Today’s most successful companies recognize the value that comes with training talent at all levels. Good development coaching for leadership is always custom tailored to enhance performance and deliver a competitive edge for the organization.

Among top talent in executive offices, many leaders have proven themselves to be knowledgeable. That is a given. The difference between success and failure as a leader often comes down to soft skills, those traits that are not found on a resume. Based on an anonymous survey, Harvard Business Review  notes that 68% of surveyed CEO’s did not feel adequately prepared for their position, largely due to poor preparation of interpersonal skills.

One of the executives we work with on a coaching project asked us recently why companies are so reluctant to provide more people in their organizations coaching. He said that the value for him has made him into the person he is today. He said he wished he had been offered this kind of coaching years ago. He felt like his productivity and value to the organization would have been enhanced far beyond the investment for a good coach.

Developing leaders through coaching prepares them to manage themselves and their teams effectively and efficiently. Coaches collaborate with clients and leaders, employing a wide variety of assessments and tools to harness a leader’s strengths and identify areas for improvement. A custom process and framework are utilized to ensure leaders are developing and the client’s goals are being met. No two coaching sessions are the same, every engagement is specifically tailored to meeting a unique need for development.

Thousands of executives around the globe have found success in their roles with the support of executive coaching. A CEO of a manufacturing firm said “My coach helped me develop self-awareness, allowing me to better communicate with my staff. He challenged my own paradigms and helped me to think with a new focus which created more success in my business.”

Forward thinking organizations use coaching as a core component of their leadership development strategy. Through coaching, leaders’ personal and interpersonal skills are enhanced, allowing them to focus on and drive continued business growth. Coaching programs are designed to deliver measurable results that meet and exceed the organization’s goals.

Dr. Marc D. Gilbert my business professor at John Brown University use to tell me, “What you do today, is important, because it will impact tomorrow.”   Personal and professional development pays dividends down the road of life not only for you but even greater in what you can bring to others.

To be more efficient and effective, make plans beyond the week ahead and carve out time to invest in yourselves. Create a budget that fits your wallet and plan to move forward. Take a day or two to advance your skills to the next level. If you do not do it today, it may never happen. It is not up to your superiors to figure out a development plan for you. You are worth the investment and simply being satisfied with where you are right now is a backwards path to personal development.

Sustainability and longevity in the workplace belong to those who invest in themselves and contribute to the overall good of others. It begins by investing in yourself so that you are adept at bringing value to others. A friend of mine recently told me that personal development is what servant leadership is all about.

You are worth the investment in yourself as a leader which impacts your business, community, church, and family.

Investment takes time, energy, money and commitment to yourself and others.

What are your next steps in your development? Give this some thought as we finish out 2024 and look forward to using the investment in ourselves for the good of those we serve as servant leaders.