by Luke Havard
It’s lonely at the top,” said a CEO I was working with. “Sometimes I feel like I’ve got no one to turn to, everyone expects me to always have the answer, to always know what to do, but on this occasion I just don’t know what to do.”
We hear terms like “self-made man” and self-reliance bandied around all the time, but are the world’s most successful leaders just looking to themselves for advice, inspiration and guidance? Are all millionaires and billionaires really self-made? In my experience, no. All the most successful leaders that I have worked with or studied carefully selected mentors to guide them on their rise to greatness.
Because the business world lauds the self-made leader, it is still common for CEOs to feel isolated. Those they lead naturally look to them for direction and guidance and there are times when the pressures and challenges can become overwhelming. Who should they turn to?
Get over yourself
What do Branson, Gates, Clinton, Jobs, Zuckerberg, Mandela, King, Buffet and DiCaprio all have in common? They sought out coaches to help them to navigate their journey and improve their ability to lead. From my experience, most CEOs struggle to seek out advice because of the culture of pride that is associated with being the head honcho. But remember there’s a reason that pride comes before the fall, so my advice is to let go of your preconceived ideas and open your mind to the possibilities that you can achieve with extra support.
Find a trusted advisor
You need to confide in someone with whom you feel completely comfortable letting your guard down but who also has the guts to challenge you when you’re wrong. Leaders don’t hire coaches to stroke their ego; they hire coaches to help guide them through the biggest decisions of their careers.
Transparency and trust
A trusted advisor is also a confidant, a person with whom you can share challenges and concerns and who will give you honest and constructive feedback. As a leader you owe it to yourself, your employees and stakeholders to find someone you trust to hold you accountable when times are good but also when all hell breaks loose.
Join a group
Joining a high level mastermind with other influential leaders is a liberating and powerful experience. A mastermind is a group of motivated people who are committed to growing personally and professionally. Masterminds break the stereotypical image that as a CEO you have to have it all together and you don’t need to learn anything new. Leaders who join a coaching group acknowledge that they still have more to learn. It is also a great environment to share challenges you’re facing and gain insights from smarter people than yourself.
Changing the face of leadership
In an age in which business leaders are surrounded by distractions and under pressure at work, leadership coaching should be a requirement for any serious CEO. Today’s leaders need to stop focusing on the myth of the self-made man and start realizing that they cannot accomplish everything on their own. Relying on other people for advice isn’t a weakness – it’s a sign of strength.
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Luke Havard is the founder of Fearless Leadership, advising and mentoring business leaders, millionaire entrepreneurs and high profile individuals. His clients include leaders from corporate titans like Pfizer, HSBC, Range Rover and Johnson & Johnson, to thought leaders, politicians and even a film director. Luke’s message regularly reaches a staggering 700,000 people worldwide with his videos, blog posts and articles.
Source: CEO