With executive coaching, founders and team leaders learn to grow as a professional, while cultivating a winning work environment. The Chief Executive Officer of Bagchi Group, Ravila Gupta, has had much success working with her coach, and in providing coaching services to others, she has helped clients overcome various challenges. We caught up with Ravila and discussed her experience to gain insight into the benefits of the process and what to expect when working with an executive coach. 

What Drew You To Executive Coaching?

It all started when I took on my first C-Suite role and got my first executive coach. It was like a breath of fresh air! I finally had someone I could talk to about what I was going through. It’s a time-worn cliché that it’s lonely at the top, but that is exactly what I experienced. Suddenly, everyone was looking at you for all the answers.  

How Has Having An Executive Coach Helped Your Career?

My executive coach was very insightful. She helped me understand my role was not to have all the answers but rather to ask the right questions. I had received a lot of feedback that I was too directive, and now I understood why. I was trying too hard to answer the questions and telling people what to do. My mind couldn’t get away from the idea that if I didn’t have the answers, I couldn’t be a leader.

In What Other Ways Did Having An Executive Coach Help You Develop As A Person?

My executive coach didn’t tell me what to do. Instead, she asked powerful questions that made me realize that the answer was already inside me. The approach of asking questions was magical. I decided that to become a better leader; I needed to learn the skills to be an executive coach. So, I went back to school. Fortunately, NC State has an excellent Business Coaching certificate program. I spent the better part of a year attending school (3 days per month), learning how to become an executive coach. I figured out that it was hard to sit back and ask questions without offering a solution. But that’s the skill that coaches hone. I also discovered that I loved coaching. I never thought about coaching as a career option, but the impact that comes from helping someone sort out a business issue is huge. 

What Have Been Some Of Your Successes As An Executive Coach?

I have spent that better part of a decade offering coaching services to a small group of clients. In all cases, I have seen my clients come up with “aha” moments for where they were in their leadership journey. Sometimes clients needed help articulating their vision; other times, they had challenges with a teammate or doubted their ability. Sometimes they just wanted to talk. I gave them the gift of uninterrupted listening, followed by powerful questions. It almost always causes them to say, “that’s a great question,” followed by a real reflection that leads to truth. I have seen it happen many times. That’s the reason that I love being an executive coach. I get to witness humility, growth, and excitement all at once.  

Bringing Executive Coaching Services to Bagchi Group

Clients can now access executive coaching services through Bagchi Group. We help emerging and established founders and executives navigate the professional and personal development process to become better leaders. Our goal is to walk with you to unearth your solutions from within and help you look ahead to reach your goals.

Interested in learning more? Visit Bagchi Group for more information about our executive coaching services.