The other day, a client (an architect) quoted Steve Jobs, while reflecting upon the effect of our coaching progress.
I couldn’t find the quote so as to know if Jobs did or didn’t say it, but the message was “The important thing for people in a leadership position, is to find people who can tell us what to do”.
Given Ole’ Steve’s reputation in terms of management, you’d think he couldn’t have said that.
But if you think about it, he very likely did have people advising him (in fact I can’t imagine he built what he did without advisors. And yes, I could research it but whether he did or didn’t is not the point today).
My client, he runs a company with staff, handling large architectural and urbanistic projects. And while he works on a different scale than Apple, he too is a leader.
And it’s interesting to see someone with that much business experience and acuity, realise that despite his experience as a leader and business owner, he too needs sound advice.
In that sense, working with a coach is a bit like working with a CEO. Not in terms of having a boss (whether you do or don’t do the things we discuss isn’t an obligation, and I’m not here to enforce anything).
Instead, a coach is like having a part-time CEO who can see and oversee the totality of your business: notice trends, start procedures and the building of systems that prepare for coming changes and growth, who can recommend focus on some area or abandoning something else, advise about the management of energy and resources or the allocation of funds, recommend strategies that increase visibility, invent campaigns that generate sales and repeat sales… whatever your business needs in order to grow, and for you to thrive.
All from the point of view of the ‘owner’, except I’m not the owner of your business – I’m just here to point the way. Like a navigator on a ship: I help you plot the course, and then you sail that puppy.
Also, it’s not a matter of “Now you *have* to do this”. There’s no coercion. It’s not a matter of me telling you what’s best, but rather it’s showing you different options, with different outcomes, to help you make a decision about what will serve your business best. I’m not the boss.
Are you seeing the picture?
What I’m painting here, is the notion that while you are really good at running your business, working IN your business, your CEO-for-hire is keeping an eye at which things need to happen, in which order, so that you also keep working ON your business.
Because working IN your business helps makes sure you get a sale today, but working ON your business means you’re preparing to also get a sale tomorrow and the day after and so on.
Creating systems and methods that get my clients those sales is what makes coaching a lot of fun, but the best moments are when clients come back to tell me that it’s working, and they’re getting the sales.
If you want that too, I’m just one reply away – whether for group coaching, deep-dive coaching, or action-focused, accountability-based&affordable spot coaching programmes.
One click, “Hi Martin”, and let’s talk to see what we can do.
Cheers,
Martin
