What are the very real dangers of executive coaching? Are there any real dangers of executive coaching? Or, is it something that always provides positive results?

The One Very Real Danger of Executive Coaching

One of the most common problems with executive coaching is that the results achieved are not worth the money spent. If you’re an executive coach, you want to make sure you can provide outcomes that are worth what you’ve been paid.

To be an effective executive coach, you must have experience, training, and coaching skills. Executive coaches deal with top business leaders and companies in the world – you must have outcomes to offer these highly skilled and ambitious business leaders.

The Other Very Real Dangers of Executive Coaching

The other very real dangers of executive coaching are not as easy to measure. They are more subjective and thus, more dangerous.

The first danger is that executive coaching seems like an easy answer for some CEOS. Things aren’t going ideally? Let’s hire an executive coach and things will be all better. That could be like putting a band aid on a severed artery. The organization may have more serious issues, ones that can’t be solved by hiring a coach. Ones that are more systemic, tougher to accurately diagnose and solve. We live in a time of easy answers, but not all problems come with simple solutions.

Executive Coaches Can’t Fix Everything

Executive coaches can fix certain things within an organization, but systemic issues are often beyond the scope of executive coaching. If you are executive coach who runs into a situation which is beyond your expertise, it is in your best interest to be honest with the CEO. You don’t want it to seem as if you lack the solutions for something which can’t be solved.

Psychotherapy and Executive Coaching

One of the other very real dangers of executive coaching is that solving issues with an executive or executives sometimes requires a good understanding of psychology. That’s why many psychotherapists are moving into the executive coaching field. Understanding certain personality disorders may help you diagnose problems. Understanding the science of behavior can be crucial when working with executives in an organization.

If you want to be the best executive coach you can be, and are unschooled in the dynamics of psychotherapy, then it’s probably time you went back to school!

Check Your Ego at the Organization’s Door

The very real dangers of executive coaching include an executive coach’s ego. An ego can become especially swollen if you have the captivated ear of the CEO – if he or she thinks you are God’s gift to business, then you may think you can change the world with just a snap of your fingers!

To be a successful executive coach takes hard work. Once the hard work is done, you have to work even harder. Don’t let your success go to your head; don’t let all those pats on the back from the CEO make you think are an all-powerful executive guru.
Always work hard, constantly pursue education, keep current with new skills and theories, and stay humble, and you’ll be exactly what you want to be – a very successful executive coach!

By the way… you’re invited to claim your FREE step-by-step “30-Days to Become a Coach” video toolkit. Just go HERE now to get your 30-day coaching blueprint videos.

Fred Philips
Business Coach
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