In today’s fast-paced and competitive business landscape, the need for executive coaches has become increasingly vital. As employees advance in their careers and transition into leadership roles, they often lack the necessary leadership skills and techniques. Many new managers rely on mentors, typically more experienced managers they look up to, for guidance. Mentors offer advice based on their own experiences. In contrast, executive coaches have the explicit role of enhancing their clients’ performance and capabilities.
They provide an unbiased perspective and objective feedback, enabling leaders to gain valuable insights into their strengths and areas needing improvement. Executive coaches offer guidance and support in developing leadership skills, fostering self-awareness, and promoting personal growth. Unlike mentors, executive coaches are dedicated professionals focused on helping leaders thrive.
Anamitra Chatterjee, an Accredited Executive Coach and Faculty, possesses more than 25 years of education and experience in India and UK, working with Deutsche Bank, PwC, Hult Ashridge UK, and IIMs in India. He is committed to empowering leaders on their journey to success.
With a deep understanding of the complexities of leadership, Anamitra helps leaders unlock their full potential, develop their leadership competencies, and achieve their goals. Anamitra underwent the World Class Mentoring (Elite Sports & Business) Programme from Ashridge Business School UK. Anamitra has a keen interest in travelling to mountains.
Please walk us through your professional journey.
I hold 2 post-graduate qualifications: PGDM (MBA) from IIM Calcutta & PGD from LSE and a Master’s degree, MSc Masters in Executive Coaching (AMEC) from Hult Ashridge, UK. I studied on a British Chevening scholarship at LSE, UK. I got a Distinction in BSc - Economics (Hons) from Presidency College, Calcutta. I am a certified practitioner of psychometrics: Hogan & LVI360, Belbin, FIRO-B & MBTI. Following that, I worked for 5 years each in two organizations. Initially, I worked for Deutsche Bank AG, a German bank, and thereafter for Big4 PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), as Head-HR and L&D focusing on learning and development. This was followed by 12 years of independent leadership development and executive coaching practice.
Notably, in 2007, I attended a coaching conference organized by the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad, where renowned executive coach Marshall Goldsmith, ranked number one in the world, conducted a workshop. This event sparked my interest in executive coaching.
After attending the workshop, I was drawn to the emerging field of executive coaching. While executive coaching had gained traction in Europe and UK by the turn of the century, it was relatively new in India. Unfortunately, there were no Master’s programs or qualifications in executive coaching available in Singapore, or India at that time.
In 2008, I had the opportunity to deliver a training program in China as part of my work at PwC. It was during this time that I discovered the lack of executive coaching programs in those regions. Consequently, I had to choose between pursuing my master’s degree in executive coaching in US, UK, or Europe. Inspired by Marshall Goldsmith’s book ‘What Got You Here Won’t Get You There’, which was published in 2007, and ‘Relational Coaching’ by Prof. Erik De Haan around the same time, I took the decision to embark on specialized executive education.
In 2008, I made the bold decision to resign from PwC and pursue my Master’s degree in executive coaching. I chose to study at Ashridge in UK, for a two-year program and accreditation from EMCC. Additionally, I underwent a six-month leadership development program at the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) in Brussels.
Executive Coach accreditation and membership comes from the two well known associations, ICF and EMCC, having its original members in USA and Europe respectively. Both ICF and EMCC have now expanded with members in Asia including India.
What are some of the challenges executives are facing and how do you address it?
Executives pain points primarily revolve around internal obstacles, which Prof. Chris Argyris of Harvard referred to as ‘defensive reasoning’ in his influential HBR article titled “Teaching Smart People How to Learn” (1991).
Through my 12 years of independent practice, I have observed that it is a combination of both internal and external factors. I use the metaphor of breakfast, lunch, and dinner to illustrate this concept. Talented and hardworking leaders are often thrust into the challenging task of leading business organizations (the dinner piece) without investing enough personal time in self-reflection and understanding (the breakfast piece) and developing an understanding of others (the lunch piece). As an Executive Coach, my focus is on helping clients improve their self-leadership by enhancing self-awareness and addressing internal interferences, such as confirmation bias.
Another common concern expressed by clients is the lack of investment in leadership development within fast-paced digital organizations. The traditional approaches of organizational induction training and leadership offsites have been replaced by virtual-online and on-the-job learning, resulting in a widening leadership gap between potential and performance.
I specialize in developing executive coaching clients by active listening, shared inquiry, exploration, challenge, and support. My leadership development and executive coaching practice is based on my own belief that Performance is equal to Potential minus (Internal) Interference. This belief and the relational coaching forms the foundation of my approach, By utilizing this approach, I assist my clients in exploring behavioral change and achieving their desired coaching outcomes. Drawing upon my extensive training, accreditation, and experience (TAE), I establish meaningful connections with leaders, bridging the gap between warmth and competency.
My leadership development & executive coaching practice is informed by my own belief in performance is potential minus (internal) interference
What are the standout services provided by your company? How do they set themselves apart from other services in the market?
The flagship service is executive coaching, which encompasses various specialized strands such as CXO coaching, Transition coaching, Behavioural coaching, and Leadership coaching. Additionally, Mentoring services, which differ significantly from Executive Coaching. As Faculty, I offer executive education programs focused on consulting skills, organization behavior (OB & HRM), leadership development in IIMs in India.
How does a complete cycle of your client engagement look like?
I firmly believe that establishing a connection, building rapport, and fostering trust between the coach and client are vital in creating a collaborative relationship.
I offer personalized executive coaching experiences that cater to the specific needs of individual leaders and organizations. The coaching is customized based on the client’s preference for face-to-face or online sessions, and the frequency and duration of the coaching sessions are mutually agreed upon with the client. I provide flexibility within an agreed range to accommodate their unique requirements.
For Directors and CXOs with 20 years of work experience, I design individual face-to-face executive coaching assignments tailored to their development needs. A typical executive coaching engagement consists of 6-8 sessions, each lasting 60-90 minutes, including a powerful mindful hour! Throughout a period of 3-4 months, these sessions encompass approximately 8-10 hours of impactful one-on-one coaching conversations. In addition to the executive coaching sessions, psychometrics, reflection journals, and development assignments are integrated to further enhance the coaching experience and support the client’s growth journey.
How has your journey been since the inception of your Coaching practice?
I have come a long way in the span of 12 years, starting from humble beginnings to building a thriving executive coaching practice. When I initially embarked on my journey, pursuing a Masters in Executive Coaching in the UK and leaving behind a stable corporate career as the Head of HR and Learning & Development at PwC India, I could not have envisioned the opportunities and growth that awaited me. Returning from the well-established market of London to India to establish my practice demanded unwavering self-belief, determination, resilience, and expanding my own mindset as a professional solopreneur. I must thank my teachers and family for their support during the period of building my leadership development and executive coaching practice.
The growth of my leadership development and executive practice unfolded differently than I had imagined, but it was nevertheless rewarding, particularly in niche areas like transition coaching. During that time, executive coaching in India was still in its early stages, with the majority perceiving it as a one-on-one conversation aimed at addressing remedial issues, rather than fully embracing it as a pivotal component of leadership development. However, the significance of leadership development and executive coaching has garnered widespread recognition. Executive coaching undeniably delivers value, and as Rabindranath Tagore aptly said, “Value is valued by those who value value.”
What are your future plans?
As Accredited Executive Coach (EMCC), I have exciting plans to expand coaching services into new areas that align with both academic advancements and industry practices. I am currently working on an action research inquiry on executive coaching, website and my YouTube Channel. In the future, I intend to focus more on CXO Coaching and also introduce Team Coaching as part of the offerings. As an Accredited Executive Coach (EMCC) and Faculty of Leadership Development in IIMs, India, I have the vision to establish, build and lead a Center of Excellence (CoE) dedicated to Leader Development: Executive Coaching. This CoE will be the first of its kind in India.
Anamitra Chatterjee, Accredited Executive Coach (Emcc) & Leadership Development Faculty
Anamitra Chatterjee, an Accredited Executive Coach (EMCC) and Faculty, possesses more than 25 years of education and experience in India and UK, working with Deutsche Bank, PwC, Hult Ashridge UK, and IIMs in India. With over 12 years of independent practice in Leadership Development and Executive Coaching, Anamitra Chatterjee has successfully coached over 230 senior leaders, accumulating a total coaching time of 2600 hours. As Faculty he is responsible for designing and delivering Executive Education Programs focused on Consulting Skills, Organizational Behaviour, and Leadership Development. His training has benefited more than 25 clients and reached over 3500 managers.
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