The Executive Coaching Forum -- Advancing best practices and understanding of executive coaching, leadership development, executive training and business coaching

Executive Summaries

Members of The Executive Coaching Forum have found these books and articles helpful, but we are not formally reviewing them for complete accuracy or endorsing the claims made by the creators.

"Confessions of a Trusted Counselor" by David Nadler
Harvard Business Review - September 2005

"Operating so close to power can be intoxicating.." says David Nadler in his September 2005 Harvard Business Review article, "Confessions of a Trusted Counselor". Though Nadler writes from the perspective of a "trusted counselor," the lessons apply directly to executive coaches. He articulates the complex nature of this role. David Nadler takes a clear-eyed and candid look at the privileges and perils of advising CEOs. "Working side by side with the highest-caliber leaders on issues affecting tens of thousands of people, you have an unparalleled opportunity to make a real and lasting difference." "Operating so close to power can be intoxicating. But you will also face dilemmas that could derail you, your client, or in extreme circumstances, your client's company."

Using case examples, he draws on his 25+ years experience to outline 6 themes of dilemmas that every consultant must encounter, with the magnification that working at the top level carries with it. He follows each with suggestions about how to resolve them.

The first set of three deals with the thorny issue of communication and information. "What information am I obligated to share and with whom? Should I err on the side of disclosure or discretion?" He advocates clarifying these issues with the CEO at the outset. A contract that outlines the expectations of what information goes to whom, and how frequently, can head off later struggles.

Nadler discusses the frequent challenges to a consultant's boundaries, as employees and executives seek to extract information from, or pass information through the consultant. This demands not only the clear sight of the consultant about what is appropriate, but also the willingness and skill to deflect a request when it is presented. He emphasizes the considerable force and charm of the men and women occupying the top seat of an organization and states that "It's your job to withstand that extraordinary force, to maintain the necessary balance of engagement and detachment."

The second set of dilemmas concerns the advisor's personal relationships and emotional maturity. He warns that a consultant must keep his or her own ego in check. "As a trusted CEO advisor, you must make sure that nearly all of your work remains invisible." One must find a balanced way to earn recognition for the work without calling attention inside the organization.

There is a parallel process between the loneliness of the position of CEO, and that of the consultant to the CEO. Each is unique, without peer in that role. The relationship between CEO and advisor can "transcend the purely professional. Over time you and the CEO must map out what I call a "zone of connection" that balances strong personal bonds with strong personal boundaries."

To be successful requires persistent introspection. States Nadler, "you may know your stuff, but that won't do you any good if you ignore the basic rule of consulting to CEOs: Advisor, know thyself"

This simple rule echoes at once the most basic, and perhaps the most challenging and satisfying aspect of the adventure of advising CEOs: "For those who manage to avoid the traps, it is a job that offers an incomparable perch from which to watch the grand battle and a chance to teach and learn from some truly inspiring leaders." work is built upon the foundation of the principles and guidelines defined in The Executive Coaching Handbook, which we continue to develop, maintain, and distribute.

Meg Stafford, ECF contributing member, Oct. 2005

"Worse Than Enemies, The CEO's Destructive Confidant" by Kerry J. Sulkowicz
Harvard Business Review - September 2004

Now, some cautionary advice for executive coaches: in the September 2004 issue of the Harvard Business Review, Kerry J. Sulkowicz mines some of the same themes by taking a look at the CEO/advisor relationship in its most dangerous form. In "Worse Than Enemies, The CEO's Destructive Confidant," Mr. Sulkowicz acknowledges the need that a CEO has for a confidant because of the isolation and protection that comes with this territory. He notes that many CEOs find confidants who complement their strengths and ultimately strengthen the organization. However, he depicts three types of confidants who can undermine a CEO, and if unchecked, take down the organization as well.

He describes The Reflector as the confidant who knows how to make their narcissistic leaders feel good. He notes that "although all confidants may do this to some extent, reflectors are driven by their own neurotic need to please authority." This may derive from their earlier "training," learning to please demanding or inappropriate parents. Taken to the extreme, the CEO and confidant develop a relationship that excludes complete feedback, thus alienating the CEO from other employees. If a confidant cannot challenge a CEO's harsh and rigid personality, but only praises him or her, then the behavior will only become more extreme, furthering the fracture between the CEO and other executives. Thus, although inadvertent, the Reflector can do a great deal of damage to the CEO's effectiveness.

The Insulator, also an inadvertent collaborator, serves as a buffer between CEOs who may be arrogant, and denying the negative impact of their behavior on those around them. Sulkowicz describes the Insulator's generally passive personality which may appear altruistic, but is manipulative in the (unconscious) quest for power over the leader and the organization. "Leaders who don't know how to express anger or criticism constructively, or who inadvertently make provocative, demeaning statements to their direct reports, probably need some insulation to preserve their role and stature." The challenge is preventing that insulation from suffocating CEOs and cutting them off from their top management team members.

The third CEO derailer that Sulkowicz talks about is the Usurper, the confidant who cunningly ingratiates himself with the CEO in a desperate bid for power. This group sets about the conquest of power in a conscious, sometimes sociopathic way. The attempt to isolate the CEO is more deliberate and potentially lethal for both the executive and the entire organization.

Sulkowicz does address ways to oust the toxic confidant, cautioning that untangling this tight relationship is often difficult, because of the large stake the CEO has in it. He warns that the most unaware CEOs choose the worst confidants, and may repeat this pattern if unable to see how destructive the relationship has become.

For executive coaches, the message is to remain aware of any reluctance to confront a CEO about areas of difficulty. Once a coach is compromising his or her own beliefs, coding or downplaying opinions in an attempt to please or protect an executive, there is a risk of losing value to the CEO and the organization, or worse, wreaking havoc on the performance of both. Maintaining the ability to confront in a constructive way, to disagree, and remaining aware of the feelings of the coach are an antidote to the poison of this dark side of executive coaching.

Meg Stafford, ECF contributing member, Oct. 200

Flawed Advice and the Management Trap
(Oxford University Press, 2000) by Chris Argyris

Continuing the theme of the previous two summaries, this full length book by the well-known Harvard professor challenges what may be seemingly unchallengeable. Create trust. Be patient. Use time effectively. Support your staff. Who could argue with advice like this?

But how can anyone be sure that the actions that s/he takes will lead to the desired result? It is this question that Argyris raises when he writes about Flawed Advice and the Management Trap. Executive coaches must pay particular attention to the concept of conveying clear accurate information to the executives they are coaching. They must also be certain that the executives are doing the same with their staff. Without this clarity, there is great risk of misunderstanding, and misguided actions resulting from the gap.

Many people have difficulty feeling safe when challenging an authority, or often even when questioning a colleague. Argyris postulates that most people behave in what he calls a Model I theory of action which espouses the following (often unconscious) beliefs:

Be in unilateral control.
Win; do not lose.
Suppress negative feelings.
Act as rationally as possible.

Because of this, inquiry into one's view or testing of claims is discouraged. This leads to defensiveness, self sealing behavior, and a great deal of anxiety in an organization. Blame is projected onto others. Reinforcing this loop is the fact that people are unaware when they are doing this. And, solidifying the pattern is the unawareness that they are not aware. This may be in an effort to protect from embarrassment or threat, but the net result is that not only do problems and inconsistencies remain cloaked; they will persist and infiltrate an organization, undermining the best of intentions and well designed plans. Topics that are rendered undiscussable do not simply go away. They simmer and fester below the surface, erupting when least expected (and often) when least helpful. The potential learning from valuable thoughts and ideas is lost.

Argyris maintains that the cure for this organizational ailment is the implementation of Model II theory of action and Effective Advice. Action can then lead to intended consequences without unintended side effects. He describes the three tests for the validity of advice and the four tests for the actionability of advice. Of prime importance is the specificity and clarity of advice in order for it to be reproducible or actionable. In this way, there is assurance that the message is produced and heard in the same way. Most important of all is the fact that the advice can and must be questioned. This enables it to be refined and molded to its most helpful state.

With copious field testing, Argyris gives accounts of how an organization can be transformed from one in which defensiveness and Model I behavior rules to one in which a more open and effective Model II behavior becomes the norm. This cannot happen instantly. It is a process which needs the guidance of nonjudgmental, clear sighted professionals to foster the atmosphere which allows the risk taking of speaking one's inner thoughts. As is the case with learning any new skill, increased practice produces more consistent results, and practice from the top engenders practice throughout the organization.

Through reading Flawed Advice and the Management Trap, managers are truly in an informed position from which they can evaluate the advice they are given. They can then decide whether it is likely to lead to lasting, positive change, or the quick fix of a fad diet that results in reinforcement of the self defeating behavior that led to the need to seek advice in the first place.

Meg Stafford, ECF contributing member, Oct. 2005

A very readable and informative article has been published by MCE (Managment Centre Europe) and can be found at http://www.mce.be/knowledge/344/40. These excerpts should lure you there:

" Coaching is important to organisations as it can deliver an increase in the bottom line by up to 30%. The source for this claim is the research undertaken by Daniel Goleman and Hay Mcber consultants."

" Currently anybody can call himself or herself a coach, and in some affluent parts of Europe the supply of ‘life coaches’ exceeds demand! This leads to the current situation where there are immense differences in the quality of coaching that business people receive. The European School of Coaching and Mentoring led by David Clutterbuck is very keen to regulate the market place. Regulation will occur in Europe within five years, the aim will be to ensure that there is a higher level of professionalism in the coaching business."

"… one of the big issues is dependency. Is the coach there to add some long-term added value to the company and the individual, or are they there to earn as much money as possible?"

Another article noting the popularity of "coaching" and offering a comprehensive approach can be found at: http://www.personneldecisions.com/learning/pdfs/D__Coaching%20and%20Mentoring%20Programs.pdf
This is one of the best articles in a long time, starting with:
"Consultants in fields as diverse as financial investing and health and beauty are calling themselves coaches in order to cash in on the term’s cachet. Coaching and mentoring—potentially powerful tools for management development—now face the risk of devolving into faddish buzz words and trendy but marginally effective programs. Before 1990, a suggestion that a manager needed a coach was invariably perceived as a personal indictment of the individual’s skills or performance. Most people referred to coaching were, in fact, viewed as talented but flawed."

"Coaching the Alpha Male" Is a helpful article from the May 2004 Harvard Business review. For coaches puzzled by their alpha male clients, useful coaching tips for these "bold, confident, and demanding alpha males" include:
    *Get his attention
    *Demand his commitment
    *Speak his language (alphaspeak)
    *Hit him hard enough to hurt
    *Encourage his curiosity and competitive instincts.

What about Alpha females? The authors, Kate Ludeman and Eddie Erlandson explain that, "Although equally talented, ambitious, and hardheaded, (females) often rise to positions of authority by excelling at collaboration, and they are less inclined to resort to intimidation to get what they want. Female leaders are more likely to use a ‘velvet hammer,’ tending to express orders as polite suggestions."

Speaking of women leaders, again the Harvard Business Review enlightens this subject with the April 2004 article, "Do Women Lack Ambition?" by Anna Fels. She explains that women’s ambitions, although "hidden in plain view," are not nurtured as men’s are. Also, the author claims, women’s "innate modesty" leads them to attribute success to luck and serendipity. For executive coaches working with women, this article provides women useful tips for working with those "stressed for success."

Executive Coaching Practices and Perspectives, Catherine Fitzgerald and Jennifer Garvey Berger, eds. fromDavies-Black Publishers is getting rave reviews! Because some of our Board members are contributing authors and we're naturally biased, we're offering you the review by Amazon.com, from which the book is available.

"Coaching has for too long been relegated to the bottom of most consultants' bags of fixes. More properly called "executive development," this field is becoming one of the hotter areas in the training world because of today's need to retain and develop superior talent. This excellent book of essays and articles by the top people in the industry is the first to integrate the theory and practice of this emerging field.

One of the central tenets of the book is that psychological training is central to the in-depth coaching process. The publisher, Davies-Black, is an imprint of Consulting Psychologists Press (the developers of the famous Myers-Briggs personality-type instrument) and thus there is the requisite focus on understanding the complexities of various "type interactions" in the workplace as part of the coaching process. Nevertheless, the text is solid and understandable, with some sophisticated, challenging, and often provocative arguments. For example, the book examines the collaboration between coaches and organization development experts and suggests that an executive's problems may stem not from poor interpersonal skills but from poor organizational structure, inadequate ground rules, or unclear decision-making processes.

Though it can sometimes seem academic in its approach, this beautifully packaged book is complemented by highly practical conversations, exercises, and checkpoints to determine the depth of learning. Human resources professionals, trainers, and consultants looking for guidance on the skills required to implement a topnotch executive coaching program will find this compendium by some of the top professionals in the field absolutely invaluable and well worth its price tag."

-- Charles Decker