The rewards of truly successful entrepreneurship are freedom and fullness of a high order.
Striving for excellence. Fulfilling your promise. Maintaining forward motion on a daily basis. Like leadership, entrepreneurship requires that we trust in our expertise while maintaining a steadfast commitment to the learning curve. Entrepreneurship requires a relentlessly high level of engagement. There is an “it is all up to you” quality to running a business that insists that we continually develop many aspects of ourselves. Entrepreneurial success resides in being versatile and expert. It is by nature a risky proposition that demands we approach life with an everyday courage; it constantly challenges our ability to be aware and stay a purposeful course.
Entrepreneurs call a coach into their corner to help them to fill this tall order. Bill Gates, in his May 2013 TED Talk, expressed an idea held in common by many of our nations most successful entrepreneurs: “Everybody needs a coach. They give us feedback and help us improve our practice.” As I see it, entrepreneurship is indeed a practice—it could even be described as a set of business and personal practices—and to sustain success, it requires a commitment to self-development.
Each of my clients arrives with challenges that set the trajectory for the coaching program that I then design specifically for them. As they “work” the program, they develop new approaches and capacities, deeply practical and sometimes transformational in nature, to the challenges they face. I offer an integral perspective—one that is balanced, comprehensive, interconnected, and whole. As my client, you will find much needed support in the coaching relationship. You will have someone with whom you can think things through, someone who knows the territory of running a business and self-development, who keeps your confidence, and is on your side. You will learn how to uphold the critical work-rest-play balance more effectively in the face of urgency. Some results that entrepreneurs have come to expect from working with me are an increased ability to:
Envision creatively
Act strategically
Hold and position the value of their product or service
Create effective structure and business practices
Know when to let go and when to hold fast
Connect more effectively with others
Deliver on intent
Create value for their stakeholders
At the outset, allotting the time and money for coaching feels like a leap, and may even appear to be a luxury. Upon completion of a successful coaching program, it is invariably seen as an essential investment.