12MinuteLeadership

Episode 18: From Myths to ROI - The Truth About Coaching | 12MinuteLeadership

• Elise Boggs Morales • Season 1 • Episode 18

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Executive coaching is misunderstood as a remedy for struggling leaders when in reality it's a strategic tool used by top performers to maintain their edge and accelerate growth. Coaching delivers measurable ROI through improved decision-making, stronger team alignment, and prevention of leadership plateaus.

• Myth: Coaching is only for struggling leaders
• Truth: The best leaders use coaching to stay at the top of their game and scale themselves effectively
• Myth: Coaching takes too much time
• Reality: A 60-minute coaching session saves hours of wasted effort and improves priority alignment
• Myth: Coaching is just talking about feelings
• Fact: Coaching focuses on performance, clarity and measurable results
• Coaching ROI includes better work performance, improved communication, and stronger team effectiveness
• When choosing a coach, look for experience with executives at your level, proper certifications, and a challenging style
• Self-coaching tools: the clarity question and the perspective check can provide immediate breakthroughs

If you're curious about coaching, visit www.eliseboggs.com and fill out the contact form to connect with us.


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Speaker 1:

Welcome to the 12-Minute Leadership Podcast where, in 12 minutes or less, I'll share small things that you can put into immediate practice that will make a big difference in your leadership effectiveness. I'm your host, elise Boggs-Morales leadership professor, consultant and coach. For the last 17 years, I have helped thousands of leaders level up their influence and achieve remarkable results. If you want to trade compliance for true commitment and create your dream team, you are in the right place. Get ready for a quick hit of practical wisdom to increase your team's engagement, inspire top performance and retain your best talent. Ready to level up your influence and get better results. 12 Minutes starts now. Hi everyone, elise here, welcome to episode 18.

Speaker 1:

Today, we are continuing our series on executive coaching. In episode 15, I shared five reasons to hire an executive coach. In last week's episode, I shared three mindset shifts my coach taught me. Today, I'll be addressing some of the most common FAQs about coaching, especially for those who have never had an executive coach or for those reconsidering doing it again. From myths to ROI, I'll share what coaching is, what it isn't and why it can deliver a massive ROI for leaders in their organizations. This is a quick and to the point episode, so let's get into it.

Speaker 1:

Myth number one coaching is for struggling leaders. This is the most common misconception. I hear Some leaders think if I hire a coach, people will assume I'm failing. Here's the truth. The best leaders in the world have coaches. Top athletes don't wait until they lose to hire a coach. They work with one precisely because they want to stay at the top of their game. In the business world, coaching is about refinement, growth and sharpening your edge. If you're already successful, coaching ensures you don't plateau and that you scale yourself as fast as you scale your company. Myth number two coaching takes too much time. Busy CEOs tell me I don't have time for coaching, but here's the reality. Coaching saves time. It helps you cut through indecision, avoid repeating mistakes and make faster, better calls. A 60-minute coaching session can save you hours, sometimes days, of wasted effort. The ROI here isn't theoretical, it's practical. Coaching helps leaders align their priorities so they stop spending time on things that don't move the needle.

Speaker 1:

Myth number three Coaching is just talking about feelings. Yes, coaching builds emotional intelligence, but it's not therapy. It's about performance, clarity and the results. A good coach won't just nod and listen. We'll challenge you, we'll push you to see blind spots, hold you accountable and keep you moving forward. And when we do talk about emotions, it's not abstract. It's about how your presence, tone and communication impact your people, your culture and, ultimately, your results. So let's switch gears and talk about the ROI of coaching. The results Studies from the International Coaching Federation show that companies investing in coaching see improved work performance, better communication skills, higher levels of confidence and stronger team effectiveness. For CEOs specifically, the ROI shows up in better decision-making under pressure, stronger alignment across teams, higher retention of top talent and less burnout, because you're leading strategically, not reactively. I've worked with clients who've told me that coaching helped them land multi-million dollar contracts, turn around toxic teams and navigate transitions they thought might break them. That's the ROI.

Speaker 1:

You can measure in dollars time and peace of mind. So how do you choose the right coach? Not every coach is the right fit, so here's what to look for. Number one proven experience working with executives at your level. Second, certifications or training that ground their approach in real frameworks. Third, a style that challenges you, not just someone who tells you what you want to hear. The relationship is critical. A good coach is both supportive and unflinching. You want someone who will ask you the hard questions you can't ask yourself so what to expect in coaching If you've never worked with a coach?

Speaker 1:

Here's what it looks like. You bring a real challenge, opportunity or decision. We break it down together, questions are asked to get to the root and we identify next steps you can act on immediately. It's practical, actionable and focused on results. No two sessions are the same, but every session moves you forward.

Speaker 1:

Still not sure you're ready to hire a coach yet? In the meantime, here are some self-coaching tools. So, even if you're not ready to hire a coach, here are two simple tools you can use right now. Number one the clarity question. If I only focused on one thing this week, that would make everything else easier or unnecessary. What would it be? Number two the perspective check. When you feel stuck, ask yourself what's the truth? I'm not seeing yet. These are coaching style questions that force you to think differently and they can unlock real breakthroughs on their own.

Speaker 1:

So in closing, let's wrap this up the myths. Coaching isn't for the weak, it doesn't waste your time and it's not just about feelings. The truth. Coaching is for high performers who want clarity, better decisions, stronger teams and measurable ROI. If you've been on the fence about coaching, consider this. The very best leaders never go it alone. They know that the right coach helps them achieve results. They simply can't get on their own.

Speaker 1:

So I hope you enjoyed today's episode. If you're curious about coaching, reach out. We'd love to connect. Simply go to my website, wwweliseboggscom, and fill out our contact form, and if you know another leader who could benefit from this conversation, be sure to share this episode with them. Join me next time as we wrap up our series on coaching. I'll see you then Like what you heard on today's episode and want to go deeper. Subscribe to this podcast so you never miss an episode. You can also pick up my book Lead Anyone on Amazon. Then go to my website to check out ways that we can support your leadership goals. From executive retreats to customized training and coaching, my team of experts will help you level up your leadership and accelerate your results. Go to wwweliseboggscom for more info.