"Finding good players is easy. Getting them to play as a team is another story." Casey Stengel
Nothing should be more important than building exceptional, sustainable leadership teams, effective governance platforms, and a strategy to make them work well together.
Excellence and continuous improvement in governance will be well served by embracing the framework that Nancy Falls outlines in her book, "CORPORATE CONCINNITY IN THE BOARDROOM: 10 Imperatives to Drive High Performing Companies."
According to a 2013 Forbes survey, nearly 100% of CEOs wish they had coaching or leadership advice from outside coaches and consultants. Yet, only one-third of them get it. Why is that?
Many directors, given their age, do not have personal experience with professional coaches or individual executive advisors. As a result, they carry a prejudice against them.
Other directors believe in coaching and mentoring but think they can be the personal advisor to their CEOs. Not only does this fall short, it sets a horrible stage for conflict in governance. Board members are absolutely not the best personal advisors for their CEOs.
It is imperative that you bench your inner coach. We all have one. We are smart and successful and may have even mentioned a number of senior leaders along the way. We may know how to, but we easily forget when and when not to. You and your CEO deserve better.
Note that according to the same Forbes survey, nearly 100% of CEOs wish they had received coaching or leadership advice from outside of their companies. When a CEO says "outside of the company," that includes you, board member.
If the CEO needs help on personal issues, the board member is too close to help. Depending on whether the matters he or she wants to focus on are soft-skill related or hard-skill related, either an executive coach or an individual executive advisor is needed.
Why Individual Executive Advising and Coaching Work
Business seems to have come late to the individual executive advising and coaching party. Somehow we think our challenges are different. The most common reasons for not engaging a professional include the following:
1. Executive coaches and individual executive advisors are for failures.
2. We can or should do it ourselves.
3. We can't afford it.
4. We don't have time.
5. We can't imagine how anyone can help.
6. We think that's what all those board directors are for.
These are terrible reasons for not hiring an individual executive advisor or coach! Still it would surprise me if you or someone you know on your board doesn't harbor some of these notions.
Source: Nancy Falls: Corporate Concinnity in the Boardroom: 10 Imperatives to Drive High Performing Companies