Who Put the Pain in Executive Leadership?
Who Put the Pain in Executive Leadership?
A friend of VIM Executive Coaching has recently undergone joint replacement surgery. We asked after her a few days post-surgery. The surgeon and nurses were quite pleased with their handiwork, the folks in post-op and the physical therapists were happy with the outcome and now, it is time and lots of therapy that must work with her to restore the battered, now replaced joint.
“Any surprises thus far?” we asked.
“Well, no one told me it was major surgery and no one told me about the pain.”
Ah yes, that darned pain
After we made our goodbyes, there was ample time to reflect on the conversation. It was a microcosm of how executive leadership is normally taught and how the outcomes are all too frequently regarded.
For there is no end to coursework, podcasts, videos, expert opinion (are there ever!) newsletters and, of course books devoted to the topic of the one, surefire executive leadership way. It is, of course, myth.
Then there is the pain. Times get bad for executive leaders, despite the best intentions, plans and “executive visions,” there are failures, fallbacks, mistakes and flat-out goofs.
So why is that? What is not seen, and what is not anticipated? The answer no executive leadership expert wants to admit is that there are always flaws, issues and unforeseen bends in the road. No single way circumvents the pain, no single road is the best of the best. Life doesn’t work that way.
What we do have are mindfulness and authenticity. How does the executive leader approach the challenge and who is the executive leader in that very moment? As an important add-on, it might be asked, how the challenge presents itself and how those around the executive leader are mindful and authentic enough to see the problem, take a deep breath, and respond to what it is in front of them?
Are people around the executive leader responding or angrily reacting? Is everyone on the team, authentically talking to one another or are they sputtering and stammering their positions despite their long lists of impressive credentials? Mindfulness was “change management” long before anyone jumped on those buzzwords. In fact, mindful executive leaders trace their origins to ancient times and in every country on earth. The good, responsive ones are remembered. The bad executive who reacted and never took advice, are mostly forgotten.
We could never be…
Although those of us at VIM Executive Coaching have been rated as good executive coaches, there is not a surgeon among us, not one! The surgeons we have met are amazing. Yet, we can see parallels between a surgeon running a complex procedure and an executive leader communicating with a team of business professionals.
In the moment, the surgeon (and yes, we are clearly aware of the critical interplay between surgeon and anesthesiologist) a procedure calls for mindfulness to be truly effective. And, of course there is, unfortunately, (hopefully correctable) unforeseen pain.
When mindfulness and not overly and unnecessarily “impressive” credentials (and huge egos) are in play, teams are generally successful. When an inauthentic executive leader claims their imposing credentials and not their mindfulness, in any and every field, mistakes happen.
Our friend will be just fine not because she is as super-healer, but because she is mindful enough to be aware that each step, she takes is one step closer to healing. Executive teams, in a similar manner, must see themselves working toward a dynamic, ever-changing goal. Sometimes pain must be included in that vision.
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