Executive Coaching in Singapore and Asia 2023

Executive Coaching has come of age and is now viewed as an effective way of developing leaders. Smart companies are making executive coaching a core element of leadership development; whether that is when grooming a CEO successor or helping managers transition to leaders.

It is therefore not ‘news’ that a recent survey reports 86 percent of US companies hired Executive Coaches to sharpen the skills of individuals who have been identified as future organizational leaders. The numbers are similar in Europe whilst the uptake of executive coaching in Singapore and Asia has been slower but is catching up.

The demand for good Executive Coaches has been driven by organizations' demands for immediate results.  Executive Coaching provides feedback and guidance in real time, and lasting transformations can be observed after 3 to 6 months.

As individuals advance to the executive level, developmental feedback becomes increasingly important. Many executives plateau in critical interpersonal and leadership skills if they do not receive the guidance of an experienced Executive Coach.

Coaching in the art of influence, executive presence, organizational politics, global mindset, and communication skills is essential in our modern networked world. Honing these essential skills is vital for leadership advancement.

As an experienced Executive Coach for over 20 years I have coached both Western and Asian leaders, as well as led leadership transformation for Global Companies, particularly in SE Asia.

Executive Coaching in Singapore and Asia

My perspectives on Executive Coaching in Singapore and Asia are captured in a book by Dr Susie Linder-Pelz and I share some more here:

Coaching for ex-pats who work for multi-national clients is no different from coaching in the USA, Australia, or Europe. They face all the usual challenges of leadership such as how to get the best from their team/s and how to manage their own time and get some balance particularly if they are traveling a lot. They may have some issues with navigating different cultures particularly if they are new to Asia.

In my experience, the Singapore and Asian manager falls into one of two categories, those who have been educated and worked overseas and those that haven't. The former category is usually much more comfortable separating themselves from their actions and can receive feedback as a tool to improve. The latter category often struggles with this, as the concept of 'Face' is all-important to them. Feedback is often perceived as criticism and they can become defensive. Obviously, this is a generalization but if you look at the resistance of Asian companies to tools such as 360-degree online feedback you will see where I am coming from.

The way for coaches to overcome this ‘reluctance to face feedback’ is to pace the client's current reality and establish a deep level of trust and rapport.  Effective Executive Coaches are trained to help their clients to step back from the day-to-day tactical demands and take a strategic look at themselves and how they lead.

In this time of 'readjustment', taking time out to really think about how we think, and act is not only smart but essential.

Coaching and Motivational Speaking in Singapore

I am available for online coaching assignments and as an in-person motivational speaker in Singapore.