Leadership coaching is unique because you are working with individuals in positions that have many stressors that can adversely affect their decision-making. According to Psychology Today, stress directly affects the nervous system and can cause health issues when not addressed, which is where qualified leadership coaches come into the picture. In an effort to be best prepared for this clientele, understanding the top stressors for today’s leaders and working within your certification program support can help you be the most effective coach and help re-focus leaders as they navigate their roles.

Coaches Recenter and Refocus Leaders

Life coaches in leadership coaching have a unique role because they are the ones leaders look to for guidance when they need to stop spiraling and get back on track toward their goals. Leadership coaches want to help clients regain their focus and realign with goals with a healthy perspective. Coaches have played integral roles with many leaders, guiding them to regain clarity and return to the center to reset.

The pressures on today’s leaders can be subtle at first, then turn into a tidal wave that leaves them feeling out of control and discombobulated. Coaches know the signs of a loss of direction in the leaders they coach and can help keep them focused and prevent a total breakdown. Many leaders look to themselves when things go awry, but it is not their underperformance or failure that is creating the scenario. Yet they continue to feel depleted and eventually experience confidence erosion and a sense of being untethered.

The Fatigue of Being Followed

In leadership roles, fatigue is a real thing that many coaches help their clients work through. Burnout is common, but the early signs are often ignored. Leaders may withdraw or ignore signs of their fatigue, writing it off as tiredness, but their drive is diminishing.

Instead of pausing to reflect, most leaders keep pushing ahead and don’t recognize the stressors in their roles. The risk is that not working with a coach can lead to a lack of focus, poor thinking, and poor decision-making. The weight of leading and being followed is unique to leaders, and they need quality coaches with education and experience to genuinely help them move through these challenging times.

Life coaches specializing in leadership play a pivotal role in bringing leaders back to their center and providing a sounding board of knowledge and experience to help them return to health.

Top Leader Stressors

Some of the most common stressors leaders experience are blurred purpose, shifting values, fatigue from managing, fading focus, taking on new habits, sensing everything as urgent, chronic stress, overambition, and an inability to connect with others. Let’s face it, none of these sound fun for anyone, but as a leader, these stressors unaddressed can affect many people and organizations as a whole. It is said that the higher up in responsibility, the more stress, which is why life coaches have become a staple for today’s leaders. One of the best ways to prepare to serve leadership clients is through a high-quality, well-known certification program. Life Purpose Institute recognizes the critical need for leadership coaches, which is why they offer an International Coaching Federation (ICF) certification in this field and provide endless support to coaches completing the program. ICF is internationally recognized and instantly signals to leaders that their coach is skilled, has hands-on experience, and is supported by professional leadership coaching experts.

Steps to Serving Leadership Clientele

When a life coach is faced with a leader they are coaching facing burnout, they can successfully guide them. Helping clients recenter through sharing what they are feeling is a significant part of coaching leaders. A trusting relationship with leaders and ensuring they feel safe to share and be vulnerable is the best way to approach these pivotal times. There is no judgment; listening creates a space to share, and when things are in the open, there is more clarity. This sharing also gives coaches more insight into what their clients are experiencing. In many instances, these sessions of sharing and reflection open clients’ eyes as well, and clarity emerges, helping them regain perspective.

Once a client shares what they are feeling, they can also pinpoint what is causing them to feel failure or depletion. This is when life coaches must have the training to guide clients through questions and choices, so they can regain energy and attention for what they want to focus on in their leadership roles.