Destiny, or just hard work?
Perhaps you intended to rise to the executive level all along.
You worked long and hard for it, every step taken in the direction of leadership, responsibility, and obligation.
Or, maybe, you were just good at your job, moving the needle, little by little.
The view from the top is…?
As a result, you were moved up and up until you found yourself the leader of a team that looks to you for direction, leadership, and encouragement.
You wonder, “How the hell did I get here? I just wanted a job.”
Well, you’re here. So now what?
It’s great to be a leader and, if you’re honest, terrifying.
You have big decisions to make every day.
Your team is depending on you.
The health and well-being of a lot of people rest on your shoulders.
It hasn’t been easy.
There’s stress at home, you’re not sleeping as well, you’re irritable, maybe drinking too much.
You have a sickening sense you can’t share with anyone, that “it’s all up to me.”
You need someone you can share all this with, but who?
That is where executive coaching comes in.
Honestly, I’ve never been comfortable with the term ‘executive coaching.’
It implies a guy in a shiny suit spouting a lot of ‘biz-speak’ that guarantees this, that, or the other success story. I don’t communicate in bullet points. I am not that guy.
I am the guy who reminds you it’s okay to be uncertain, to not know, to not have all the answer. I am the guy who’s willing to work with you as your strength and self-confidence grow, your knowledge expands, you find answers.
I know that true leadership has as much to do with spiritual growth as it does with expertise. I am the guy who knows you grow into leadership, that it is a process, one that will go on over time, and will remind you of that frequently.
As a trusted confidant, I know perfection is not possible, leaders are human, and who has no dog in the hunt except your growth as an individual.
Asking for help is a sign of strength.
You’ve been socialized to think you shouldn’t need help, that asking for it makes you look weak.
On the contrary, the greatest leaders are wise enough to get support.
In fact, collecting the resources to care for your needs will be the key move that sets you up for continued success and longevity in your role.
What you need is perspective.
The ability to put things in their right place, to let people help, to relax and bring your best self to work so that people will want to back your leadership.
In fact, it is not all up to you!
But it is up to you to be the leader that people want to follow and in so doing bring out the best in your team.
You don’t have to wear your suit.
Executive coaching in my world is a private relationship in which you let your hair down and talk about the difficulties and challenges you face, without having to feel that having them is a sign of failure.
You will realize and accept that leading human beings is one of the hardest jobs there is.
My goal is to help you clarify and express what your own unique style of leadership is, to be calm and centered, and to allow the team you’ve assembled, or been given, to do their jobs so you can do yours.
When you stop trying so hard, you’ll take your leadership to the next level.
I look forward to hearing from you for a consult.
We’ll take 20 or 30 minutes to establish what you hope to accomplish and whether I can help you.
