Call
15 minutes, free. You tell me about your situation, and we see whether I'm the right person for this. If I'm not, I'll say so.
FIEN
Executive coaching
Decisions that no one makes for you.
Personal coaching for CEOs, leadership team members and entrepreneurs. We meet in the Helsinki region, at your premises or remotely, in Finnish or English. When a situation needs fast help, I travel further too.
10,000+ coaching hours
1,500+ personal clients
2005 working as a trainer and developer since
15 min free first call
When does a leader take on a coach?
The most common reason is that the role has grown faster than your own way of doing it.
A new role
The first year as CEO, on the leadership team or running a larger unit. Expectations come from many directions, and your first decisions stay in people's minds for a long time.
A big change
An acquisition, redundancy negotiations or a new strategy. You have to believe in the direction and at the same time withstand the fact that many don't believe in it yet.
Pressure and energy
Sleep gets shorter, patience wears thin and judgement suffers exactly when there are the most decisions to make. This is a leader's mental performance, and it can be trained.
A recurring pattern
The same situation comes up from one job to the next: the same conflict, the same procrastination or the same reaction to a certain kind of person. Behind the pattern there is usually a way of thinking that was once useful.
Alone at the top
A CEO rarely has anyone to think aloud with without the words immediately starting to circulate in the organisation. A coach can be that person.
How I do this work
I ask questions and tell you what I see.
Coaching moves forward through questions, and good questions are the basis of my work too. I also tell you what I see, for example how you make decisions or what repeats in your speech when pressure rises. A lot can be heard in word choices and tone of voice, and just as much in what you leave unsaid.
I choose the approach based on what I notice. Sometimes it is enough to see the structure of your own thinking. In psychology this skill is called metacognition. Sometimes an old reaction is so automatic that understanding doesn't change it. Then we work with imagery, the body or hypnosis. The method is always agreed with you.
A leader's mental performance
Judgement is a leader's performance.
A leader's performance is often one decision, one conversation or one speech. Its quality depends on the state of the mind at that very moment.
Even mild stress that a person feels unable to control impairs the prefrontal cortex: working memory, flexibility and judgement (Arnsten 2009).
I coach elite athletes and special forces soldiers from several countries on the same principles. With a leader we rehearse upcoming situations in the mind, build routines for recovery and look for the point where thinking starts to narrow. When you notice it in time, you can still influence what kind of decision it becomes.
It's not only that Ilkka is in the world's top five among experts and trainers of the mind. It's how his very broad, systemic approach gets significant results with serious business decision-makers who have already tried every possible coaching and leadership model. (Translated from Finnish.)
How the coaching works
Most leaders choose the three-month programme. An intensive day suits one big issue, and ongoing sparring is for those who want a thinking partner for longer.
Goal and measure
At the first meeting we agree what we are aiming for and how you'll notice the change.
Meetings
We meet regularly, at a pace agreed to suit your situation. Between meetings you can send a message, and before an important situation we can have a short call.
Review
At the end we look at what has happened to the measure. You decide whether we continue as sparring or whether this is enough.
Price
The price depends on the length of the programme and the number of meetings. I'll tell you after the first call, once I know what you need. If your organisation pays for the coaching, we agree in advance what is shared with the employer.
Trust
I don't name my clients without permission. A non-disclosure agreement is available on request.
Guarantee
If you're not satisfied with a session, I won't invoice you for it.
Frequently asked about executive coaching.
Other forms of personal coaching, including for athletes and private individuals, are on the Personal coaching page.
How much does executive coaching cost?
You'll hear the price after the free 15-minute call. It depends on the length of the programme and how often we meet.
What is the difference between executive coaching, leadership coaching and business coaching?
In practice they mean the same thing: one-to-one coaching where a leader develops their own thinking and actions. Executive coaching usually refers to coaching for top management, business coaching more loosely to coaching for working life.
What is the difference between coaching and mentoring?
A mentor shares their own experience. A coach helps you see your own thinking and find your own solution. My work includes both: I share my experience when it helps, and otherwise I help you see how you think.
Can the coaching be done remotely?
Yes. We meet in the Helsinki region, at your workplace or by video. Some of my clients live abroad, and I also coach in English.
Can you come in person elsewhere in Finland or abroad?
Yes. Sometimes one meeting is needed at short notice, for example before a decisive negotiation or a performance. Then I travel abroad too. Travel and fees are agreed case by case.
Who is executive coaching for?
CEOs, leadership team members, entrepreneurs and managers whose responsibility has just grown. If you want coaching for the whole leadership team, there is leadership team coaching.
Is this therapy?
No. The coaching focuses on work and performance. If I notice that your situation needs treatment, I'll say so and help you find the right professional.
Book a free 15-minute call.
Choose a time from my calendar. In the call you tell me briefly what the situation is and what you'd like to change.