Mentor, Consultant, Coach: Which Do You Need?

The writer is a former president.

I remember the excitement and anticipation of my first university presidency. I probably should have anticipated the future a bit when I was picked up from the airport, had a long walk, and was expected to carry my own luggage! The baggage metaphor continued.

The onboarding was simple—“Here’s your office, let us know if you need anything.” The board and staff were short on providing direction, and I had to find my own way to the bathroom and the garage door opener.

Fortunately, I was able to find the right individuals with insight and connections, but I always felt more sophistication from the organizational culture was needed.

For my second presidency I had a lot more help, but in both cases, what I know now is that something was missing—an executive coach.

In today’s dynamic higher education environment, leaders face enormous challenges, which frequently result in stress, isolation, cognitive dissonance about decisions, and outright questioning of whether taking the position is worth it. But there is a potential solution, which helps these important leaders to reach their maximum potential and make a significant difference at their institutions: Hire a coach.

Increasingly, contracts for presidents in higher education include access to a coach, and this benefit can extend to other cabinet members. Search firms frequently suggest requesting a coach as part of a president’s contract, establishing that important support from day one.

Yet the challenge remains about what to look for in a coach and how to evaluate them. Further, there are many current and retired presidents who position coaching as an expertise. It is, indeed, true that that longer-term leaders have on-the-job experiences that add up to extraordinary insight for coaching. However, if they are not trained and certified as a coach, something is missing. I know this because I’ve done both.

As a two-time president and long-term higher education consultant, I thought becoming certified as a coach would be easy. After all, I had several degrees and decades of experience. What I learned in the first coach-training session is how different a coach is from a mentor, consultant and therapist. A mentor guides the person, a consultant provides the answer, and therapists have the qualifications that transcend both in circumstances when a client has a need for their services.

My own coaching certifications provide valuable insight into my own experiences and ways to help others. Coaches need ongoing training to remain certified, which is very helpful for the clients served. For example, I had a client whose radar was way off when interacting with faculty. He wasn’t listening. I resisted quoting Hamilton by stating, “Talk less, smile more.” I added social and emotional intelligence coaching certification, which provided new tools to help him and others. I also added trauma-informed coaching to help a CEO and his wife after a shooting. Through that training, I learned to never bring up the trauma, because that triggers a painful recollection. Let the person bring it up on their own. How I wish I knew that pointer earlier in my life.

For college presidents, a certified coach is trained to focus on the person, not the story. They ask open-ended questions to help the client find a solution. There is no judgment or consulting in this type of coaching, although a mentor-coach will help the client when all solutions are exhausted through offering personal experiences. However, the agenda is always under the client’s control. I had to set aside previous consultant practices and be trained to be a coach.

Yes, I was simply shown my desk in my first presidency. As I look back and am more knowledgeable about the journey traveled, it would have been an incredible advantage to have a coach sitting in that office, waiting for me. Personal things like work-life balance, relationship stress (personal and professional), etc. That one heightened my previous training in body language. Now my staff know I can tell what they are thinking just by looking at their eyes.

That would have been useful in situations where an executive coach could have served as a partner as I transitioned into the presidency. Executive coaches often have transition expertise and recognize the importance of eschewing isolation.

With all the challenges in higher education, trustees also feel the stress. Some presidents have asked if trustees can be coached. It’s an easy answer—yes, but only if they want it. When I speak with trustees, I see the anxiety and burden of their important roles.

With an increasing number of presidencies turning over, with all leaders facing unpredictable and increasing challenges, having someone to talk with confidentially, to bring out best options for action and combine experience is a gift for any leader. Having a coach available is not selfish or an admission of weakness; it is a valuable addition to your leadership portfolio.