Game, Set & Match!

It’s a paradox isn’t it? An elite athlete at the peak of their powers has a coach, that can propel them to new heights. If you are British tennis player Emma Raducanu, you may even have a new coach every other month!

Sticking with tennis - few relationships in sports spotlight a mentor’s power like Toni Nadal and Rafael Nadal. Toni’s discipline forged Rafa’s ironclad focus through relentless training, demanding near perfection. His unwavering drive shaped Nadal’s warrior mentality, fuelling multiple Grand Slam victories. He transformed a promising boy into an all-time great, rightly earning acclaim as a masterful mentor. Their bond proves how the right coach can elevate an athlete to extraordinary heights.

So, why then, in tech sales, and especially in telecoms, are coaches few and far between?

Despite these benefits, many telecom executives resist coaching. A Harvard Business Review article (The Very Real Dangers of Executive Coaching) identifies cultural stigma, where asking for help is seen as weakness, especially in high-pressure industries. Additionally, telecom’s historical focus on technical skills, as noted in a Korn Ferry report (The Effectiveness of Executive Coaching: What We Can Learn from the Research Literature), can make coaching seem “soft” compared to metrics like network uptime. Other barriers include uncertainty about ROI and lack of time, though studies like one from American University (The ROI of Executive Coaching | American University, Washington, DC) show long-term benefits, such as lower turnover and higher innovation.

Let’s take the example of the career technician, moved through the ranks from engineer to project manager, before becoming CTO, and now? Promoted to the top job. CEO. Yet their biggest pain point is sales and distribution, and the execution there of.

What do they do?

A) They listen to those around them.

Good, let’s empower your team, and put trust in them to execute what you need to.

Except no.

It’s bad, as your lead go-to-market director has also grown up through the business, and has not experienced life in your current needs cycle, and hasn’t seen that problem through the lens of different tactics than he knows, some which worked, and some didn’t.

Is this the blind leading the blind? In some cases yes, though that simplicity is harsh.

So, why don’t Telecoms Executives reach out for a coach?

A) Some of them do! For themselves. A course here with INSEAD, and trip overseas to work with another business who specialises in new CEO development. All well and good until the team back home still struggles, and you are not hitting your numbers.

Here are the THREE reasons why Executive Coaching is Not Widely Considered;

1) “I’m spending company money on myself when I should be able to do the job. So I can’t ask the board for that? They’ll fire me and bring in someone competent.”

The WRONG way to think about this. People have natural skill biases, from the marketing lead who was once a graphic designer, to the Head of Product who used to work in a basement all day and all night, coding.

It is your job to get results, to learn new things, to delegate differently and impart new knowledge to your teams. So go get that knowledge!

2) “My team are too busy and I can’t spare the time for them to go out and learn.”

Ah the busy fool paradox. Of course they are busy. Of course you think you are short-handed and underfunded. But if your team cannot become self-sufficient then you will constantly be chasing their tails, leaving YOURSELF short handed. Busy does not equal effective and nor does it mean that someone who is busy cannot take on new tasks or think about solving problems a different way.

3) “We don’t have the budget for training – so we will just have to cope with it.”

This is another fool’s paradox. The oft quoted meme about the CFO saying that training is too expensive, and worrying what will happen if staff leave post the training. The CEO then retorts “yes, but what if we don’t train them and they stay”. Mic drop!

Training is one of the biggest ROI projects you will ever deliver. It just needs to be targeted in the right way, with the right partner.

QUESTION - What is Coaching for Executives Anyway?

Great question! In 2025, this can take a number of forms, most of which is not immediately apparent to the busy executive. Executive coaching has evolved to fit telecom’s fast-paced environment. Micro coaching offers quick, 15-minute sessions for immediate concerns, ideal for rapid decision-making. Team coaching fosters cohesiveness, crucial for aligning sales, engineering, and customer service, ensuring seamless offerings. Workshops, like multi-day retreats, can break mental barriers, while Q&A coaching provides on-demand feedback for pressing issues. Notably, coaching isn’t solely for the executive; it also supports rising stars and team happiness, addressing the workload pressures where execs can’t always be the “supercoach.”

Evidence Supporting Dual Coaching Needs

Research suggests executives need two coaches: one personal for leadership development and one for their teams, especially for emerging talent. The BetterUp blog (What is Executive Coaching: Benefits for the 2025 Workforce) highlights a 70% increase in individual performance and 50% in team performance from coaching, with a 788% ROI. The Ariel Group’s trends (6 Important Trends in Executive Coaching | Ariel Group) show growing demand for coaching at all levels, including senior team development and whole-person coaching, supporting the dual approach. This is particularly relevant in telecom, where regulatory pressures and market volatility demand resilience and collaboration.

So, how do I get started?

The answer is simple – look for your niche. Look for someone who shares your beliefs and values and work ethic, and go into any coaching engagement with your eyes wide open, and be open to the change.

For your teams and direct reports, again, look for the niche. What do you see as their blind spots? What is the company struggling with? Don’t set your team away with an executive coach who specialises in digital marketing if that is a strength and a pain point of your team. Likely you team will end up loving the coach, but we they knowledge base have been stretched by the engagement.

Reach Out

At Maplewave, we conceived our Amplifier Consulting division as we have a philanthropic passion for the industry. Our coaches have worked with sales teams, on design projects, with CEOs and with cross functional teams, helping them to be more effective and hit their targets.

Whether you need help redefining your channel strategy in the face of some heavy annual goals to hit, or you can identify two Rising Stars who need exposure outside of your business and your market, we can help you achieve your goals.

Need a future facing all hands event on “The Future of Telecoms”? You got it. We deliver keynotes all across the planet on topics as diverse as OmniChannel Enablement and The Rise of Gen Z as a Customer.

You know where we are. You might just find your Toni Nadal, and never look back.