The Challenge
A successful senior sales executive with strong technical sales skills and high energy had a very direct style of communication. His competitive nature and his “tell it like it is” approach could be overly aggressive when giving feedback or when frustrated. The client was also operating in a constantly changing and politically charged environment, which required finesse in navigating it successfully.
While successful at driving results, this executive needed to develop his leadership skills and control his temper, particularly when interacting with direct reports.
The Solution
The first step for this coaching assignment was to use the Leadership Effectiveness Analysis (LEA) 360 to collect feedback from his leaders, peers, and direct reports. The subsequent coaching sessions leveraged the LEA as a mirror to hold up to the client, so he could understand how he was being perceived by others, and how this compared to his own self-perception.
The executive worked with his coach to debrief interactions and explore alternative approaches that may have been more productive. He also identified situations that he anticipated to be challenging, so that he could prepare an effective approach ahead of time.
The coaching assignment started as a 12-month engagement, but was extended by 6 months to provide additional support in navigating the organization’s complex political environment.
The Result
The LEA helped the client understand the impact of his communication style on members his team and pinpoint opportunities for growth. By reflecting on past interactions with the support of his coach, the client developed better communication strategies, which resulted in more productive interactions with his direct reports and with other leaders in the organization.
