Coaching the CEO

July 30, 2021

by John O. Burdett

Research suggests that only about one-third of CEOs receive formal coaching. In virtually every other form of endeavour where excellence is the benchmark of success, coaching is a given.

Coaching at the Top of the House

Research suggests that only about one-third of CEOs receive formal coaching. Meanwhile, half of senior managers operate without external coaching support. The same research, paradoxically, suggested that nearly 100% of those same leaders (CEOs and senior managers) said that they would like to be coached. In virtually every other form of endeavour where excellence is the benchmark of success, coaching is a given.

Top executives live in a goldfish bowl and, as such, their actions are magnified. The organisation’s values have little to do with what’s written on the plaque in reception and everything to do with how the CEO behaves. How the CEO turns up, their mastery in coaching, the stories shared, learning people’s names, a simple smile as they walk through the office, in no small measure, shape what’s possible.

It’s easy to forget that a small action from the CEO can be literally life-changing for someone in the middle of the organisation. If you are a top executive, you don’t owe it to yourself to be coached – but you do owe it to all of those whose lives you touch.

Download the full insights

DOWNLOAD

Contents:


This article is an extract of content © Orxestra® Inc. The download is available from the TRANSEARCH International website.

John O. Burdett is founder of Orxestra® Inc. He has extensive international experience as a senior executive. As a consultant he has worked in more than 40 countries for organisations that are household names. John has worked on organisation culture for some of the world's largest organisations. His ongoing partnership with TRANSEARCH International means that his thought leading intellectual property, in any one year, supports talent management in many hundreds of organisations around the world. Get in touch with John O. Burdett »

You may also like