5 Reasons Why Leaders and Entrepreneurs struggle to Invest in the help they need

I became an advocate of Leadership and Career coaching as a corporate VP. It felt easier at the time as I had a supportive leadership team for the growth we wanted to create. I also knew what problems I wanted to fix. So, I found a business coach who had walked in similar shoes before. The ROI was huge in terms of business results for the team and business.

 When I finally made the leap to start my journey as a start-up owner, it took time for me to become comfortable in taking a bet on myself and investing more into my personal development and my own coaches for continuous growth. Because it involved stepping into the unknown and overcoming various mental blocks and fears associated with uncertainty.

I’ve seen these challenges come up in the thousands of coaching conversations I have had over the years.

From the help that people are prepared to seek when they are unhappy or stuck in their jobs, businesses, or relationships, through to how they deal and respond to their fears consciously and unconsciously. Yet when these same people see Leaders who inspire them, who are doing something similar to what they’d love to do, however impossible it may seem, it’s the kind of Leaders who have risked taking a bet on themselves by investing in their abilities and the support they need. At some point these successful Leaders have made sacrifices and taken risks on hiring people (managers, salespeople, coaches, mentors, therapists, personal trainers, house helpers) to support them in various areas of their lives. Leaders may make it look easy in hindsight, but they’ve faced many challenges and got comfortable with failing A LOT. Anyone who says they haven’t probably isn’t worth their salt.

So when the coaching industry is one of the fast-growing industries nearing $20BN a year and when research from International Coaching Federation also shows us that 86% of companies make at least their investment back in coaching and that 98% of coaching clients are satisfied, what are the other factors that holding people back from investing in themselves?

Here are the 5 pain ones that come up based on research and experience

1)  Money, Time and Value

 Unless you are used to hiring your own 1:1 coach or are good at realising value from investing in personal development programs, most leaders and entrepreneurs never have a budget for coaching.

Also, people are used to expecting ROI on every other investment they make. In coaching, ROI can only be quantified after the coaching has happened because the responsibility of acting (or not) is the responsibility of the person being coached. And in truth a lot of people aren't comfortable with that level of ownership.

Leaders who aren’t used to investing in coaching are also more likely to approach conversations around what benefits they can get short-term rather than how coaching can help them transform their way of thinking and acting.

When I interview potential clients in particular I also see so many deeper-rooted fears and beliefs around money or worthiness in hiring a coach.  Which can also be connected to the points that follow. 

2)  The belief you can figure it out yourself

Most high performers are great at figuring things out themselves. In fact they’ve spent most of their lives being rewarded by taking that approach to reap financial rewards or in making others happy (parents, teachers, bosses)

Some leaders will take a view that whomever they hire, is getting paid to solve problems already. But the problem is that coaching is not a remedial tool to purely fix immediate problems and make or save money.

 Deeper coaching can be transformational personally and professionally for sustainable growth.  Ambitious leaders work with coaches not because they don’t know how to do something, but because blindspots are such that it is impossible to see your own. However once coaching helps them get out of their own way so that they can steer themselves down a clearer path, those individuals are able to achieve results more quickly.

I also meet many Leaders and Business Owners who think they can coach people on anything when their expertise lies specifically in their individual business and industry, rather than in helping others on the art of building better professional relationships with their teams and clients.

Leaders may also fail to recognise that their employees/leaders are often unwilling or unable to open up about deeper rooted behaviors, as they could be to an impartial/nonjudgemental third party.

A good experienced executive coach can usually work more deeply with individuals to empower them to build relationships and create greater transformation and business results. They will also know where their expertise starts and ends and be able to make other recommendations for individuals who are open to change. Transformative Personal and Professional growth go hand in hand. In turn they will help to create better business results.

3)  Not knowing who to Trust

The problem with the coaching industry is whilst there are some incredibly skilled and well-intentioned coaches, there are many coaches who aren’t credible. Mindset coaches who haven’t learned to do any of their own inner work, Business Coaches who have been unable to help coach others let alone themselves to success, and Leadership Coaches who haven’t built teams, yet all claim to be super successful with some kind of special process.

Who can you trust? It’s easy to suffer from analysis paralysis in finding a coach you can trust. And, not being able to find the right help can be costly. 

4)  Finding a Coach who will help you more with your agenda rather than their own

 Leaders are faced with a choice of coaching programs as well as 1:1 coaching.  Entrepreneurs and leaders who invest regularly in high-end coaching. These people are looking for a coach who will understand them as a person and not only the problem they need to solve. They understand that a handful of insights a great coach can help them see at the right time and place can enable them to create a huge positive change for exponential growth or help them avoid a disaster. And they see the priceless value of such sessions.  

 There are also too many coaches trying to make you fit into their agenda or system, rather than actually wanting to support you how you need which can cause confusion in which coach is right for you.

5)  A deeper feeling of Fear, self-doubt and inability to take action

 The human mind, behaviour, and emotions are complex. We’ve shaped the way we show up and act in our world both consciously and unconsciously. Because of this we can read all the books, chase qualifications and titles after our name, and feel confused about how to move forward toward our goals for success.

 We also struggle to understand what success can look like for us.  This leaves us continuing with behaviours, reactions, inaction, and action based on uncertainty, fear, and doubt.

No one at school teaches us that we need to learn how to improve how we connect with ourselves and others, experience joy, connect with our values, understand our fears and explore the ability to create and innovate more.

To face up to our deeper fears requires us to dig deep, and be vulnerable and compassionate towards ourselves. We require help from people who will listen and understand.

Consequences of our Actions and Inactions

Nearly everyone can relate to a time when they got some kind of help that made a positive impact in their life, that they look back and wish they’d got sooner.  

If any of the above resonates with you and you know that further outside help is necessary for your current situation, then I hope some of these words may encourage you to create time to explore how you can take one small action to step towards better growth.

 Coaching Questions

 What is the single biggest thing that you are resisting right now?

 Who could make that easier for you?

 What value could that bring for you personally and professionally in 1 week, 1 month, 1 year, and 5 years from now if you invested in that help now?

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About the Author

Reema Gainley is an Executive Performance and Mindset Coach and the Founder of Lead from Within. A Leadership Development and Business Growth consultancy that supports Impact-driven CEOs and senior leaders in the global Tech and Digital industries to achieve sustainable success.

Previously Reema worked for 13 years in the Technology industry, where she held Strategic Partnerships and VP-level roles at Silicon Valley-based companies. After which she went on to be the founder of a niche Executive Recruitment business for 5 years.

Reema is also a Mentor to agency leaders and on the Wellbeing Council at BIMA, the UK’s leading voice for the Digital and Media Industries; and, an Advisor for UK Mentorships for the Women In Technology Global Movement.