Do today’s executives need superpowers to succeed?
It’s eat or be eaten in the animal kingdom and in many high performing corporate cultures. So what does it take to survive?
I’m sure you’ve heard the age-old adage that it’s lonely at the top. This turn of phrase often elicits a sarcastic response or a groan of false sympathy, after all, most leaders are well-compensated for their loneliness and don’t expect any sympathy. At the same time, our expectations for leaders are sky high. We expect top performance, 24/7 devotion; we expect inspirational performances, an almost inhuman immunity to jet lag and a mind that can see the future. A high-performance corporate culture can be the downfall of even the savviest, most intelligent and most experienced executives.
This type of culture is played out in its most extreme form on the hit TV series “Billions”. At the outset, this show revolves around schemes, plots, deception and blurry lines between good and evil. But a deeper look into the plotlines reveals very real pressures that top performers face. Ming Zeng, a top executive at Alibaba Group, sums up the role of the new digital leader quite well by saying “…leaders have to inspire the employees, partners and customers who make up that network. They must be visionaries and evangelists, outspoken in a way that the leaders of traditional companies do not have to be.”
Essentially, the role of leaders is constantly changing as companies and customers evolve, and we expect them to always be ahead, always hitting targets, always inspiring and always knowing the way forward. It’s a heavy load on the shoulders of one very real, albeit smart and talented, individual. In the show Billions, the characters are playing with millions or even billions of dollars in every decision. They start to question themselves, their decisions and their abilities. That’s where the character “Wendy Rhoades” steps in, hearing them out, reminding them why they are there and that they need to trust in themselves. Wendy is their coach.
Coaching isn’t the same thing as counseling or psychiatry. Coaches don’t hypnotize you or take you back to your childhood as you lay sobbing on a sofa. Coaching is a practice that engages two equal counterparts, the coach and the professional, and they work together to close the gaps between that professional’s performance and potential. A good coach doesn’t give all the answers and doesn’t fill silences with theories and quotes. A good coach listens and serves as the best sounding board of your career, as well helping you develop and/or transition into a new role, and to help you realize whether any of your own behaviors are standing in your way.
In my 30+ year career in IT and telecom, some of the best leaders I’ve known have had coaches. It was these leaders, who were fully aware that they couldn’t do it all alone, who were the most inspiring and most visionary. I’ve seen other leaders who’ve had so much potential. Focused, brilliant people who hold the highest of ambitions, but somehow they missed out on the key elements of leadership. My belief is that many leaders suffer from the belief that if they made it this far in their career, why should they get help now. They should be able to handle everything on their own. Afterall, they are the boss. It’s an inherent fear of showing weakness or vulnerability that stops many of these individuals from seeking support in the form of a coach.
I believe that business leaders need coaches in the same way that professional athletes need coaches. Neither wants to show weakness or vulnerability on the field, and both are relying heavily on talent, instincts, drive and hard work to succeed. But both require some basic support in the background. Someone to encourage their decisions, check in on their motivation, tap into their talents, and reassure them that they have what it takes.
For my entire executive career, I’ve had a coach. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, and it led me to roles and revelations that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise. And it’s for this reason that I am committed to giving that same experience to others, as a professional coach. I help leaders solve problems, analyze opportunities and unleash their potential within so that they can achieve even the most out-of-reach objectives. I may not be out there on the playing field in the heat of the moment with you, but I’ll be there with you during practice, helping you prepare for some of the biggest challenges you may face.
It can be lonely at the top, but it doesn’t have to be. So, forget about superpowers…it’s time to find your own Wendy Rhoades.