Welcome back to the Look and Sound of Leadership, an ongoing series of executive

coaching tips designed to help you be perceived in the workplace the way you want

to be perceived. I'm Tom Henschel, your executive coach, and today we're talking about coaching under attack. Charlotte looked at me squarely and said,

you're not a business coach.

Was there a challenge in her statement? I wasn't sure.

I had done a lot of homework leading up to this meeting with Charlotte.

Charlotte had been installed as the president at a consumer goods company almost a year ago. Up until she arrived, this

consumer goods company had been a great client of mine. I'd been coaching

senior leaders and their teams there for more than

six years and then suddenly Charlotte arrived and my spigot got turned off. I never

knew why. My loyal contacts in the company saw ripples just like that in many of Charlotte's actions.

People said she was tough.

They were hoping she was fair.

They weren't sure.

Now, out of the blue, Charlotte's office sent me an invitation to meet with her.

Not knowing the agenda, I prepared a report for her, I showed my history of work with the company. My company contacts polished the report

for me and they gave me coaching. They said, be prepared to be grilled.

Well, I felt completely prepared. So I met this

opening challenge from Charlotte, was I not a business coach, with warm agreement?

Oh, absolutely, Charlotte, I'm a professional coach, I'm not a business coach.

To you, they're different?

Whether it was her intention or not,

...