Alyssa Freas is a pioneer in the field of executive coaching. She is Founder and CEO of Executive Coaching Network® (EXCN), a global company whose mission is to help organizations achieve results by improving the effectiveness of their executives and their teams.
- Recently, she answered for me the eight questions I hear the most about leadership, leaders and executive coaching.
Question: What is the most
common leadership challenge you see that executives face?
Alyssa: Executives
are challenged by prioritization; that is, getting their work done and having
enough time for reflection and rejuvenation. The vast majority of executives
today have too many plates spinning and they feel imbalanced. The successful
leader of the future will be one who understands how to prioritize in a
framework of their company’s vision, values, and strategic objectives and
financial results.
are challenged by prioritization; that is, getting their work done and having
enough time for reflection and rejuvenation. The vast majority of executives
today have too many plates spinning and they feel imbalanced. The successful
leader of the future will be one who understands how to prioritize in a
framework of their company’s vision, values, and strategic objectives and
financial results.
Executives will always
be challenged by the need to focus on building the business while growing the
business as well as developing and retaining talent.
be challenged by the need to focus on building the business while growing the
business as well as developing and retaining talent.
Question: What does it take
from the executive being coached to be successful in an executive coaching
experience?
Alyssa: It
takes willingness, humility, interest in learning new skills, openness to
change, the ability to look at the positive information, commitment to follow a
process and sustain success.
takes willingness, humility, interest in learning new skills, openness to
change, the ability to look at the positive information, commitment to follow a
process and sustain success.
Question: Which is easier? To
coach a younger executive or an older executive? And why?
Alyssa: Neither…it
isn’t easier to coach a younger or older person. It’s all about the individual:
why they are there for the coaching, what they expect to get from it, and how
much effort they’re willing to put into it.
isn’t easier to coach a younger or older person. It’s all about the individual:
why they are there for the coaching, what they expect to get from it, and how
much effort they’re willing to put into it.
Question: Why do you think many
executives resist agreeing to be coached?
Alyssa: The
simple fact is executives who need coaching the most are the most resistant,
and the ones who need it the least are always raising their hand to receive
coaching. Why? Because those individuals who resist are vulnerable to the truth
and may not be prepared to hear it or deal with it—either their egos are too
big, they’re uncomfortable with change, they have underlying psychological
issues that need to be addressed, or they simply aren’t ready.
simple fact is executives who need coaching the most are the most resistant,
and the ones who need it the least are always raising their hand to receive
coaching. Why? Because those individuals who resist are vulnerable to the truth
and may not be prepared to hear it or deal with it—either their egos are too
big, they’re uncomfortable with change, they have underlying psychological
issues that need to be addressed, or they simply aren’t ready.
It’s complicated
to have the discernment to know how hard to push a person to receive coaching.
to have the discernment to know how hard to push a person to receive coaching.
Here are a few ways we do it at EXCN: If a candidate for coaching is unwilling
to let others know that he or she is being coached, doesn’t want to talk about
his or her improvement areas with stakeholders in the process, and is unwilling
to prepare an action plan, then we would suggest that that person isn’t ready
for our kind of coaching.
to let others know that he or she is being coached, doesn’t want to talk about
his or her improvement areas with stakeholders in the process, and is unwilling
to prepare an action plan, then we would suggest that that person isn’t ready
for our kind of coaching.
There’s no judgment there; it’s just that they need
to start from a different place. Resistance is information and that information
can be used properly to help the person with the right kind of support.
to start from a different place. Resistance is information and that information
can be used properly to help the person with the right kind of support.
Question: In all your work with
executives, what is the single most important leadership skill a leader must
have to be successful?
Alyssa: The
most important criteria for effective leadership is credibility; that is, the
leader’s ability to ensure that he or she behaves in a manner so that others
will follow him or her.
most important criteria for effective leadership is credibility; that is, the
leader’s ability to ensure that he or she behaves in a manner so that others
will follow him or her.
We’ve heard this from gurus like Petre Drucker, Stephen
Covey and Kouzes and Posner in their books.
Covey and Kouzes and Posner in their books.
The criteria for credibility
include things like:
include things like:
-
maintaining your composure under stress
-
having integrity,
not in your own mind, but as perceived by other people -
being competent in your
job as a leader as well as in your roll, whatever your role may be -
the courage
to say what needs to be said to those who need to hear it -
to do the right
thing even when it’s not popular -
caring for, not coddling, people.
Some of
these things are not necessarily skills that can be learned through coaching.
For example, if I was asked to coach for integrity, I would have to be very
thoughtful before I took the assignment. It may be an underlying character
issue or psychological issue, not a coaching opportunity. Certainly we can
coach for areas like composure or showing a greater care for people. We have to
be very mindful as coaches as to what the objectives are and IF we can help.
these things are not necessarily skills that can be learned through coaching.
For example, if I was asked to coach for integrity, I would have to be very
thoughtful before I took the assignment. It may be an underlying character
issue or psychological issue, not a coaching opportunity. Certainly we can
coach for areas like composure or showing a greater care for people. We have to
be very mindful as coaches as to what the objectives are and IF we can help.
In
terms of skill, it’s the ability to understand and demonstrate an ongoing
commitment to self-improvement as a leader which requires humility,
consistently receiving feedback from all stakeholders, asking for help, and
understanding your impact on other people.
terms of skill, it’s the ability to understand and demonstrate an ongoing
commitment to self-improvement as a leader which requires humility,
consistently receiving feedback from all stakeholders, asking for help, and
understanding your impact on other people.
Question: Tell me about your
most rewarding executive coaching experience? How did you help that person?
Alyssa: It
is a privilege to be in the role of an executive coach. The experiences are all
rewarding when the person being coached is willing to step outside their
comfort zone and grow as a result of that experience.
is a privilege to be in the role of an executive coach. The experiences are all
rewarding when the person being coached is willing to step outside their
comfort zone and grow as a result of that experience.
For example, challenging
up to their bosses when they used to not do so in the past, saying what needs
to be said to those who need to hear it, making personal time in their lives to
be with their families, exercising more, building better relationships with
other teammates or peers…the list goes on and on. It is incredibly rewarding to
be in a position to be able to help people have more clarity on their blind
spots and come up with solutions that used to baffle them.
up to their bosses when they used to not do so in the past, saying what needs
to be said to those who need to hear it, making personal time in their lives to
be with their families, exercising more, building better relationships with
other teammates or peers…the list goes on and on. It is incredibly rewarding to
be in a position to be able to help people have more clarity on their blind
spots and come up with solutions that used to baffle them.
For
those individuals who start the coaching process and then aren’t prepared to do
the work required to change, we accept that and we ask to come back when
they’re ready. This is all about understanding your impact on other people and
creating the environment for other people to be successful—and that starts with
leadership.
those individuals who start the coaching process and then aren’t prepared to do
the work required to change, we accept that and we ask to come back when
they’re ready. This is all about understanding your impact on other people and
creating the environment for other people to be successful—and that starts with
leadership.
Question: How do your executive
coaching services differ from those offered by other coaches?
Alyssa: We
have a very rigorous process at EXCN that requires involvement of the coachee’s
boss, an open approach to data collection, a written action plan, follow up
with all those involved in the interview process, and measurement on the back
end. We also focus on aligning the coaching with the organization’s values and
strategic intention. Strategic Executive Coaching®
have a very rigorous process at EXCN that requires involvement of the coachee’s
boss, an open approach to data collection, a written action plan, follow up
with all those involved in the interview process, and measurement on the back
end. We also focus on aligning the coaching with the organization’s values and
strategic intention. Strategic Executive Coaching®
Question: What is the wrong
reason to engage an executive coach?
Alyssa: Several
reasons people would think to engage that are poor reasons:
reasons people would think to engage that are poor reasons:
-
When the boss doesn’t want to tell the
direct reports the truth about their performance so they use the coach to
deliver the message. In that case, the boss is the one who needs the coaching
to deliver tough messages. -
If they know the person isn’t likely
to improve anyway. They really believe the person isn’t going to succeed, but
they can’t deal with it now, so they hire a coach instead. -
If the person has psychological issues
beyond coaching, if there’s an assumption of addiction, or a life crisis that
is better helped by counseling (e.g., losing a spouse or a child). In the case
of a life crisis, coaching, at a minimum, should be supported by counseling as
well.
Important
is to ensure the objectives of the coaching are clear so the organization
brings in the right kind of help aligned with the objectives.
Alyssa focuses on developing executives
to ensure their growth is aligned with the Vision, Values, and Strategy of the
organization in which they work. She helps executives leverage their strengths
while developing new leadership behaviors that support the organization. While
working with clients Alyssa strives to exhibit her organization’s values.
to ensure their growth is aligned with the Vision, Values, and Strategy of the
organization in which they work. She helps executives leverage their strengths
while developing new leadership behaviors that support the organization. While
working with clients Alyssa strives to exhibit her organization’s values.
EXCN specializes in Strategic Executive Coaching®, an approach designed to support the growth of leaders in building and sustaining their organization’s value creation capacity.
