Working with the coach, Cullivan found ways to stay true to herself and become the leader she wanted to be. She sees similar breakthroughs with leaders she works in her role as coach. “Sometimes coaching leads you to realize, hey, this thing that I’m trying to get to isn’t really for me. It opens up people’s minds to think about, what are the other ways for me to leverage what I’m great at and leverage what I enjoy and grow in a different way,” she says.
As Jacobs points out, the specific benefits of coaching ultimately come down to the individual’s goals and aspirations. “Some of the people I’ve coached over the years have gone on to significant advancement, promotions, and new assignments,” he says. “Others have found different perspective in the roles that they were already engaged in and, as a result, greater enrichment in their current roles.”
Bonfante adds that the day-to-day benefits can be just as powerful. “I always refer to it as helping you build your strategic competencies while improving your tactical realities,” he says. “Instead of discussing things in some generic and abstract way, let’s use your existing relationships, projects, and challenges as grist for the mill, so that while you’re building your capabilities for the future, you’re also being more effective in the here and now.”
