A core aspect of my consulting business has been to establish “ground truth” – what is the actual situation and root cause from which I can build and guide a solution. Establishing the meaning of ground truth within my executive coaching practice has led me to think how to apply this concept to a person and how does it become part of the process of coaching. During my morning walks with Poppy, I began contemplating the subtle yet significant differences between two seemingly similar concepts: self-reflection and self-discovery. That quiet time allowed me to analyze and organize my thoughts, leading me to favor the “self-discovery” approach for my executive coaching clients. While other coaches may hold different but similarly valid perspectives on this matter, my coaching style is skewed towards constructive empathy and analysis in order to redirect a client towards a forward-facing perspective and goals-based approach.
Self-Reflection vs. Self-Discovery
Before delving into the advantages of self-discovery, let’s clarify these two concepts with an analogy: Self-Reflection is to Perception as Self-Discovery is to Perspective.
Self-reflection implies more of passive introspection with the goal of gaining insights into our true selves in order to reach personal goals. However, that process is inherently limiting within the realm of executive coaching because we interpret what we see through the lens of our own perceptions, potentially blinding us to both our greatest strengths and weaknesses. Another potential drawback of self-reflection is the tendency to dwell on the past thus getting stuck asking “why” questions to better understand our present condition/situation. By getting stuck looking backwards, we create a barrier to moving forward. “Self-reflection” when guided by a professional life coach or therapist can be a powerful tool and a necessary first step to maximize the effectiveness of a goal-driven executive coach.
On the other hand, self-discovery is a dynamic pursuit aided by an executive coach’s active inquiry and a forward-focused approach. Self-discovery changes the clients perspective to give them insights into who they are today. It allows clients to remove the layers of false perceptions and internal narratives so they may unearth their genuine selves in the present moment – thus, creating the foundation to pursue transformative personal and professional growth.
The Power of Self-Discovery in Executive Coaching
Here are five key benefits of embracing “self-discovery” in the context of executive coaching:
- Authenticity: Self-discovery promotes authenticity by actively uncovering the client’s true self. Through active inquiry and constructive empathy, this approach encourages clients to explore their strengths, weaknesses, goals, and aspirations in a pragmatic and safe environment. By doing so, they can pursue a path that aligns with their authentic selves, ultimately achieving professional goals that resonate with their true nature.
- Accountability: Self-discovery implies a dynamic journey of exploration, development, and evolution. This process naturally fosters a sense of ownership in clients, compelling them to take charge of their growth trajectory. Importantly, it drives them to become more accountable for their actions and decisions, and become even more effective leaders.
- Self-Awareness: Although self-discovery may initially provoke discomfort, it often leads to profound and lasting professional benefits. Greater self-awareness empowers individuals to project authenticity in their leadership roles and significantly enhances their decision-making capabilities. It becomes a powerful tool enabling them to remove personal biases and/or non-constructive impulses.
- Resilience: Beyond promoting authenticity and accountability, self-discovery also nurtures resilience in leaders. As clients respond to the active inquiry (read as pushed in a constructive, empathetic and supportive manner) and explore their authentic selves, they become better equipped to navigate challenges and setbacks. There is a toughening of the ego because there is less to hide behind. This process equips them with the tools to develop a more resilient and adaptable leadership style – especially when challenged themselves by their employees, executives and all other stakeholders within and outside the company.
- Growth: Clients will likely experience some level of discomfort throughout the self-discovery process, but that step cannot be ignored. Self-discovery allows the client to grow beyond the internal obstacles and self-imposed limitations, and focus on further enhancing their other leadership skills like adaptability, decision-making skills, or their ability to create a unifying vision. This process is critical to establish genuine coachability to then open the doors to what comes next in the coaching process and ultimately reach the clients authentic goals.
Conclusion
For the reasons stated above, I find that “self-discovery” resonates best with my professional style and the types of clients I serve. I also recognize that “self-reflection”, when guided by an experienced life coach or a therapist, can serve as a necessary foundational step prior to a client starting their executive coaching journey. In this context, self-discovery not only provides a formidable tool for clients to uncover their true selves (their ground truth), but also enables an executive coach to assess a client’s coachability and thus their ability to reach their professional goals. By nurturing authenticity, accountability, self-awareness, resilience, and growth, this approach equips clients with an indispensable tool required to succeed in their professional journeys. While the path may present challenges, it leads to enduring growth, fulfillment, and a profound transformation into exceptional leaders.