Becoming the CEO
He Aspired to Be

Becoming the CEO He Aspired to Be

The Story of an Executive Leadership Coaching Journey

Client name has been changed out of respect for his privacy

Jim B. is the CEO of a startup company with 200 employees. When he realized that some of his own behaviors and personal mindset were impeding business success, he collaborated with Liz Myers of Integrative Leadership Strategies for executive leadership coaching.  

In the early days of founding his company, Jim loved being in charge and was energized by tackling the most important projects of the day, month, and quarter.  

However, as time passed, Jim felt like he was “going through the motions” of leadership and knew that he could do better. He also needed to have some hard conversations with his business partner and certain members of his team. He wanted to stop feeling obligated to be 100% prepared before acting.

Through biweekly sessions over the course of 12 months, Jim worked with Liz to develop a clearer sense of his identity as a leader, how to manage his time effectively, and how to courageously confront and work through difficult professional relationships.

In addition, they cocreated development assignments that he tackled between sessions. As Jim left his comfort zone through a variety of experimentation, reflection, and reading, Liz provided a safe space for honest and vulnerable discussion along with perspective informed by experience.

Developing an Executive Identity

Jim questioned whether he was doing everything a leader was supposed to do and he wondered how to gauge whether he was doing a good job. 

His coaching journey started by focusing on better understanding his identity as a leader. This was critical because it would serve as the bedrock for building out and confidently owning his role as an executive. 

Jim articulated his own values through conversation with Liz, building an extensive list that included independence, security, creativity, integrity, and courage. By comparing this list with examples of what is externally projected as an “ideal CEO profile,” they identified instances of similarity and difference. 

Exercises like this allowed Jim to see how he was defining leadership success. They also created a framework for setting aside aspects that conflicted with his personal sense of self – ultimately leading to a very clear definition of Jim’s executive identity.

Then they moved on to exploring how Jim could better use his voice as a business leader to advance his vision for the company’s success and be seen as an industry thought leader by peers. This included a plan for preparing to “go out there” without feeling pressure to be perfect.

Balancing the Big Picture with the Daily Details

Determined to be an effective CEO, Jim also worked with Liz on building the mental discipline to stay “above the fray” – operating at the strategic level throughout every business day. He knew that getting caught up in the details of individual projects and tasks was not the best use of his time.

In coaching, Jim developed strategies for managing his mental and physical energy. They reset his personal foundation through a combination of daily habit development, strategic day design, and reconciling his vision for success with practical calendaring skills.

They worked through how Jim could realistically prioritize his important non-urgent CEO responsibilities, which had historically caused him a lot of stress. 

Going forward, he felt prepared to strategically set the course for his company, define what he needed his employees to do, and express how he as their executive leader would help get them there.

Managing Challenging Working Relationships 

“There are hard conversations that I need to have and it weighs on me.”

When it comes to interpersonal communication and people management, Jim struggled to balance his kind nature with some of his executive responsibilities. He was worried he might be too soft on his people. He wanted to deepen his working relationships through increased trust and transparency, while at the same time become more comfortable holding others accountable.

Liz coached Jim in techniques for confronting his business partner without fear of rejection, so that they could build greater trust and tackle performance concerns across their respective roles.  

They also examined Jim’s management style. He was unhappy with his team’s results, but could not identify the source of the problem. Was he micromanaging and therefore needed to adjust his own behavior?  Or was the team not delivering on realistic performance expectations? Or was it a combination?

After Jim made the difficult decision to let a C-level leader go, he became responsible for more active team leadership. He and Liz worked on his skills around providing clarity of mission and motivation, as well as how to lean into his natural strengths to harness his team’s capabilities for greater success.

Subtle Changes that Make a Big Difference

At the outset of working with Integrative Leadership Strategies, Liz asked Jim how he would know whether their coaching had been successful. 

“I’ll feel like our coaching work has led to specific insights, new ideas, and/or commitments, and I’ve followed through with them with fidelity, and they’ve resulted in experience and learning that gives me a new (and ideally enlightened) perspective.”

After a year of working together, Jim reported improvements in his mentality, his behavior, and his working relationships. He is now more aware of his personality limitations and emotional reactions. He also feels more confident serving as his company’s chief executive and standing strong and proud in his identity as the leader.

Jim has prioritized self-care in small yet significant ways, particularly around a defined morning routine and healthier sleep habits. 

He also reported feeling better equipped to cultivate important business relationships. He has moved away from defensiveness and taking what others say personally. By embracing understanding, vulnerability, curiosity, and transparency, he has improved key relationship dynamics, rendering his day-to-day work more enjoyable and peaceful, despite the natural business pressures that a CEO faces.

If you are struggling with similar senior leadership challenges as Jim, consider executive leadership coaching with Liz Myers at Integrative Leadership Strategies today.