The Growth of Coaching in Africa
At last, Executive and Leadership Coaching in Africa is here to stay and it is growing.
It’s exciting times in the coaching arena especially in Africa. Executive and Leadership Coaching is on the rise as more and more company’s see the benefits that it can achieve and the long and term impacts it can have.
One element that has helped this growth is the increase in professional credentialing organisations. I have recently become an accredited coach for a relatively new group called The Africa Board for Coaching, Consulting and Coaching Psychology (ABCCCP). Established in 2012, to help ensure the credibility of coaches and consultants across the African Continent. In my opinion, it is paramount that any coaching delivered is of a high quality with experienced and professional individuals. This is such a key, primary element within the coaching world. For too many years, too many people have been able to call themselves a coach with no quality assurance mechanism in place. With such organisations (some say we need more), company’s and leaders working and operating in Africa can be more assured of a high quality coaching intervention being delivered.
Another important aspect that has helped grow quality coaching available in Africa is the increase in Skype usage and other virtual platforms for coaching. Nowadays, whether living in Lagos, Nairobi or Lusaka one can find a credentialed and experienced coach. Logistics no longer limit us. Added to this, we are able to choose from a pool of brilliant executive coaches based and often trained in Africa. It is great to be able to work and connect with someone who has experienced some, if only a snippet of the life you lead. It is part of the package of working with a coach that you fee can understand you and adds to the unique chemistry of the coaching relationship. For myself, I have lived and worked in Malawi, Uganda, Zambia, Lesotho, Zimbabwe and South Africa as well as visiting many other countries both in Africa and further afield.
To further explore the growth of coaching in Africa we would need to take a look at the blistering growth of certain business hubs, namely, Cairo, Kinshasa, Lagos and Nairobi bringing up the rear. These cities are experiencing rapid growth and with this comes a huge need for the expertise and skills that are required in the International business arena. Coaching is just one of the many innovative resources individuals and company’s use to help establish and maintain a healthy working environment in these times of extreme pressure, change and growth.
“Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.” Jack Welch