Perceived Weakness & Lack of Self Awareness Stops CEOs and Executive Leaders from Improving

There have been countless studies & articles offering conjecture on the ever increasing weaknesses, failure & turn-over rates of today’s CEOs and Executive leaders.  So why then, with so much riding on their leadership, do we not provide them with the skills and tools they need overcome their weaknesses to survive?  Do we assume that, by virtue of their position and title they have no weaknesses, and must be “the best”; i.e., perfect and in no need of improvement?  No one bats an eye when an athlete utilizes an expert coach to improve on their weaknesses and increase their success in a chosen sport.  

So why is professional Executive Coaching different?  For many, it is perception of what coaching actually provides and insinuates.  While utilizing an expert sport coach for an athlete is considered a wise decision and obvious path to success; CEOs & Leaders who opt for Executive Coaching are often viewed as having a remedial weakness that somehow diminishes their perceived abilities to lead and succeed. 

The ironic twist to this commonly accepted misperception is that the vast majority of CEOs & Leaders would be more than willing to utilize an Executive Coach if it were not for the negative association with weakness. Douglas LaBier, in his article entitled: “Why CEOs Don’t Want Executive Coaching”, sums up the real value of Executive Coaching and refutes the common negative weakness association with Executive Coaching services:

“Self-awareness is crucial to leadership, and it can be heightened through coaching. The higher up you go in companies, the more you’re dealing with psychological and relational issues. Successful CEO leadership requires astuteness about others: their emotional and strategic personal drivers; their self-interest, overt and covert. These relationship competencies rest on a foundation of self-knowledge, self-awareness.

And you can’t know the truth about another without knowing it about yourself. Self-knowledge and the relational competencies they’re linked with are central to a CEO’s ability to formulate, articulate and lead a strategic vision for a motivated, energized organization. Self-knowledge builds clarity about objectives; it fine-tunes one’s understanding the perspectives, values, aims and personality traits of others. When that’s lacking, you often see discord and conflict among members of the senior management team; or between some of its members and the CEO.” 

Douglas LaBier

Isn’t it time we throw out this antiquated, negative perception of weakness in CEOs & Leaders who have the foresight to proactively guarantee their success?  Be an informed leader…..investigate what Executive Coaching can do for you.

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RJ Winston Consulting Executive Consulting Blog Resources: 2 Things Tank CEOs - Weakness & Self Awareness

About RJ Winston Consulting:  Reginald Winston, CEO and founder of RJ Winston Consulting, Inc. has 25+ years’ experience in Organizational Development with a focus on Executive Coaching & Training, Team Building, Group Facilitation, Conflict Management, and Professional Life Coaching.  Before consulting, Mr. Winston held positions in numerous large organizations including Ameritech, SBC, Motorola, Advocate Health Care, Corning Consumer Products and the Federal Reserve.  In addition, Mr. Winston’s service in the US Marine Corps and assignments with the United States Department of State gives him a unique insight in the challenges management teams & leaders face in the expanding global world market. 

Mr. Winston has extensive experience in working with Hospital Administrators and Senior Medical staff (doctors, nurses and executive-level hospital administrators) in a wide variety of hospital settings and departments. His experience also extends to the public & private sector, as well as industrial, manufacturing and corporate environments where he has provided coaching services to C-Level Executives, Mid-Level Directors & Managers and teams. Mr. Winston holds a Master of Science Degree in Organization Development (MSOD) from Loyola University, in Chicago, Illinois.

If you decide to take advantage of the Executive Coaching process, what should you expect? The RJ Winston Consulting Executive Coaching is an 8-Step process that begins with an in depth, one-on-one consultation with you to assess if we are the “right” fit for you.  If, after our consultation, it is determined that RJ Winston is not the best coach for you, we will refer you to another Executive Coach from our professional network.

How long will the coaching process take? Because we tailor each of our coaching programs to our client’s unique needs & goals, there is not a specific time frame for coaching. However, for most clients the Executive Coaching process typically takes a minimum of 1 year. We meet once a week for an hour for the first 6 months, then every other week for the second half of the year.

To learn more about RJ Winston Consulting’s Executive Coaching services; download our Infographs: Benefits of an Executive Career Coach; Why Coaching Works

Ready to Schedule a Coaching Consultation? Just send us a consultation request:

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Have a specific question? We are happy to answer. CONTACT RJ WINSTON CONSULTING. Visit our website: www.RJWinston.com or CALL: (708) 227-1254