5 Myths of Executive Coaching

5 Myths of Executive Coaching

1. Executive Coaching is About Fixing Problems

Executive coaching is about advancing visions, initiatives, and agendas, as well as enhancing leaders and leadership capacity. Tensions and problems exist. Always have and always will. The question is, “How does fixing this problem or not fixing this problem advance or disrupt the vision or initiative?”

2. Executive Coaching is Just Feedback

Executive coaching is about reflecting and acting on feedback. Also, executive coaching helps to glean insight, awareness, and perspective around feedback in neutral and detached ways and in a particular context. Ultimately, executive coaching is about achieving results for leaders and their institutions.

3. Successful People Don’t Need Coaches

Executive coaching, at its best, is helping strong, effective leaders be stronger and more effective. Wise, secure, and successful leaders invest in their ongoing learning, growth, capacity-building, and well-being. The very best leaders have executive coaches.

4. I Don’t Have Time for Executive Coaching

Executive coaching is rigorous and takes time and commitment, and it is customizable around a leader’s schedule and demands. If a leader does not have time or is not committed to making time, then executive coaching is not for him/her. Leaders must ask themselves, “How is not investing in my leadership affecting or harming my institution?” This myth is really about a lack of commitment and confidence than it is about a lack of time. We make time for what matters most.

5. Executive Coaching is Career Coaching

Executive coaching is not career coaching. We partner with executives committed to investing in their leadership and their institutions. Academic Search Executive Coaching Practice is committed to strengthening partner institutions by optimizing and sustaining their senior leaders through executive coaching.

Our Practice

As the first and most experienced executive search practice solely for higher education, we know the demands, stresses, and challenges institutional leaders face. The primary goal of our Executive Coaching Practice is partnering with leaders as a trusted and professional confidant, companion, and advisor to accomplish leadership and institutional goals.

We invite you to reach out for a discovery call to discuss how our executive coaching solutions can be tailored in scope and investment to suit your specific circumstances.

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5 Myths of Executive Coaching

5 Myths of Executive Coaching

In higher education executive coaching, we often see a set of myths associated with engaging with an executive coach that simply are not true.
The Use of Technology in Higher Education Executive Search

The Use of Technology in Higher Education Executive Search

Companies across all industries pivoted to more technological approaches to executive search and recruitment when the pandemic began in early 2020. Higher education search might have been less prepared than most. The unique nature of the shared governance model–decision-making that incorporates input from many stakeholders–creates a culture that values and expects personal connections, relationship building, and human capital. Thus, shared governance impacts the way that executive search is carried out for colleges and universities versus other sectors and industries. This is not to say that technology has not had an impact on the search process, and in some ways for the better.
Chief Diversity Officer: The Toughest Job You Will Ever Love

Chief Diversity Officer: The Toughest Job You Will Ever Love

We’ve seen an increase in requests for proposals for chief diversity officers as well as a greater emphasis on consideration of diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout the search process. Candidates advancing into the chief diversity officer role, in our experience, come with a variety of backgrounds, experiences, and titles. We work with our search committees and hiring authorities to keep this in mind and help them to broaden their lens when developing the key criteria for the position and when evaluating candidate materials.