Just as the title says, this article is here to help you to choose between these two. Before that, distinguishing the difference and the purpose of these two kinds of coaches will significantly help you understand each of their concepts and their application.
What is a life coach?
Life coaching is mostly aimed at helping individuals commit to being determined to reach their goal, whether it is for personal issues or in the business industry. Think of them as coaches in sports where they manage the team and help them win a game. Not all methods are implemented by all life coaches as the tactics and strategies they develop and apply to vary greatly.
Some people only hear coaches in sporting events, and hearing other kinds of coaches like life coaches can be alien to them. If you think about it, people have been running to their friends and family for help and encourage certain aspects of their life; life coaches specialize in this part. That doesn’t mean that you should not run for support to your loved ones, but life coaches are just an extension of this means of support.
Mostly, people run to a person who they consider wise enough to help them in certain situations and ask them for advice and ideas. But remember, they might be as helpless as you are or they might not give you accurate insights as they don’t know about that topic, unlike life coaches.
This is where life coaches come into play as they will help you see a situation from a different angle and help you move forward.
Life coaching is a form of counseling. It implements communication with a person seeking help through email, phone calls, or one-on-one sessions. People who specialize in this field have knowledge that roots in several disciplines like psychology, sociology, etc.
Life coaching is usually attributed to the business scene. While it is true, life coaches also specialize in individual counseling. They can help individuals break negative aspects and overcome them to help them reach their specified destination.
Most of all life coaches are trained to be generalists, but some of them are more specialized in critical aspects of an individual like relationships, growth and development, stress and anger management, and family growth.
What is an executive coach?
Talking about what is an executive coach, is a professional that is qualified to deal with high-ranking executives or employees with high potential. These coaches help their clients raise their self-awareness, unlock their true potential, clarify their objectives, and used it as a sounding board.
While not all of them have a therapist background, they also deal with the emotions of their clients and help them get motivated.
Part of their work is mainly to help their clients ask questions about their work, challenge their notions, give clarity, and provide some resources. If authorized by the client, they also offer specific advice regarding the problem but refrain from actually solving the issue.
They conduct interviews for emotional assessment and see if the client is using all of his knowledge and resources to get the job done efficiently and on time.
Nowadays, companies hire executive coaches to help employees get their work done more efficiently. In a sense, a company does this because they are investing in a particular individual and hopes that it will be a more valuable asset in the future.
Hiring an executive costs money, and if a company employs one for you, you best believe they are expecting great things from you.
Executives can hire coaches, but mostly, Human Resource Management does that for them. The coachee might just get promoted to a higher rank in the Los Angeles branch, or a particular employee is having a problem regarding his/her interpersonal relationships or skills.
Which is right for me?
It is best to know that all executive coaches can have a therapist background, but not all life coaches can have organizational knowledge.
If you are a supervisory employee in a particular company and you want someone to clarify things, help you be more efficient in your work, and be the best employee you can be, hire an executive coach.
On the other hand, if you are having issues about your personal life like interpersonal relationships, motivation, and outlook in life, your best bet is to hire a life coach.
Takeaway
Life coaches and executive coaches don’t have that much of a difference if you think about it. Life coaches are more personal and up close, and executive coaches deal with the stress and nuances of administrative life.
They both deal with specific issues that deal with growth and development, albeit being different fields. It is essential to seek help from time to time if you are dealing with struggles in your life.
We all need help sometimes, and you would instead find it from someone who specializes in these types of things rather than just anyone.