Business leaders and HR Leaders often debate on when to hire an Executive Coach.

If you are in the corporate world, the workplace can sometimes feel like a battleground – either you are combatting the market forces, the competition, internal politics or your own sense of inadequacy to handle multiple fronts, all at once!

This can be stressful, energy sapping and unproductive. It can blind your vision, make decision making short sighted and come in the way of thinking resourcefully and acting decisively – a dangerous place to be for leaders and organisations who depend on competent leaders to achieve business objectives.

So when to hire an executive coach? An Executive Leadership Coach can help you not only when times are tough but also help you plan for what is to come and ride the wave with a strategic plan even when the seas are turbulent.

Here are 7 signs that you need an Executive Coach to Make that shift!

1. When you want to scale to the next level that requires a significant Step-up in the way you think, in the way you work, in the way you manage your team and the way you perceive your role. As Marshall Goldsmith said ‘What got you here, will not get you there’. What you have is table stakes, it is what has got you to the table to be even considered for the next level. Remember that the corporate career is a pyramid, it narrows as you get to the top of the ladder and for you to be the one chosen to lead, you need to be able to see your strengths as well as past your blindspots. An Executive Leadership Coach can hold that mirror for you and help you navigate the path to success.
2. When you do get the next level promotion – Every new role can feel a bit challenging even if we felt ready for it. It requires shifting gears and operating at a higher level. An Executive Leadership coach can enable you to steer clear of rookie mistakes and help you feel a sense of calm as you manoeuvre yourself through many twists and turns. 
3. When you want to magnify your impact as a leader – An executive coach can be your confidante for your worries and your objective thinking partner to set Bold, hairy, audacious goals
4. When you need a fresh perspective – Sometimes the organisational politics and stress of the job can get to you – your thoughts may become overly critical and may rapidly spiral into negativity. An executive leadership coach can help you reset your thinking and enable you to find that fresh way of thinking to leverage your strengths and make the shift needed.
5. When you are at a crossroads and want to make a shift in your career – Leaders are used to handling dilemmas and taking decisions everyday for business. Yet a career change can feel destabilising for self and family. It can make you doubt yourself considering you trained and worked for one thing and now want to jump ship. A supportive Executive Coach can facilitate your thinking with the help of appropriate tools to shine the light on the way forward.
6. When you feel an internal need for an objective sounding board – Being a leader can be lonely, a trained, certified Executive Coach knows how to listen without judgement and how to support and challenge you without being challenging. It can feel therapeutic to discuss your self-doubts, your frustrations, your dreams and your aspirations. The answers are always within us, what we need is a conduit through which we can channelise our thoughts and move to action.
7. When your stress levels are high – When the prospect of getting yourself to the workplace seems more and more difficult and work instead of being enjoyable feels like a big burden. Stress is part and parcel of any career – an Executive Coach can enable you to gear up to handle the stress and take challenges in your stride and how to side-step challenges without losing sight of your goals. 

Leadership is a process of continuous growth. Corporate careers continue for almost 3 decades or more. Even if you made it big early in life, you may still need a thinking partner to overcome some stressful and challenging issues. Sitting still is not an option for leaders whether executives or entrepreneurs. Executive Coaches can meet you where you are in your leadership journey and be your guiding light.
So next time the thought crosses your mind ‘Should I hire an Executive Leadership Coach?’ then that is exactly the right time to get in touch with an Executive Coaching Services firm and explore the need.