You might not realize it, but even high-powered and experienced executives can get stuck – in business and in life.
Sometimes even they could use an impartial peer who can help them see things from a different perspective and then make changes.
I just had a chance to interview two such people. They’re executive coaches, and they both have an extensive background in business and in helping people get un-stuck, so to speak.
Noelia Moreno is an attorney, entrepreneur and certified Integrative Coach. She is the founder and president of Life Tools Miami, a business strategy firm.
From 2009-2011, Moreno was the first and only female president of the Latin Builders Association. In 2012, after retiring from the construction industry, she transitioned to her dream career – coaching
Joe Cruz is the founder and principal of Invenire Leadership Coaching, an executive coaching and training firm. Joe is a Certified Professional Coach and a seasoned executive with over 40 years of business experience.
Cruz has held a number of senior leadership positions within the financial services industry. He has co-authored a book titled “Roadmap To Success,” which also features Deepak Chopra and Ken Blanchard.
“Coaching is a means to help people find their own answers,” Cruz said on the show.
“At the end of the day, what we’re really doing is helping people to understand what it is that’s keeping them from finding success, finding happiness, really getting their life to the point where they feel that they are in control and do what they want to do.”
Moreno said there’s an important difference between mentoring and coaching. As a mentor, you’re more of a teacher and guide that gives the answers. A coach helps the client find his or her own answers and apply them to business and life, she said.
Cruz said he specializes in executive coaching – that is, senior executives, business owners, and professionals. The men in these roles tend to struggle with empathy, connection and motivation, he said, and developing people skills is the No. 1 area of emphasis.
Moreno said she likes to work with professional women, who generally need help with separating their business and personal lives – learning how to keep one from adversely impacting the other.
Now, it seems to me that one of the key benefits of hiring an executive coach is to have his or her unbiased opinion of business ideas and plans.
That’s true, Moreno said, but it’s important to make sure the coach is credible and has been in the business world for quite some time.
Coaching is not consulting, Cruz said. Executive coaches don’t tell clients what to do. Instead, they help clients arrive at their own decisions.
Coaches help clients identify and evaluate goals, Moreno added. They help clients stay on target and make progress toward the objectives.
“We celebrate the mini-feats,” she said.
For me, that’s making a daily entry in my “Positive Events Log.” I journal the small victories that are taking me toward my long-term goals.
It was a great interview, and we covered a lot more ground. Click here to listen to the full interview with Noelia Moreno of Life Tools Miami and Joe Cruz of Invenire Leadership Coaching.
