Most often, senior leaders miss the subtleties of their role. A coach is often a private leadership tutor for leaders who are technically brilliant, good managers but may be uncertain of who they are as a leader.

We coach executives who made it up through the ranks of technical excellence. They have technical savvy and may be good managers but at the higher levels it takes more than that. They need to BE true leaders. But many don’t know what to do differently: What do they let go of? What do they keep? How can they be successful if they aren’t directly responsible for getting results?

We work with leaders to clarify their leadership role and who they aspire to be as a leader. We define what success as a leader looks like so they can measure themselves with more appropriate criteria. It’s sometimes a surprise to leaders that a large part of their role is formulating and repeating their “guiding message” over and over again. Often leader’s think: “I told them once, why do I need to tell them again?” Senior leaders also need to understand the importance of developing relationships and a credible leadership “presence.” They need to learn that leadership is a paradox that requires them to be strong and receptive; steadfast and flexible; courageous and compassionate.

Leadership is complex, yet there is an expectation that leaders should already know what to do and that senior leaders have nothing more to learn. We support each leader in learning the subtleties of leadership that are essential if they are to succeed.