What does it take to develop leaders who are consistently effective in driving transformation, building high-performing teams, and achieving personal, professional and organizational goals? One of the greatest blessings in my career as a former executive in healthcare was working with an executive coach. Talk about a transformational experience.
To understand the value of executive coaching, it’s important to understand what it isn’t. For starters, executive coaching differs sharply from short-term, self-led, or low-accountability alternatives like professional training, mentoring, peer exchanges, or consulting. While these are great tools for sharing knowledge or clarifying a next step, they tend to fall short when it comes to driving and sustaining behavioral change, which is really what it takes to inspire trust, build rapport, overcome conflict, and move people to action. Behavioral change is where executive coaching shines. (We’ll link to related resources below, if you’d like to learn more.)
Even so, not all executive coaching is built the same, or is worth your investment. When I’m asked what drew me to MEDI Leadership, three differentiators come to mind:
First-hand experience as healthcare leaders
Though it’s possible to be a great coach without a healthcare background, it sure helps to know your executive coach has been in your shoes and understands the evolving complexities of the healthcare environment.
Because all MEDI Leadership coaches have long careers in healthcare, we have a deep understanding of the challenges affecting how you lead, how you grow, and even how you stay sane in this market. We’ve sat in your chair before and know what you’re up against.
“I chose MEDI Leadership for two reasons. First, their bench of coaches is impressive, from various former healthcare executives to coaches with decades of executive coaching experience. Second, their approach is very practical. They impart principles and brainstorm approaches that are accretive to our daily work, making the experience not only immediately impactful, but also relevant to long-term, sustainable leadership growth.”
Mark Mugiishi, MD, FACS | Executive Vice President and Chief Health Officer
Depth of Coach-Client relationship
We work at a very deep, one-on-one level with each of our clients, guiding them through self-discovery, goal-setting and application processes that (a) are designed to work best for them individually, and (b) are proven to create and sustain results. Every leader and situation is different, so there’s no cookie-cutter approach.
We also know that lasting behavioral change takes time and repetition, so we stay close for the long haul, to ensure that happens.
“Prior to my MEDI Leadership coaching experience, I had a coach from another organization. MEDI was completely different. They went deeper, helping me to transform my leadership posture. Since working with MEDI Leadership, my professional and personal lives have come into balance. I’m certain I would not have accomplished all that I did without the guidance and relationship with my MEDI coach.”
Jayme Pu’u | Vice President, Internal Affairs | HMSA
Decades of proven impact
With decades of coaching experience under our belt, we’ve fine-tuned and honed our processes to get the results our clients are looking for. Just as important, our methods are rooted in solid research on how humans are wired to learn and change, and the behaviors needed to lead effectively in complex environments.
“My healthcare executive coaching experience with MEDI has been instrumental in my ability to close the gap between perceptions of my leadership style and my intentions. It has helped me develop trust in professional relationships, allowing me to be a considerably more effective leader and mentor to others. Investing my time in coaching has reinforced that repetition and consistency are the keys to success for any new behavior.”
Monika Mathur, MD | Chief Medical Officer | Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Alliance
No doubt, you’ve had a ton of professional training throughout your career. You’ve been given material and you’ve been taught a certain way to do things.
An executive coach will help you understand who you truly are, who you want to be, how you’re perceived by others today, how you wish to be perceived instead, and so on. Where do you want to go next? What’s your environment? What’s your true leadership and communication style? What blind spots or unconscious habits are sabotaging your efforts?
We’ll walk alongside you to help you achieve meaningful transformation and make it stick.
Related Resources:
- Healthcare Leaders: Built to Thrive
- The MEDI Method
- Three myths about executive coaching
- What to expect from an executive coach relationship
- Finding the right executive coach
