Think of the most accomplished athletes of your lifetime—perhaps Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods or Tom Brady. These legends were the best of the best, arguably the GOATs of their sports. They had many things in common, including the topic of today’s Leadership Lab. Each of them hired a coach or personal trainer from outside their organization to help them reach their full potential.

Jordan hired Tim Grover to be his personal trainer. Woods had Hank Haney as a swing coach, and Brady had Alex Guerrero as his health and wellness trainer. Even though they were coaching these mega-stars, Grover couldn’t beat Jordan in one-on-one, Haney couldn’t go head-to-head with Woods and Guerrero couldn’t dream of throwing a pass in the NFL. Clearly, these trainers/coaches weren’t better than the athletes, but they were trusted advisers who provided four critical advantages:

1. They helped the athlete see what they couldn’t see.
2. They created regimens that kept the athlete at peak performance.
3. They held the athlete accountable to their goals.
4. They reframed the athlete’s thinking.

Just as these elite athletes sought coaching to refine their game, executives at the highest levels seek coaching to refine their leadership and decision making. In this installment of Leadership Lab, we will consider how executive coaches can he