“Would you like to better understand the impact you have on others, so that you can become more effective as a leader?”

"Would you like your team to be more committed to and engaged in your proposals, instead of constantly challenging your ideas and slowing the decision-making process?"

"Would you like to be able to reflect more deeply on issues that keep going round and round in your head so that you can free up your mind and focus on finding solutions?"

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Case Study on Executive Coaching

Victor: CEO of an international financial institution

The Challenge

The bi-annual evaluation process conducted by the Supervisory Board at an international financial institution clearly indicated that the Executive Board lacked credibility and visibility within the wider organisation. Combined with low people engagement scores, this demanded a closer examination of the situation and the Supervisory Board had the Executive Board undergo a 360° feedback process, starting with the CEO.

The Approach

When he received his results, the CEO was shocked to learn that, even though people generally saw him as an inspirational visionary, they did not consider him to be a reliable, warm or approachable person. He had never before received feedback of this kind and realised that he had several blind spots. I helped him to move beyond his indignation about the results of the 360° and into a learning mode by applying a solution-focused approach, so that we could look at the ‘here and now’ and how his leadership behaviour could improve in the future. He began to encourage his colleagues to give him one-on-one feedback on his leadership style and started keeping a diary to reflect on his daily interactions with others.

The Impact

After eight months of coaching sessions, the CEO’s individual people-leader scores had increased from 5.6 to 6.7, based on the most recent employee engagement survey. He increased his impact on the Executive Board by focusing not only on content and process but also on how they work together (climate). This has resulted in a relaxation of control, increased delegation and more room for creativity and innovation – especially from lower levels in the organisation. He is much more visible to the employees, having initiated an ‘open coffee corner’ every month. Most importantly, he has become a more people-focused and empowering leader – and he loves it.