Stepping into a higher leadership role?

CEO Rebekah Worthing explains why coaching and support is so important for high level leaders.

Stepping into an executive leadership role such as CEO or Director for the first time can be daunting, as Rebekah Worthington found when she became CEO of Hedland Well Women’s Centre in Port Hedland.

“Prior to taking on the position of CEO at the Centre I worked in safety management, so this was a big change. I had never worked with a board before and it took some time to understand exactly what the role of the board was, and what the role of the CEO was,” Rebekah explained.

After a couple of years in the role, Rebekah realised she needed additional support and so she put a proposal to the board to have one-to-one leadership coaching with Natalie at Incredible People.

“Being a CEO can be a lonely position, so professional coaching can really help having someone to bounce off ideas that you can’t talk about to staff or the board. There are some unique challenges that come with boards and organisations in the regions and so having the right support to tackle them is important.

“This was a transitioning and growth period for both myself and the organisation, so in my proposal to the board I outlined that leadership development would help my productivity and effectiveness as a leader which would also benefit the organisation as a whole.”

The board approved Rebekah’s proposal and she commenced fortnightly coaching with Incredible People for six months, which helped her define her role and expectations as a CEO at a strategic level.

“Natalie’s experience from working with many other executive leaders and her coaching expertise helped me understand what a board is supposed to be involved in and not involved in, as well as helping me work through some operational issues.

 “I wish I’d had the coaching early on when I stepped into the role. as I would have understood much quicker the strategic and operational roles of the board and CEO.”

Rebekah is now in a new CEO role at the Port Hedland Chamber of Commerce and Industry and has found that the leadership coaching she had with Incredible People has enabled her to step into the role with confidence.

“I understood exactly what to expect from the committee and how to effectively work with them, and understood when they did or did not need to be involved with operational matters. It also meant I knew what is expected of my role at a strategic and operational level and I could immediately begin leading the team with confidence in what we can achieve.

“I would definitely recommend leadership coaching with Incredible People, particularly if you are stepping into a new leadership role to give you the confidence and support that is needed to start off powerfully.”