Is Executive Coaching Overrated?

According to several sources, business coaching is well beyond a $15 billion industry. The industry continues to grow with very few barriers to entry. Since starting CFO Bookshelf, I’ve been interested in whether or not executive coaching is overrated or over-prescribed. Is it only for CEOs? Bruce and I addressed those questions along with a very special guest.

Is Coaching Overrated?

There’s a great article at HBR entitled Are You Ready to Be Coached? by Brenda Steinberg. She states that leaders evolve the most when they possess these traits:

1. They have a tolerance for discomfort.
2. They are open to experimentation.
3. They have the ability to look beyond the rational.
4. They are willing to take responsibility.
5. They have a capacity for forgiveness.
6. They exercise self-discipline.
7. They have the ability to ask for support.

I asked the same question to Steve Mendelsohn of Better Self Leadership, an executive leadership coach and a former business leader at Thomson Reuters in their global tax and accounting division.

More Questions for Steve Mendelsohn

Is executive coaching overrated? That’s not the only question we asked Steve. Here are some of the other questions we had for this executive leadership coach:

1. What are the most common problems found in every coaching situation?
2. What happens before and during coaching?
3. What type of discovery process is applied at the outset of a coaching engagement?
4. Do results happen fast?
5. Who is the ideal client?
6. How would you go about coaching CFOs?
7. How does an executive go about selecting a coach?