14 Key Observations from Coaching Thousands of Leaders
Over the past 30+ years, AlexanderHancock Associates founding partner Emmie Alexander has assessed, coached, and trained thousands of leaders at all levels, in a wide range of industry sectors in many parts of the world. Here she offers some observations based on those interactions:
Almost all leaders went to work every day determined to do a good job for their organizations, to do the right things to make their company successful.
Almost all wanted to treat people fairly and honestly within the business context, and thought they did, even when others had a different assessment.
Almost all were above average in intelligence and were knowledgeable about their industry and their own business.
All had some blind spots, though some more than others.
Regardless of past success or effectiveness, all had some areas in which their capabilities were weak.
All had some aspects of style/personality/behavior that interfere with their ability to influence.
Most were ready to acknowledge their technical weaknesses or lack of experience, but many resisted acknowledging style problems.
Many had been successful in the past, but when their situation changed, they stumbled.
Most have such demands on their time and attention that they tend to get caught up in the day-to-day pressures and get tunnel vision.
For most, getting 360-degree feedback and coaching was the first time in their careers when they had stopped and self-reflected.
Most had an idea of how to improve their business and/or technical knowledge and skills, but had no idea how to improve their judgment, leadership style, or interpersonal skills.
Leaders with different styles could and can be effective, but most of the failures we observed stemmed from the same small list of fatal flaws.
Position or years of experience were and are no guarantee of effectiveness. Many senior level leaders lacked the skills of effective interpersonal communication or positive influence, and the more senior they were, the harder it was for them to admit these weaknesses.
All leaders bring their “personal stories” to the job – their personal mind map of who they are and how the world works. When the story is positive and healthy, it enables their effectiveness, but when the story is distorted and negative, it cripples them, blocks them, or limits their effectiveness.
Indeed, in our experience, when CEOs run into performance issues, it’s generally not because they didn’t make their numbers. It’s because something in their interpersonal skills or style – the set of specific actions they frequently took when interacting with others – was lacking.
Furthermore, recent research from the Institute for Corporate Productivity found that 84% of high-performing organizations invest in leadership development programs. But only 23% of all business leaders surveyed characterized their firms as "strong at developing future leaders" to a high or very high extent.
Whatever these organizations are doing to enhance leadership, in other words, their own senior leaders think it isn’t enough.
The good news, our experience and research show, is that most, if not all, of these individual shortcomings can be addressed by learning and practicing interpersonal skills, particularly how to hold strategic conversations. That’s not something you’re born with. It is a skill that you can learn through practice.
To find out more about how leaders in your organization can learn the skills of holding strategic conversations that bring about improved business results while also treating co-workers fairly and honestly, contact us today.
