Living and growing in the crossfire

Leadership at the centre of everyone’s attention

 

Failure is the apparent outcome when so many different views, desires, expectations and ideas are focused on one position, as in the case of leaders. 

They are in the spotlight of the chief executives, they know about the wishes and interests of their boss and the boss-boss. They feel their employees‘ expectations and claim to be a good leader. 

Executives and their teams work with the projected quarterly figures breathing down their necks, which they naturally want to achieve, possibly exceed, even if the official company policy proclaims that these are only indicative values. In doing so, they are in silent competition with their equals. 

Of course, they want a career, be respected and admired by their family of origin. In addition, they want the recognition and love of their life partners and possibly the admiration of their children. 

In addition, they are integrated (please present them as a picture!) into a company tradition and the company organisation! These company structures often force the position holders to fulfil unspoken expectations and to behave in a way that is appropriate to their position, which is usually not officially stated. 

Often not so obviously, they are also connected to banks and financiers who can make claims against them. Possibly the financing of a family home is linked to their career. 

To be efficient and to „perform“, you should take care of your physical health and do regular endurance sports. Again, a requirement they cannot escape if they are smart. Many of effective sports lead back around to performance and competition situations. 

In executive coaching, they are again confronted with expectations. They are expected to develop their self-awareness and empathy skills, be visionary, and leave room for their colleagues to be creative. 

Leaders, in short, are all too easily everyone’s whipping boy. My esteemed colleague Dr Maria Bergler recently published an article on LinkedIn that is well worth reading. 

As a systemic coach, I love this complex system of interdependencies and enjoy thinking with people about how they are not victims but creators in it. 

I believe that leaders can learn to be personally free and balanced in the world of their work and private lives if they approach the many shaping influencing factors with interest, curiosity and appreciation for themselves and their fellow players. 

As one of the few active coaches with over 50 years of experience, I offer them my whole repertoire of competencies.