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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nDealing with that kind of pressure can feel burdensome. Intimidating. Lonely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But it doesn\u2019t have to. All it takes is the right investment. You\u2019re already investing a lot: in your company, your customers, your employees. How about a little bit in yourself?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not everyone who runs a successful business has a coach, of course. But from my two decades of experience, I can tell you that a lot of them do. You know how elite athletes sometimes go through a rough patch? When nothing seems to work. When the same skills and strategies that led them to greatness fail. Entrepreneurs, business owners, and CEOs experience those same rough patches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today, I\u2019m going to walk you through what a business coach does, how they help you, what you should look for in a coach, and what can change if you hire one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What Does a Business Coach Do?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
You know how sometimes you do things you think are important and it turns out they weren\u2019t? It\u2019s a common occurrence when you\u2019re juggling as many things as a business owner does. Everything can seem important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But if everything is important, nothing is important. Business owners must step back and ask what truly matters. What\u2019s going to move the needle? Make the biggest impact? A business coach will help you identify that by forcing you to look inwards and ask, \u2018why is this important to me?\u2019 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once you have your foundational \u201cWhy\u201d, you\u2019re ready to place the other blocks on top to finish what you set out to build. A business coach will help you figure out what you want to build and give you tools to do the building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Specifically, a coach will help you with:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Strategic Planning:<\/strong> Craft a robust, future-proof strategy.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Performance Analysis:<\/strong> Assess how you\u2019re doing in critical areas and identify areas of improvement.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Skill Development:<\/strong> Learn leadership, strategy building and management skills to uplift your employees, business, and the people it serves.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Goal Setting<\/strong>: Set ambitious but achievable goals that contribute to long-term objectives.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Decision Making:<\/strong> Make critical decisions knowledgeably, confidently, and at speed.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Problem Solving<\/strong>: Learn frameworks to accurately diagnose problems and apply remedies.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Feedback<\/strong>: Hear from an unbiased outsider who can be honest and constructive.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Accountability:<\/strong> Be held accountable for your actions and stay on track.
<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nWhy You Need a Business Coach<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Where you are and where you’re capable of being are very different. Sometimes, it’s hard to know what the difference looks like. Even if you do, the path to get there may not be clear. I’ve experienced it myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A business coach can help you close that gap: by removing obstacles, telling you where to turn, and showing you the road ahead. Think of it like a GPS for your career dreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A big part of that training will be about changing your mindset. So you can extend these lessons to the rest of your life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are some reasons you should hire a business coach:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Unbiased Feedback:<\/strong> A neutral observer will point out issues you may overlook.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Increased Productivity:<\/strong> You will learn to ruthlessly prioritize work that moves the needle and cut distractions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Work-Life Balance:<\/strong> A stressed mind cannot make sound decisions. You will learn productivity frameworks to buy back time to spend on health and relationships.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Business Growth<\/strong>: I\u2019ve scaled over a hundred companies to date. You\u2019ll learn strategies to set your business up for incremental and sustained growth.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Better Leadership<\/strong>: As your business grows, so must your leadership. Your coach will ensure the learning never stops and constantly push you to be the best version of yourself.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Ownership<\/strong>: A strong leader owns up to setbacks and acts quickly to overcome them. Your coach will hold a mirror up and make you look inwards when the going gets tough.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Okay. So that was about what you need to grow. What does a good coach need to enable it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Key Qualities of a Top Business Coach<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Your coach exists, firstly, to help you figure out where you\u2019re going, then to streamline your path to get there. At a high level, that involves: 1) understanding you and your mission and 2) giving you the tools to excel in that mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are the key qualities that will enable a coach to do that effectively:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Experience:<\/strong> Your coach needs to have been in your shoes. Qualifications tell you what they know, experience shows you. Experience may be broad, but it must always be deep. Before I became a coach, I consulted Fortune 500 CEOs at McKinsey & Company, helped build Skype before their multi-billion-dollar exit, and founded several of my own companies.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Adaptability:<\/strong> Each entrepreneurial journey is unique. Coaching frameworks can serve as guides to diagnose and consult. But they must be tweaked to suit the context. Consider the diversity of the clients in their portfolio. You will get a sense of the situations they\u2019ve encountered and the results they achieved.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Knowledge: <\/strong>Apart from a keen understanding of business, see if they stay up-to-date with the latest trends and innovations. A coach that understands the past and is aware of the present is more attuned to and can even predict future developments.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Strategic Thinking:<\/strong> Strategy is your compass. It takes you towards your destination. A good coach will have a bird\u2019s eye-view of your organization, know what competitors are doing, predict moves and help you navigate change quickly and efficiently. They tell you to prioritize long-term goals over short-term wins and always have an eye on the future.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Communication Skills<\/strong>: Strong leaders articulate their vision to inspire, uplift and bring out the best in their team. A good business coach helps you communicate your vision with precision and clarity.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Proven Track Record<\/strong>: The coach\u2019s clients invariably walk away better for the experience. The 100+ clients that I have served have left with an 83% improvement in work-life balance and a 300% ROI.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Empathy:<\/strong> A good coach listens intently to understand your pains, challenges and aspirations. They consider your constraints while pushing you to think differently and challenge you without being dismissive.
<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nTop Business Coaches to Consider in 2023<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s look at some of the names that are rocking it, shall we?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There\u2019s a wealth of coaches to choose from, each uniquely excellent at their craft, and bringing diverse experiences, styles and knowledge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Below, I list some of the best known:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. Eric Partaker<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Yours truly. I am a certified Peak Performance coach<\/a>, author, and motivational keynote speaker. I\u2019ve donned many hats over my career. After starting out as a consultant at McKinsey, I helped build Skype\u2019s multi-billion dollar success story, founded several businesses, and scaled over a hundred. I\u2019ve also translated my experiences into two bestselling books.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I use a holistic approach that goes beyond business. I believe that to be truly successful, you need to scale three pillars in parallel: your business, your leadership and yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My experiences have taught me that who you are and who you\u2019re capable of being are two very different things. Closing that gap forms the core of my coaching philosophy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. Marie Forleo<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Marie Forleo<\/a> is a life and business coach, motivational speaker, and host of the award-winning weekly show, Marie TV<\/em>. She’s also the author of \u201cEverything is Figureoutable,\u201d<\/em> a title that aptly encapsulates her pragmatic and optimistic approach to business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Marie\u2019s programs are filled with practical and actionable insights that instill courage in her clients to tackle real-world challenges head-on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Marie\u2019s vibrance and unyielding belief in her clients\u2019 potential set her apart. Her content, which incorporates humor and plenty of wisdom, has transformed the lives of many professionals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. Tony Robbins<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Tony Robbins<\/a> is a world-renowned life coach, business strategist, bestselling author, and philanthropist. With decades of experience, he has empowered millions of people and organizations to unlock their full potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tony’s style is dynamic and energetic. He combines proven psychological principles and strategic expertise with a magnetic personality to inspire change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tony\u2019s ability to leave an imprint through immersive experiences, powerful storytelling, and practical advice is unparalleled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
4. Marshall Goldsmith<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Marshall Goldsmith<\/a> is a well-respected business educator and coach, who has had a profound impact on leadership development. His bestselling works, which include “What Got You Here Won\u2019t Get You There”<\/em> and “Triggers\u201d,<\/em> cemented his reputation as a thought leader in the coaching domain. Goldsmith has worked with over 150 major CEOs and their management teams, earning accolades and respect globally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Marshall\u2019s approach is distinctively results-oriented. He emphasizes behavioral change to drive leadership effectiveness. His \u201cStakeholder Centered Coaching\u201d<\/em> methodology forces executive coaches to achieve measurable results, underpinned by his philosophy: \u201cexecutives buy results, not coaches\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Goldsmith’s pragmatic, no-nonsense approach to leadership development is a hallmark of his coaching. His relentless pursuit of measurable improvements has in turn accredited his own efficacy as a coach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
5. Simon Sinek<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
- Adaptability:<\/strong> Each entrepreneurial journey is unique. Coaching frameworks can serve as guides to diagnose and consult. But they must be tweaked to suit the context. Consider the diversity of the clients in their portfolio. You will get a sense of the situations they\u2019ve encountered and the results they achieved.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Increased Productivity:<\/strong> You will learn to ruthlessly prioritize work that moves the needle and cut distractions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Performance Analysis:<\/strong> Assess how you\u2019re doing in critical areas and identify areas of improvement.<\/li>\n\n\n\n