Every CEO is unique, which is why a bespoke approach is so important in selecting the right 1:1 coach or mentor
Every CEO and C-Suite leader is unique. Not only as an individual but in the specific business challenges they face. So, matching a CEO to the right 1:1 coach or mentor is the key factor that will determine the ultimate success of any coaching or mentoring relationship. It would be easy to think that this can be based on simple chemistry – establishing the rapport between the CEO and their mentor or coach, and finding an individual whose experience is compatible with the business of the person being coached or mentored. But the truth is much more complex.
The role of a coach or mentor is as much to challenge as it is to support and build the confidence of the CEO or business leader they are supporting. Selecting the right person for the job is not about finding like minds but an intellect that will pose penetrating questions and provoke fresh thinking.
At Pinacl, we are the first to recognise that and, when we matchmake leaders with coaches and mentors, we look at the unique set of challenges facing our client and form an objective view of their personality that enables us to find someone who will complement and expand their thinking rather than simply complimenting it. In her book, “Coaching and buying coaching services”, Jessica Jarvis writes that it is imperative that the person being coached selects ‘the most appropriate coach for their needs, and not just the one they like the most’.
As with elite sports people, there may be a need for multiple coaching and mentoring roles requiring specialised skills. Sometimes expertise from another sector completely may be most valuable in bringing a genuinely fresh perspective to tackle specific challenges.
Why big fish need the largest possible talent pool
The sheer diversity of people occupying CEO and C-Suite positions today and the spectrum of challenges facing them mean that the search for the coaches and mentors capable of rising to those challenges must be equally diverse.
Offering a truly bespoke service requires access to the widest possible range of individuals and finding people with the right level of gravitas and quality of experience is never going to be easy. This is why Pinacl has secured the services of an exceptionally broad portfolio of the world’s best coaches and mentors. People who have operated at the very highest levels and have a passion to share what they have learned and deploy it to help others take already strong performance levels to new heights.
For CEOs, off the peg should stay firmly on the peg
With the explosion in demand for coaching, has come a proliferation of platforms offering smart coaching solutions and mentor matchmaking but, as we have established, the needs of the most senior executives are unique and defy a one size fits all approach. The life experience and personalities of coaches are also unique and bringing these together involves a kind of alchemy. Getting this right has the potential to transform individual CEO’s performance, empowering them to handle new challenges, rethink existing orthodoxies and drive change and successful business transformations.
Why an objective independent approach is as important for the person selecting the coach or mentor as it is for the person they select
In any organisation, there will be a significant amount of interest in the nature of the person mentoring or coaching the CEO and other Senior Executives. The executive and members of the board and the Chief of Human Resources will inevitably have agendas and individual opinions, which is why it is so valuable to have a trusted outside expert with an encyclopaedic knowledge of the coaching and mentoring landscape. That expertise will prove invaluable in selecting a coach or mentor who will be totally focused on the needs of the CEO and empower them to navigate the inevitable conflicts that are a core part of leading any company.
It is that external clarity and objectiveness that makes Pinacl such an asset for individual CEOs and Senior Executives in identifying precisely the right coach or mentor to support them without any conflicting agenda or subtext. A Stanford University survey revealed that 79%¹ of CEOs said that it was their idea to receive coaching and trusting the brief to select that coach or mentor to an external expert ensures that it is done objectively, in their interests and on their terms.
To find out more about how a truly bespoke service is essential for any CEO or business leader looking to find the right coach or mentor, please get in touch and we’ll arrange an introductory meeting.