C-Level executives:

Need to be good coaches themselves

Are presumed to be able to execute their responsibilities in part by developing others

Failure is not lack of technical skill but inability to establish effective human connections

Get hired for their skills but are fired for their personalities

Language associated with topmost executives ranges from royalty to deity, to superheroes, titans of industry, kings or queens of commerce "Emperors of Global Business"

This type of thinking creates a two- fold problem:

1. Executives have reached the pinnacle of success, with nothing left to learn

2. Executives themselves come to believe their own press or assume they must act as if they believe it, taking on a façade of invincibility self- importance and omniscience

In both cases the isolation that ensues unleashes a chain of detrimental consequences that contributes to a short tenure or suboptimal performance

Exploring the perils and discuss how coaching can help mitigate them.

Metaphors that describe the unique world in which c-level executives live:

Executives are feted in the finest ways (i.e. first rate restaurants); and vice versa the fine aura of success that both the two of you share metaphorically it builds a cocoon

Everything the executive hears is spun in one way or another (financial #'s)

Everyone in and outside of organization has an agenda they want to talk to CEO about

Being CEO is a lonely job (certain amount of detachment is required) regularly providing good meals

In effect life becomes a stage play - all participants are actors in a drama - impressions are carefully crafted to maintain an illusion of success. Failing to maintain the illusion can cause doubts among important stakeholders.

Having an unbiased outsider who is willing to speak candidly, listen to the CEO's thoughts and questions and respond in a thoughtful way that helps CEO escape from the quarantine

Like the captain of a ship the CEO is alone at the helm

He higher you go the more isolated you become

Everyone else has someone they can talk to if he needs help, guidance, or someone to let his hair down with

Captain expected to have to problems and no doubts.

Most of the time CEO is never really aware of what's happening "down below" (people are afraid to tell, do not want to appear incapable of handling situation, do not want to be bearer of bad news, too often want to protect CEO.) By the time CEO finds out the situation has gotten out of control

Outside Coach: Captain can express doubts knowing the coach is not evaluating him and won't spread rumors; coach must understand CEO dilemmas from multiple perspectives: the individual level (what's going on for the person; the team level (the group dynamics of the executive staff or staff teams); and the organizational level (how all this fits with the culture, system, and strategy). There should be no agenda to push from the coach. Coach listens openly with no agenda to push and ask thoughtful questions that help executive think through problems and examine alternatives. Everything is confidential leaving the executive to freely express doubts and misgivings and can explore alternatives and the consequences of potential decisions without having a listener who is reacting overtly or covertly to what is being said and is worrying about his position or the success of his personal agenda. Coaches should come from outside the organization; inside coaches bring too much baggage with them and cannot be objective, no matter how much they try.

Because they live in such a public spotlight c-level executives must become highly circumspect about what they say and how they say it

You are never not the CEO. Not even at the grocery store

Difficult to be themselves

Their words and actions take on a greater than normal meaning, and their behavior is often interpreted in ways they could not have foreseen.

Developing a trustworthy and effective public persona that remains consistent with private values and ethics is one of the challenges that await new c Level executives.

Coach is the sounding board for the tensions that inevitably arise between what the CEO must say and what she wishes she could say between whom the CEO is in public and who the CEO really is.

Evokes the image of what we might call the tattletale conspiracy - in these highly politicized environments there is an unspoken agreement among lower levels of executives to protect one another and not to "tattle" to the CEO if one of them is having problems. Another manifestation of the tattletale conspiracy has the children vying for CEO's attention. Some executives become confidants of CEO and tell in secret what's going on with other executives (who's okay, who's making mistakes, who needs to be fired, etc.) This type of political environment is clearly dysfunctional. Assuming the CEO catches on the result is often detachment from everyone because no one can be trusted.

The CEO can't truly know what is going on

No one will be forthright

Problems aren't addressed or fixed

Employees become exasperated with poor leadership

CEO effectiveness is called into question

The whole organization is destabilized

Behavior is childish hence the kindergarten metaphor

To c-Level executives, the principal value of coaching is in having an unbiased, objective thought partner, someone who can listen to the executive's doubts without ringing the alarm bell, someone who can discuss the alternatives without having a stake in the outcome, and someone who can offer feedback and suggestions without passing judgement.

Taken from Adaptive Coaching by Terry R. Bacon and Karen I. Spear