Moving From Good to Great – How a Coach Can Help by Cindy Stradling CSP, CPC
As a leader, you’re looking for ways to constantly improve. As you build your business or career, you’re certain to gain 
experience and skill along the way. However, at some point you may find that your growth has plateaued and you are no longer seeing continuous improvement in your processes and behaviours.
It is at this point that you may find it beneficial to invest in a coach to help you jumpstart your growth and development again. Though it may seem frivolous to spend money on a coach, the money can be a great investment in your future. Here are three ways a coach can help you go from being a good leader to being a great one.
1. They see the blind spots you cannot. Often, we have blind spots or behaviours that get in the way of our success. Many times, these behaviours or traits are so deeply rooted that we either don’t see them or we don’t see how they are hurting us. Our friends and family may also be blind to them, or may just want to avoid hurting our feelings. Your coach is being paid to tell you how to get better, so he or she will focus in on those traits that you may fail to recognize as stumbling blocks.
2. They help you focus. A coach can give you specific, concrete behaviours you need to either develop or change. Very often, we flounder simply because we don’t know the concrete steps we need to take. A coach can help you to hone in on those steps.
3. They help you gain perspective. A coach can be valuable in helping you to sort out what is really important versus what is wasting your time. Very often, we get to the end of the day and find that we couldn’t get everything done. A coach can help you narrow your tasks to those that are really valuable so that you block out the noise and work on what’s really important.
There are professional coaches available with many different areas of expertise. Talk to others in your industry or field to get recommendations before you choose. Even a little time spent with a seasoned coach may help you to get back on track.