Recent global research shows that employee expectations, particularly among younger generations, have changed. More than ever, they are now looking for meaning, purpose, freedom and personal fulfilment in their work. They also desire more personal growth and making an impact, while maintaining a balanced lifestyle. Leaders need to adapt and develop a new leadership style to implement these changes and foster high-performing work cultures and environments.

Modern leadership development is more tailored, personalised and flexible. It’s also one of the reasons why coaching is now firmly established in the business world and enjoys a growing popularity. Executive coaching is a personalised growth journey for developing leadership skills, building strategies and sharpening performance. A coach empowers, encourages and challenges leaders to think differently, to think bigger, and holds them accountable to achieve goals faster than they would on their own. A coach supports leaders in their unique greatness, but also asks stimulating questions that enable a leader to truly reflect on themselves. Below are listed some of the questions to give you an idea of what an executive coaching session might entail.

• What are your values? How are these visible to others?
• What makes you unique? What is the special thing you bring?
• What would you like to achieve as a leader?
• What would you gain by achieving it?
• Imagine stepping into the future and experiencing it. How does that look like – what do you notice or feel?
• What steps can you take to move closer to your goal?
• What’s holding you back from achieving your goal?
• Have you faced similar challenges before? What strategies helped you to overcome them?
• What strengths do you have that you are not using now?
• What additional resources might you need to move forward, and how can you find them?
• Imagine having a dialogue with the wisest person you know or can think of. What would they tell you to do?
• What are your most valuable takeaways from our conversation today? How do these support your goal?
• What is your plan for integrating these takeaways and taking action?
• How will you hold yourself accountable for your progress?

Coaching has value for all leaders, but especially for those new in their role. It’s common that experienced specialists with the strongest and most relevant skills in the field are promoted into leadership roles. However, being a great specialist does not automatically guarantee that you have the skills to be a great leader. There is a growing consensus that soft skills, just like technical skills, need to be learned and developed, and that this step is important for a successful transition from a specialist to a leader.

Every leader deserves to experience success and to feel self-fulfilment, recognition and satisfaction. Research in the field of coaching has shown that leaders who work with a professional coach are closer to achieving this. Coaching unlocks, encourages and empowers the leader’s potential to maximise the performance. Coaching is the perfect tool to support the development and advancement of the great leaders of the modern world.