impactful. We not only accelerate our learning when we actively listen, but also create a sense of connection with those we interact with, who observe us engaging on their points rather than waiting to make our own. - Katy MacKinnon Hansell, Katy Hansell Strategic Advisory
10. Self-Compassion
One less considered area of personal or professional growth is developing a deeper sense of self-compassion. In coaching, individuals often learn to be kinder to themselves, leading to improved confidence, resilience and overall well-being. This growth allows them to navigate challenges with more grace, embrace their imperfections and approach life with a more positive outlook. - Martha Jeifetz, MJ - Executive Coaching & Advising
11. Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence is essential for navigating interpersonal relationships and effectively managing conflict. Many people focus on acquiring technical skills or leadership abilities, but enhancing emotional intelligence can significantly impact one’s success and fulfillment in both personal and professional realms. - Rukayat Alabi, RKY Careers
12. Overcoming Distractibility
Overcoming distractibility is a transformative growth area. Leaders transforming their focus from fragmented to sharp don’t just significantly boost productivity; they also elevate their strategic thinking and innovation. This mastery fosters a calm, commanding presence, which becomes a cornerstone for inspiring and guiding teams effectively in our fast-paced, ever-changing world. - Alejandro Bravo, Revelatio360
13. Courage
Clients tend to draw upon a totally free and unlimited resource that too few use: courage. The courage to say “no” to non-urgent, unimportant things. The courage to take time to reflect without blaming yourself. The courage to live every day, personally and professionally, aligned with your core values. The courage to be original and to bring positive changes. The courage to own your ship and be accountable. - Julien Fortuit, Julien Fortuit Agency
