Here are five potential hurdles to developing executives and convincing them to change their behaviors:
- Lack of authentic feedback: The more authority you have, the less likely you are to seek and receive authentic feedback. You may present an air of confidence and dominance that discourages meaningful interactions.
- Lack of time or value placed on reflection: Most executives face enormous, continuous and widely varying demands on their time. The likelihood of having time to reflect on behavior is minimal. Furthermore, it’s not in the nature of most hard-driving, results-oriented personalities to be introspective.
- Reluctance to reveal weaknesses to others: Leaders strive to continually project an aura of confidence and competence. Complicating matters, the organization and your peers may discourage you from appearing vulnerable.
- Reluctance to acknowledge weaknesses: Executives often steer clear of acknowledging their personal weaknesses. When your behaviors lead to positive business results, you may rationalize weaknesses in interpersonal style. But denial works for only so long before complexity, stress and challenges take their toll.
- Fear of letting go of a previously successful style: If your leadership style has been working just fine for a few years, you may fear that modifying it puts your effectiveness at risk.
No coach, no matter how talented, can effect change and development in a leader who fails to understand how barriers can sabotage one’s efforts. When executives agree to change and improve, coaching works. When they see themselves as responsible for making change, coaching once again works. The return on investment for organizations is exponential.