Of those who are employed, how many make it into the C-Suite? Maybe 1%? In a country where just
over 10 million people are formally employed, that doesn’t leave a large proponent sitting at the top
layer. Those who make it to the top most certainly have a unique set of skills, capabilities, ambition
and resilience, which enabled their rise.
There is something else, which psychologists have spent decades trying to define that facilitates a
person climbing the corporate ladder and why some people make it to the top. From physical height to
networks to luck, there still isn’t one definitive answer. Having said that, there is one thing that all
C-Suite participants do have in common: The ability to use themselves as a tool to succeed.
Whatever their strengths and whatever their shortcomings, they optimise their natural
competencies to get what they aspire to.
And that is the common thread needed in coaching: To coach the person holistically as a human
being, rather than a technical capability to further the company. Most Executives know how to use
what they’ve got to help their careers, but few of them realise the trade-off that they make in other
areas of their lives to reach that level of success. People are people, regardless of what position they
hold in a company. Amongst the varying coaching needs, the need to have balance in your life, and
to look after yourself as a person often trumps other progressive goals.
The executive who can no longer rely on him or herself to achieve, has not only lost a competitive
advantage in the workplace, but also a personal advantage in their lives.