Confidence coaching is often considered a subpart of executive coaching that middle and senior-level managers often take to help them perform at their best in the workplace. Executive coaching encompasses a variety of aspects, and all of them work together to improve an executive’s performance.
While life coaches in the UK usually offer both executive and confidence coaching to their clients, most executive coaching services include confidence coaching, but confidence coaching services do not include executive coaching.
To know more about what each form of coaching includes, take a look at this resource.
WHAT IS EXECUTIVE COACHING?
On average, a person’s professional life takes up a third of their life. For executives and senior management, work might eat into their leisure hours and cut into their sleep time as well, thanks to the demands of the job.
A senior executive’s job is stressful, to say the least. They routinely make high-stakes decisions that impact the company’s vision and growth. To be an impactful leader, it is necessary to have strategic thinking skills, the ability to lead a team with conflicting personalities, communicate effectively, and work in alignment with the organization’s goals.
An executive coach is usually a person who has worked in a similar role and knows what it takes to guide a leader and act as a sounding board for them. Executive coaching is all about bringing in a fresh yet experienced perspective, reframing mindsets to take on new challenges, and holding the person accountable as they mature in their roles.
WHAT IS INCLUDED IN A TYPICAL EXECUTIVE COACHING SESSION?
A typical executive coaching session may be highly structured yet flexible enough, and it depends on both the executive and the professional. It is designed to enhance leadership performance, self-awareness, and strategic thinking. While the exact structure can vary based on the coach’s methodology and the client’s goals, here’s what’s generally included:
1. Session Overview
The executive coach prepares the focus of the session, and the coachee can also weigh in by identifying the key challenges or aspects they want to address during the session. It may include conflict management, decision-making, communication, or achieving work-life balance. The coach helps to set the focus by making it specific and actionable. Goals for each session are also set at this time.
2. Goal Review and Progress Check
The session usually begins with a quick recap of the status of previous goals or commitments. The coach and executive discuss what progress has been made, what challenges have arisen, and what lessons have been learned since the last session.
3. Strategy and Skill Building
Once the goal for the session has been set, the coach introduces frameworks, tools, or exercises to help the executive develop new skills or perspectives. This can include role-playing difficult conversations, practicing feedback delivery, or exploring decision-making models. Some of the techniques we use in our NLP-based coaching are anchoring, role-playing, and breaking limiting beliefs. Working to make these techniques a part of one’s routine is of utmost importance since it is these new patterns that will set the pace for future success.
4. Feedback and Reflection
The session concludes with the executive outlining clear, measurable actions to implement before the next meeting. The coach helps ensure these goals are realistic and aligned with the organisation’s objectives. Some sessions end with immediate feedback from the coach or a short reflection exercise to consolidate learning. This helps the executive prepare mentally for practical application.
Executive coaching includes confidence coaching, relationship coaching, training in soft skills like presentation and public speaking, and dealing with personal issues that are hindering the executive from performing their best.
Most organisations offer coaching to their senior executives, but there may be a conflict of interest since it isn’t clear in whose interests the coach works, that is, the organisation’s or the executive’s. Executives may face backlash if the coach reports that they are struggling in their role to the organisation.
WHAT IS CONFIDENCE COACHING?
Confidence coaching focuses solely on identifying the causes of low self-esteem, which is often a root cause of most of a person’s issues in their professional life.
A confidence coach works with you to reframe thought patterns that are no longer serving you, reword negative and critical self-talk, improve self-belief, and develop your confidence daily.
Using a combination of role-playing, positive affirmations, and accountability, a confidence coach helps a person come out of the doubts in their head.
It’s important to cultivate self-compassion and work towards the future, and pursue goals that lead you to success in your life.
WHAT IS INCLUDED IN A TYPICAL CONFIDENCE COACHING SESSION?
A confidence coach begins by understanding your current mindset, the challenges you are facing, and areas where you’d like to feel more self-assured. Together, you set realistic and meaningful goals to tackle your lack of confidence, either in your professional life or your personal life.
Through guided conversations and reflective exercises, your coach helps you uncover the negative thought patterns and beliefs that may be holding you back. You’ll learn how to reframe these into positive, empowering perspectives.
Your sessions may include techniques from cognitive behavioural approaches, psychology, and neuro-linguistic programming (NLP). These theories are credited with reshaping how people think about themselves and respond to new challenges. It helps to build resilience, emotional balance, and confidence to cope with daily situations.
Confidence coaching often includes practical exercises to improve your body language, tone of voice, and the ability to be assertive. You’ll learn to express yourself clearly, handle criticism, and communicate with confidence in both personal and professional settings.
You’ll be guided through strategies such as visualisation, self-affirmation, goal tracking, and real-life practice assignments that reinforce and consolidate self-belief and positive habits. Each session ends with a review of your progress and a clear action plan to apply between meetings. Your coach may provide you with feedback, motivate you, and offer encouraging words.
CONCLUSION
Executive coaching and confidence coaching are needed at different times and in different contexts. Usually, professionals who believe they lack confidence and need guidance in their workplace will benefit from approaching a confidence coach.
At NLP Impact, we offer 1:1 executive and confidence coaching, both online and in person. It’s based on widely used NLP principles and ideas that have served countless professionals in London and the UK. Reach out to set up your FREE consultation call.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. What are some likely dangers of executive coaching?
The problem with executive coaching is that it is never clear who the coach works for. Is the coach invested in the executive’s success or the company’s success (if hired by the company)? It is this lack of clarity that stops executives from speaking their minds during coaching sessions, which negates the purpose of the session.
2. Why is an executive coach now a must-have for CEOs?
CEOs need coaching. Not because they aren’t qualified to do their jobs, but because the pressure on a CEO is unprecedented. He is expected to lead and make decisions that can alter the course of an industry while keeping in mind the expectations of the customers, employees, and shareholders. Needless to say, a CEO’s job requires counsel and guidance from those who have trodden the path before. Usually, it’s an ex-CEO who makes the best coach for a young or struggling CEO.
3. Is executive coaching tax-deductible?
Yes, executive or business coaching is tax-deductible in the UK. Since it is an activity carried out solely for the benefit of improving the business, it is tax-deductible.
4. Is coaching tax-deductible for the self-employed in the UK?
Life coaching for personal benefit is not tax-deductible for the self-employed in the UK. Coaching on particular aspects of business, like communication styles, strategies, and business planning, is tax-deductible.