EDITOR ’ S QUESTION
JEROME LECAT , CEO , SCALITY
Trust yourself , but get a business coach to challenge your thinking . Coaching provides an open forum to talk about anything that ’ s going on in the business or your career . For me , it is invaluable to be able to freely exchange ideas and discuss all elements of the business with a ‘ sparring partner ’ who has extensive management experience . Getting an outside perspective enables you to see new ways to solve various challenges . And , very often , simply verbalising your thoughts on a matter leads you to a better understanding of the situation .
Once-a-month meetings with my coach have helped me weigh my priorities , better manage my time , as well as prepare for – and come to peace with – difficult decisions .
After I sold my first company back in 1997 , my manager recommended I get a business coach . She explained to me that , at some point , the biggest limitation to the growth of my company would be me .
Ever since , I have almost always had a coach . And , looking back , the years when I didn ’ t regularly sit down with a coach were not my greatest !
inspired me as we adapted to the pandemic crisis .
By contrast , the worst piece of career advice I ever received was to offload the management of a particularly critical area of the business because I was ‘ incapable ’ of doing it myself . I hired someone to fill my shoes in this capacity and , while seeking support was the right decision , I did not trust myself to monitor what they were doing closely . In hindsight , I handed over the reins more blindly than I should have , and the company almost failed as a result .
Over the years , I ’ ve learned that , of course , you have to lean on a team in order to succeed . But , at the end of the day ( and sometimes in spite of well-intentioned advice ) you have to rely on your own intuition .
COACHING PROVIDES AN OPEN FORUM TO TALK ABOUT ANYTHING THAT ’ S GOING ON IN THE BUSINESS OR YOUR CAREER .
The coaching relationship and experience looks different for everyone . You might have to try a couple of different coaches before you find the right fit . But the effort is worth it . I strongly recommend that anyone in a management position find a coach .
Another form of coaching ? Books . A number of books have guided me throughout my career , including Good to Great by Jim Collins , which is an indispensable resource that describes a number of leadership skills that every manager should master . Learning to Scale by Regis Medina and Grit , the Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth have also had a significant influence on me . And The Lean Turnaround by Art Byrne
www . intelligentcxo . com
21