Where Leaders Come To Grow.

What Improvements Do You Seek?

Professional development refers to the process of self improvement and improving capabilities, skills, knowledge through structured educating. It is never ending, just because you have spent time at Insead, Harvard doesn’t meant your learning comes to an end. Leaders are and do continually seek development. It involves a personal commitment to learning and growth the best development takes a whole person approach.

There are many variations of professional development my focus here at Nick Roud Coaching is One-on-one professional development specifically for Chief Executive Officers, executives sitting in C-suite leadership roles and emerging leaders. It provides personalised approach that is flexible enough so it can be tailored to the specific needs, challenges, and goals of the individual leader. Here’s how it supports leaders.

1. Customised Learning: One-on-one development allows for a customised learning experience that fits your way of learning, it addresses the individual’s unique strengths and areas for improvements. The benefits of this personalised attention ensures that the leader’s development is relevant and impactful.
2. Laser Focus: As apposed to a university setting a one-on-one setting the leader will receive undivided attention from the coach. I know as someone who is dyslexic large groups, loud groups, being in an environment with others my attention drifts. With dedicated space (aka my 20ft shipping container) and focused attention enables deeper exploration into a specific aspect that the leader wants and needs to talk through. Thus allowing progress to be made.
3. Confidentiality: When you are in a room full of strangers say on an EMBA, MBA or business course are you really able to be yourself. It has to be set up exceptionally well for that to be the case. One-on-one coaching sessions offer a safe confidential environment where a leader can openly discuss challenges and personal vulnerabilities without fear of judgement. The safe place which I create is crucial for honest self awareness and quicker growth.
4. Immediate Feedback: When coaching one-on-one CEOs, and very senior executives they comment that they rarely if ever get constructive feedback. Leaders benefit from immediate and direct feedback. Similar to a sports person the coach will at the end or during the coaching session give feedback in the moment. It is vital to the CEO and executives success for then to receive real time feedback. This could be specific to their behaviour, and leadership style. This real time feedback helps them quickly understand the impact of their actions and can then make necessary adjustments. No executive will last too long in a board room for poor actions!
5. Ownership/Accountability: Leaders can move into cruse mode or another way of explaining hide when in a group. One-on-one professional development relationship creates a sense of accountability. Most coaching sessions I have leave for the leader to go away and put into action what we have been discussing. In my experience leaders are more likely to follow through on commitments and take the necessary action when they know that the following week we will both be discussing their progress. I have a few non-negotiables in our one-on-one coaching if we agree something will be done it has to be done.
6. Flexibility: Typically a university or program will have concrete times throughout the year those times may not fit your family, work or other commitments. One-on-one development has greater wiggle room it can be more flexible in terms of scheduling and format. Say you have board meetings due on at a certain time meetings can be scheduled around those important times, one-on-one scheduling can be more flexible to integrate their leadership learning into their busy schedule without disrupting their responsibilities and or commitments.
7. Sustained Suport: A university course will have an end date when you leave you are filled with optimism, hope and a new sense. When back in the work place that might quickly drop of and old habits come flooding back. Ongoing one-on-one sessions provide leaders with support over time, which is essential for making lasting behavioural change. No quick hacks here I work for the long term benefit of the leader.

As a coach it is vitally important to have follow-up and involve a variety of key stakeholders in the leader’s development. One-on-one professional development allows regular check in’s and course correct if needs be. Powerful follow up ensures and assists the leader long term.

When identifying your leadership development intent, consider the above and what this might mean and do for your professional development. I look forward to discussing your professional development and how one-on-one leadership coaching can support that intent.